Say hello to a platform dedicated to industrious, yet overtasked teachers like you. Say goodbye to countless hours spent developing relevant and engaging ELA lessons. Whether you are teaching the fundamentals of grammar, creative writing skills, classic literature, or contemporary fiction, you will find thousands of activities and assessments to help you achieve a healthier work-life balance without sacrificing academic rigor.
Say hello to a platform dedicated to industrious, yet overtasked teachers like you. Say goodbye to countless hours spent developing relevant and engaging ELA lessons. Whether you are teaching the fundamentals of grammar, creative writing skills, classic literature, or contemporary fiction, you will find thousands of activities and assessments to help you achieve a healthier work-life balance without sacrificing academic rigor.
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the short story “At Christmas Time” by Anton Chekhov. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
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
Reflect on the author’s choice of title and its intended effect
Evaluate the author’s means of emotionally influencing readers
Make logical inferences about the author’s philosophies on life
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare the lives of Vasilisa and Pyotr with the life of Yefimya
Apply knowledge of literary devices including ambiguity, euphemism, metaphor, onomatopoeia, and more
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz on the short story “The Kiss” by Anton Chekhov. The assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The protagonist’s job
The characterization of primary and secondary characters
The nature of the protagonist’s invitation
The location of the titular kiss
The effects of the kiss on each person
Factors contributing to the protagonist’s negative self-reflection
This summative test covers six short stories for the Christmas season that focus on themes of selflessness, compassion, and self-discovery (“A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote, “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, “The Burglar’s Christmas” by Willa Cather, “At Christmas Time” by Anton Chekhov, “Three Wise Guys: Un Cuento de Navidad” by Sandra Cisneros, and “The Heavenly Christmas Tree” by Fyodor Dostoevsky). An answer key, test prep study guide, standards-aligned writing rubric, and public domain narratives are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will:
Match the author’s name to his or her work
Demonstrate knowledge of primary and secondary characters and the key aspects of their lives
Demonstrate knowledge of significant events that take place in a variety of stories
Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion, epiphany, euphemism, hyperbole, metaphor, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, personification, simile, and more
Relate themes to narratives
Match relevant vocabulary terms to their definitions
Respond to thematically significant essay prompts
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims made in an academic essay
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the Grimm’s fairy tale “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: beguiled, bier, cunningly, delve, dwell, envy, haughty, heave, paragon, scarcely, splendor, transparent, and ween.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” A plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a craft analysis exercise, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
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 intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Determine the function of a given excerpt
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, pleonasm, dramatic irony, and more
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about coming-of-age fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: abyss, arid, desolation, destitute, discreet, escarpment, flotsam, frivolity, haggard, improvise, jubilation, mortified, promontory, and virile.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of materials for teaching Alice Walker’s short story “Everyday Use.” A plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in a zip file as editable Word Documents and printable 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 intended effects of the author’s narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Examine how point of view shapes the readers’ understanding of Dee’s character
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including but not limited to dialect, syncope, and malapropism
Contrast how two characters perceive the concept of heritage
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the Grimm’s fairy tale “Rapunzel.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: clamber, contented, descend, hastily, lament, pine, pitiless, rampion, relish, resound, skein, solitude, and vain.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: clabber, dingy, doctrine, envy, farthest, homely, lye, mercilessly, organdy, sidle, tacky, totter, witty, and wriggle.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “Rapunzel” (Lexile Measure estimate of 1010-1200). A plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
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 intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Consider tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including simile, situational irony, and dramatic irony
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about coming-of-age fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” by Mark Twain. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: append, countenance, dilapidated, distemper, garrulous, indifferent, infamous, infernal, interminable, monotonous, mutter, ornery, reminiscence, serenely, and vagabond.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Evaluate general reading comprehension, support critical thinking, and promote homework accountability with this bundle of formative assessments covering Mary Shelley’s short story “The Mortal Immortal,” a narrative of special appeal to high school students interested in Halloween, supernatural fiction, and philosophical perspectives on eternal life. This piece also pairs well with Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein, particularly in terms of discussing the book’s ending. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the public domain short story, and answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
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 perform the following tasks:
Identify what the text states both 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
Consider the effects of the author’s language and narrative techniques
Discern the function of a given excerpt
Describe tone in context
Examine how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with an emphasis on metaphor, personification, catharsis, imagery, repetition, oxymoron, hyperbole, and more
Explore themes in context
Reflect on the oxymoronic title and what it reflects about the protagonist
Conduct research as needed to answer questions about a feminist perspective on the plot and the deeper meanings of given allusions
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Gothic fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: bough, dilatory, discreetly, elusive, fretfully, gallantly, hasten, loiter, murmur, ornithologist, pang, plod, premonition, proffer, rebuke, shoal, stately, vaguely, wane, wary, wayfarer, and wistfully.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapter 5 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: articulate, blithely, indifferent, liable, manifestly, procure, ratify, restive, reverent, sly, unintelligible, and whimper.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapter 6 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: extravagant, gale, indignation, intermediary, malignity, mournfully, plod, promptly, repose, rouse, superintendence, and timidly.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Hans Christian Andersen’s short story “The Little Mermaid.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain fairy tale, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: beckon, betrothal, bough, dowager, drab, earnestly, ethereal, hasten, heartily, idle, indifferent, melodious, mournfully, procure, timid, and trifle.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapter 8 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: clamor, conciliatory, dismay, fortnight, impart, intently, lamentation, murmur, refuge, successive, weary, and wistful.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapter 10 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: denounce, eminent, frugally, haughty, hearty, invariably, misgiving, morose, rheumy, subversive, taciturn, and trifle.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Frontload assigned readings with these vocabulary games and activities to facilitate comprehension of Animal Farm by George Orwell. Alternatively, stash these materials in an emergency sub folder to keep students meaningfully engaged in the book during unexpected teacher absences. Included are 10 vocabulary application activities, 10 crossword puzzles,10 word search games, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
A total of 120 challenging words are addressed: articulate, benevolent, blithely, bray, capitulate, clamor, coccidiosis, complicity, conciliatory, contemptuously, continually, contrary, countenance, cryptic, cynical, dart, decree, demeanor, denounce, din, dismay, dissentient, eminent, enmity, ensconce, exclaim, expound, extravagant, falter, feebly, fortnight, frugally, gale, gambol, haughty, hearken, hearty, hoarse, hoist, humble, idle, ignominious, impart, impromptu, incite, indefatigable, indifferent, indignantly, indignation, intently, intermediary, internment, invariably, inventive, irrepressible, knacker, laborious, lamentation, leisure, liable, malignity, manifestly, maxim, misgiving, morose, mournfully, murmur, nimble, obstinate, oration, perpetually, plod, posthumously, preliminary, principle, procure, promptly, prophecy, quarrel, ratify, refuge, reign, rejoice, repose, reproach, restive, retribution, reverent, rheumy, rouse, seclusion, shirk, shrewd, shrill, skirmish, sly, solemn, sturdy, subversive, successive, superannuated, superintendence, taciturn, temper, thwart, timidly, toil, tractable, treachery, trifle, tumult, tyranny, unanimous, unintelligible, vague, waft, weary, whimper, whinny, and wistful.
By engaging with these activities, students will:
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Help high school students extend beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet covering Sandra Cisneros’ Christmas-themed short story titled “Three Wise Guys, Un Cuento de Navidad.” An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
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 completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including idiom, metaphor, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, and personification
Consider themes in context
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about coming-of-age fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature