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 and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Chinua Achebe’s short story “Dead Men’s Path.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with fiction. 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:
Character motivations
General description of Obi’s colleagues
Nancy’s emotional and psychological states
The length of time Obi has been married
The nature of the conversation Obi has with a priest
The meaning behind a proverb
The cultural significance of the path
The reason Obi wants to close the path
A tragic situation
Retribution
The resolution
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Morley Callaghan’s “All the Years of Her Life,” a short story focusing on how a young son’s behavior influences the psychological state of his loving mother. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with fiction. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
Setting
Conflict
The background of the protagonist
How complex characters interact
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Morley Callaghan’s “All the Years of Her Life,” a short story focusing on how a young son’s behavior influences the psychological state of his loving mother. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Determine the point of view of the narrative
Discern the tone of a particular passage
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast characters
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony and epiphany
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering Chinua Achebe’s short story “Dead Men’s Path.” A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Determine the function of a particular passage
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing and situational irony
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about 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 Morley Callaghan’s “All the Years of Her Life,” a short story focusing on how a young son’s behavior influences the psychological state of his loving mother. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: bluster, brusquely, contempt, doggedly,
earnestness, genial, indignation, plead, proprietor, repose, sap, stern, and swaggering.
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 go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the short story “Two Kinds” from The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading 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 the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Apply knowledge of the fairy tale “Cinderella” to the plot of “Two Kinds”
Discern the functions of given details
Describe the tone of a given excerpt
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including hyperbole, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, simile, and situational irony
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering Morley Callaghan’s “All the Years of Her Life,” a short story focusing on how a young son’s behavior influences the psychological state of his loving mother. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Determine the point of view of the narrative
Discern the tone of a particular passage
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast characters
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony and epiphany
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of activities for teaching the short story “Two Kinds” from The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Determine the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Apply knowledge of the fairy tale “Cinderella” to the plot of “Two Kinds”
Discern the functions of given details
Describe the tone of a given excerpt
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including hyperbole, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, simile, and situational irony
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the classic fairy tale “Jorinda and Jorindel” by the Brothers Grimm. 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 provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Consider how words and phrases may have dual interpretations in context
Discern the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Describe tone in context
Determine the greater significance of given details
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including symbolism and situational irony
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “Jorinda and Jorindel.” Alternatively, the assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active reading. An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The antagonist’s physical form in both the daytime and the nighttime
What happens to both men and women when they approach the antagonist’s house
The source of mournful singing
The nature of the relationship between the titular characters
Abrupt changes in Jorindel’s life
The content of Jorindel’s dreams
The length of time it takes Jorindel to find an item with magical properties
The resolution
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Leslie Marmon Silko’s short story titled “The Man to Send Rain Clouds.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with fiction. 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
Character relationships
Actions consistent with a ritual
Character motivations
A complication associated with burial
The priest’s reluctance
Resolution
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Leslie Marmon Silko’s short story “The Man to Send Rain Clouds.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern and articulate Leon’s motivation to keep Teofilo’s death a secret
Analyze Louise’s actions to discern and articulate what they reveal about her mindset
Analyze how character interactions contribute to the development of internal conflict
Locate textual evidence in support of the claim that the priest is not very familiar with his community
Articulate a reason for Leon to feel content
Make a claim about character beliefs in the context of the entire narrative
Apply knowledge of symbolism, choosing an object that represents an abstract and significant idea
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
With this printable bundle of high school resources for teaching “The Man to Send Rain Clouds” by Leslie Marmon Silko, educators will measure reading comprehension with a multiple choice quiz on character and plot and support high-order thinking with a set of close reading analysis questions. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
This resource may serve as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development, demonstrating an ability to analyze how complex characters transform and advance the plot and themes by applying logic and citing compelling, meaningful textual evidence. They will also evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to advance claims, clarifying or challenging unclear ideas. Using this resource for structured guidance, students, ultimately, will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
By completing these exercises, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern and articulate Leon’s motivation to keep Teofilo’s death a secret
Analyze Louise’s actions to discern and articulate what they reveal about her mindset
Analyze how character interactions contribute to the development of internal conflict
Locate textual evidence in support of the claim that the priest is not very familiar with his community
Articulate a reason for Leon to feel content
Make a claim about character beliefs in the context of the entire narrative
Apply knowledge of symbolism, choosing an object that represents an abstract and significant idea
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
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 “The Frog King” (also called “Iron Heinrich” and “Iron Henry”). A plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a craft analysis handout, 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. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Explore the conventions of fairy tale literature
Determine the narrative’s inciting incident
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, dramatic irony, and situational irony
Consider themes in context
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help middle and high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “Clever Gretel.” An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Consult reference materials to learn or verify meanings of challenging words
Describe tone in context
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Articulate contradictions made evident by the protagonist’s behavior
Apply knowledge of literary devices including dramatic irony and foreshadowing
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about fiction 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 covering the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “Clever Gretel.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the short story. An answer key and copy of the text are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Objects that intensify Gretel’s self-esteem
Gretel’s tendencies while she cooks
Gretel’s preparations for cooking
Gretel’s belief on what constitutes a sin
The purpose for Gretel’s visits to the cellar
The problem that exists when the master returns
What the master does with a knife
How Gretel gets herself out of an awkward situation
The resolution
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the humorous Grimm’s fairy tale “Clever Gretel.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: conflagration, eminent, exuberance, fervid, hearty, idle, implore, jovial, lament, parched, relish, scurry, and zealously.
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 go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the short story “Broken Chain” by Gary Soto. An answer key is provided. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading 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 the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including dramatic irony, idiom, invective, simile, situational irony, and symbolism
Reflect on the author’s choice of title and interpret it figuratively
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
This end-of-unit test covers ten short stories for high school: “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs, “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury, “The Good Deed” by Peal S. Buck, “The Devil and Daniel Webster” by Stephen Vincent Benet, “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry, “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” by Katherine Anne Porter, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” by Mark Twain, “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and “A Journey” by Edith Wharton. A test prep guide, answer key, and standards-aligned essay rubric are provided. All 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
Relate themes to narratives
Match relevant vocabulary terms to their definitions
Respond to a thematically significant essay prompt
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims made in an academic essay
This end-of-unit test covers ten short stories for high school: “Charles” by Shirley Jackson, “The Interlopers” by Saki, “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, “Dead Men’s Path” by Chinua Achebe, “Home” by Gwendolyn Brooks, “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen, “The Dinner Party” by Mona Gardner, “The No-Guitar Blues” by Gary Soto, “Three Wise Guys” by Sandra Cisneros, and “All the Years of Her Life” by Morley Callaghan. A test prep guide, answer key, and standards-aligned essay rubric are provided. All 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
Relate themes to narratives
Match relevant vocabulary terms to their definitions
Respond to a thematically significant essay prompt
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims made in an academic essay