This close reading assessment bundle features text-dependent, high-order questions to promote improved reading comprehension and deeper analysis of 1984 by George Orwell. Brief excerpts from the novel are included in accordance with fair use regulations. Answer keys are included, as are Word Document and PDF versions of each resource. By completing these exercises, students will: Discern what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly Define complex words and phrases in context Determine and analyze the development of key ideas and themes, including the effects of mob mentality Analyze how the author’s word choices add to the text’s complexity Apply and articulate knowledge of literary devices and techniques including consonance, assonance, simile, euphemism, onomatopoeia, aposiopesis, and situational irony Activate background knowledge on Nazi Germany’s treatment of the Jews and articulating historical parallels to the Two Minutes Hate Conduct brief research to discern and articulate historical parallels to media manipulation and the falsification of records Analyze textual details to make logical inferences about character fears, behaviors, and motivations Analyze the emphasis on sports impedimenta and articulate how sporting events promote modes of thinking sanctioned by the Party Analyze how the description of setting contributes to the author’s warning on the effects of totalitarianism on the masses Analyze the author’s word choices to discern and articulate how they contribute to the development of plot Analyze an excerpt to discern its primary function Analyze the Party’s behaviors to discern and articulate the Party’s motivations Make logical inferences about the Party’s reasoning for restricting access to razor blades Identify textual evidence in support of the claim that Syme and Winston have grown desensitized to the brutalities of the Party Identify textual evidence in support of the claim that Syme is described like an animal Analyze why the author may have chosen to describe Syme in an animal-like manner Analyze a brief portion of the passage, which features scare quotes, to discern the author’s intent Articulate why the proles could pose a formidable threat to the Party Articulate why the Brotherhood is comparatively and profoundly less powerful than the proles could be Paraphrase what the narrator means by “[r]ebellion meant a look in the eyes, an inflexion of the voice, at the most, an occasional whispered word.” Analyze the symbolic significance of reverberating bells and inferring why the author made reference to them in context Analyze and articulate Winston’s internal conflict(s) Analyze how Winston is personally affected by the singing of the thrush Apply knowledge of assonance and sibilance and analyze how literary devices contribute to text complexity Analyze the characterization of the thrush and compare its situation to that of Winston and Julia, articulating what these characters share in common Identify textual details that contrast the harshness and abruptness typically associated with totalitarian Oceania Analyze the significance of weather conditions in terms of the Party’s goals for Hate Week Analyze textual details to infer the purpose(s) of atrocity pamphlets and the Hate Week theme song Analyze figurative language (“happy as a lark”) to discern and articulate implied meaning as it relates to Parsons Articulate what makes it impossible for Winston or any other individual member to take down the Brotherhood Identify textual evidence to support the claim that Winston admires O’Brien Compare aspects of the Party’s inner-workings to aspects of the Brotherhood’s inner-workings Articulate what a passage reflects about George Orwell’s attitude toward rebellion against dictatorships Articulate the circumstances under which institutions of the past would uphold truth and logic Articulate the purpose of newspapers and other media, as well as why that purpose is significant Articulate the consequences of interminable war Articulate the narrator’s perspective on who the real victims of contemporary war are Articulate Parsons’s beliefs concerning what makes thoughtcrime so dangerous Articulate how Parsons evaluates his effectiveness as a father Identify and explain textual evidence that contribute to Parsons’s pitiful characterization Articulate how an excerpt illustrates the Party’s success in terms of restricting human emotions and complicating human relationships Explain why reality only exists in the collective mind of the Party, according to O’Brien Identify where anaphora is present in the given passage Identify words, phrases, and details that contribute to Winston’s baby-like characterization Infer why the author wished to characterize Winston like a child given the context of the passage Identify textual evidence in support of a claim Use logic and/or textual evidence to support an argument Write with logic, clarity, and precision

Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of materials for teaching Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery.” A plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a craft analysis exercise, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in a zip file as Word Documents and PDFs. This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly. By engaging with these materials, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define words and phrases as they are used in the text Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings Choose the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences Discern the tone of a given passage Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Apply knowledge of literary devices with an emphasis on foreshadowing Determine the author’s intent, as well as its effect on readers Support claims and inferences with relevant textual evidence Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class/leave class better prepared to discuss literature

Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills while teaching Act 3 of William Shakespeare’s King Lear with this bundle of formative assessments. Included are the following: a quiz on characters and plot, seven close reading worksheets addressing the author’s craft, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these activities, students will do the following: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Discern the intended effect of Shakespeare’s narrative techniques and figurative language Define words/phrases as they are used in context Verify interpretations of language using reference materials Describe tone in context Consider the greater significance of given details Determine the primary function of given excerpts/scenes Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Compare two characters in the play (Edgar and Edmund) Apply knowledge of literary devices including assonance, hyperbole, personification, paradox, metaphor, verbal irony, dramatic irony, situational irony, and apheresis Conduct brief research on pelicans to better understand their symbolic value in context (“pelican daughters”) Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision