Engage students with a classic Grimm’s fairy tale and evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering “The Four Clever Brothers.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate engagement with the short story. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: The reason for the brothers’ departure The duration of the brothers’ separation from one another Gifts each brother receives along their respective journeys Challenges faced by the brothers The proposed prize for rescuing a kidnapped princess The king’s compromise The brothers’ collective reaction to the king’s compromise And more

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the parable are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: Setting The subject of the minister’s sermon The townspeople’s reaction to the veiled minister Elizabeth’s relationship to the minister An observation made during a funeral service The reason for the minister’s fear at a wedding ceremony The minister’s caretaker when he becomes elderly Whether or not the minister ever permits his veil to be lifted The nature of the minister’s dying remarks And more

Incorporate magical realism into the high school ELA classroom, eliminate assessment planning responsibilities, and evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: The couple’s inference about the old man The old man’s self-proclaimed identity The purpose of the old man’s visit Where the old man is kept How the villagers treat the old man The purpose of the priest’s visit Peculiar events attributed to the old man The couple’s changing socioeconomic status The doctor’s conclusion The old man’s changing health status The resolution And more

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “In Another Country” by Ernest Hemingway. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: Historical context Setting The general characterization of the narrator The nature of soldiers’ injuries Interactions between characters The resolution And more

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: Setting The mayor’s special arrangement with Emily How the mayor convinced Emily to accept the arrangement The relationships between Emily and secondary characters Complaints lodged against Emily and her property A peculiar purchase Emily’s eccentricities Details concerning Emily’s funeral The narrator’s perception of time A shocking discovery And more

Help high school students go beyond basic comprehension, explore literary devices, and improve critical thinking skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering Act 5, scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Consider using this resource as an in-class group activity; it may facilitate deeper conversations about characters, plot developments, and literary craft. By engaging with this close reading analysis activity, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings Infer the intended effects of Shakespeare’s word choices and dramatic techniques Describe tone in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Consider themes in context Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss works of Shakespeare

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: Historical context Setting The general characterization of the protagonist The inciting incident Psychological effects of the protagonist’s conflict The resolution And more

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “American History” by Judith Ortiz Cofer. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: Setting Elena’s general demeanor Elena’s likes and dislikes Elena’s impression of Eugene The dream of Elena’s parents Elena’s personal goals A major historical event Elena’s observations as she heads home Elena’s intentions in the hours following the historical event The interaction between Elena and Eugene’s mom

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: Point of view Setting The general characterizations of the men at sea The correspondent’s assessment of Nature The identity of the character who dies How the surviving men perceive themselves following their shared experience And more

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The White Umbrella” by Gish Jen. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: The nature of the practice sessions The narrator’s lies The bickering between the narrator and her sister The reason the narrator is reluctant to ask for a white umbrella The interaction between the narrator and her teacher A misunderstanding involving the white umbrella The narrator’s awkward admission to her teacher The reason for the mother’s delay The mother’s sharing of a Chinese saying A terrifying incident The fate of the white umbrella

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “Tuesday Siesta” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: The characters’ means of transportation The nature of the relationship between mother and daughter The purpose of the characters’ trip Carlos’ general characterization The priest’s treatment of the mother The object given to the mother by the priest The mother’s disposition in the face of scrutiny And more

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Californian’s Tale” by Mark Twain. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: Point of view The amount of time that has passed The area’s reputation The narrator’s assessment of those who live in log cabins The narrator’s observations about the cabin Why the narrator is encouraged to stay The concerns of the narrator How the host’s personality changes over the course of the story How the host’s friends subdue him The truth about the host’s life The host’s apparent medical condition

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “Lullaby” by Leslie Marmon Silko. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: The protagonist’s name The fate of each of the protagonist’s children Setting The significance of the snow Conflicts between the protagonist and her husband Memories of the protagonist’s mother and grandmother The reason for the husband’s firing The husband’s irresponsible financial decisions The context of the lullaby And more

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “And of Clay Are We Created” by Isabel Allende, as translated by Margaret Sayers Peden. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: The nature of the natural disaster The age of the trapped girl The identity of the narrator Rolf’s career Means by which people try to help the trapped girl Rolf’s reflections Interactions between Rolf and the trapped girl The narrator’s assessment of Rolf’s condition And more

Engage middle and high school students with a classic example of adventure fiction, “To Build a Fire” by Jack London, and use this assessment to promote homework accountability and evaluate general reading comprehension. An answer key is included, as well as a copy of the public domain short story. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: The protagonist’s arrogance The old timer’s disregarded advice The protagonist’s husky companion The lack of understanding of the severe climate The omnipresent dangers of the setting The building of the fires The protagonist’s lack of imagination and its consequences The protagonist’s alarming thought concerning the husky The protagonist’s realization before his demise

Reduce teacher workload, measure general reading comprehension, and promote homework accountability with this printable quiz on “The Wife’s Story” by Ursula K. Le Guin. An answer key is included. Questions pertain to the following key details: The narrator’s emotional state The narrator’s characterization of her husband The relationship between the narrator and her sister A quality about the narrator’s husband that “brings the shivers on” her The moon’s role in the husband’s transformation The “curse in his blood” The husband’s tendency to leave home abruptly The husband’s strange smell upon returning The children’s fear of their own father A physical transformation The story’s resolution

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the classic fairy tale “The Golden Goose” by the Brothers Grimm. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the short story are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: The family’s treatment of Dullhead Why the brothers go into the woods How Dullhead’s experience in the woods differs from his brothers’ How Dullhead acquires a golden goose What happens to those who touch the golden goose The general demeanor of the princess The conditions under which the king will allow a man to marry his daughter The range of tasks the king gives Dullhead The resolution

Incorporate narrative nonfiction into the English Language Arts classroom and measure general reading comprehension with this quiz covering George Orwell’s essay “Shooting an Elephant.” This autobiographical account addresses the author’s experiences with and attitude toward imperialism. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: The narrator’s profession The narrator’s attitude toward his job Setting The narrator’s perspective on imperialism The townspeople’s attitude toward the narrator How the elephant had gotten loose The elephant’s dangerous behavior The townspeople’s expectations of the narrator as they relate to handling the elephant What motivates the narrator to kill the elephant What the townspeople do with the elephant’s corpse And more

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Black Cat.” The assessment may otherwise double as a guided reading handout to facilitate purposeful reading experiences. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Point of view The location from which the narrator tells the story The stated fate of the narrator The narrator’s rationalization of his behavior The “immediate purpose” of the narrative The narrator’s feelings toward animals The general demeanor of the narrator’s wife The fate of the narrator’s first cat A devastating event affecting the daily lives of the narrator and his wife The distinguishing characteristic of the second cat The effect of the second cat’s affection on the narrator The fate of the narrator’s wife The resolution

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Kate Chopin’s short story “A Pair of Silk Stockings.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Mrs. Sommers’ initial intentions for her money The neighbors’ treatment of Mrs. Sommers Mrs. Sommers’ past The effect of the stockings on Mrs. Sommers’ emotions The shoe clerk’s observations about Mrs. Sommers Various items purchased by Mrs. Sommers Mrs. Sommers’ feelings as she returns home