Help students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 3, scene 4, of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, this worksheet saves English Language Arts teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define words/phrases as they are used in the text Verify interpretations of language using reference materials Explore the intended effects of Shakespeare’s narrative techniques Describe tone in context Conduct brief research on pelicans to better understand their symbolic value in context ('pelican daughters") Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Help learners go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 1, scene 3, of William Shakespeare’s Othello. 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 as well as implicitly Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings Infer the intended effects of Shakespeare’s word choices and dramatic techniques Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Discern the tone of a character’s remarks Identify textual evidence in support of claims Come to class better prepared to discuss works of Shakespeare

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 George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about the Two Minutes Hate from Book 1, chapter 1, this activity may be assigned as independent homework or as a collaborative classroom exercise. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading worksheet, students will: 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 Explore how characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply and articulate knowledge of literary devices and techniques including consonance, simile, and situational irony Activate background knowledge on Nazi Germany’s treatment of the Jews and articulating historical parallels to the Two Minutes Hate Write about literature with accuracy, clarity, and precision

Help high school students go beyond basic comprehension, practice critical thinking skills, and explore literary elements with this close reading inference worksheet covering chapter 8 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. 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 do the following: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings as needed Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including simile and situational irony Explore cause-and-effect relationships

Evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering a portion of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale (chapters 31 through 46). An alternate version is also provided for re-assessment purposes, though it may be used as a guided reading worksheet to help students ascertain crucial details about characters, settings, and conflicts. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following important details: A network of believers, disenchanted with society Serena’s suggestion to the narrator Revelations about the baby Jezabelle’s The return of Moira The function of women in the colonies Nick’s garage home The savage act of Salvaging Particicution A character’s suicide Offred and the resolution

With this summative test covering the entirety of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, English teachers will evaluate students’ reading comprehension, knowledge of literary devices, essay writing skills, and ability to articulate how the author develops and reinforces theme (that totalitarianism has grave effects on ordinary people). An answer key, standards-based writing rubric, sample essay response, and test prep study guide are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate an ability to: Correctly identify characters based on given details and descriptions Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, allusion, dramatic irony, portmanteau, pun, and more Analyze passages and make logical inferences in the context of those passages Write a brief essay in which students convey ideas with relevant textual evidence and adhere to the standard conventions of written English

Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 3, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Describe tone in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Contrast two characters (Miranda and Ferdinand) Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification, situational irony, and dramatic irony 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 dramatic works

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this quiz covering Act 4 of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The quiz may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the play. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Prospero’s advice for the engaged couple, Miranda and Ferdinand Ariel’s role in terms of arranging the wedding ceremony Gifts given to Miranda and Ferdinand The sprites who impersonate various goddesses An interruption during the wedding festivities Prospero’s erratic behavior How Prospero intends to entice his enemies Caliban’s awareness of a trap Prospero’s assessment of Caliban’s character Caliban’s epiphany The appearance of spirits in the form of animals

Help high school students extend beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet covering the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative 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 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 Determine the functions of given details Describe tone in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Compare characters in the story Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing, imagery, personification, symbolism, situational irony, dramatic irony, and more Consider themes in context Conduct research on the author’s life in order to draw autobiographical parallels 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 chapters 16, 17, and 18 of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the novel. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Ma’s reaction to Rose of Sharon’s news An engine issue with the Wilsons’ vehicle Ma’s disagreement with Tom and Casy’s decision Spending the night at a roadside camp Conditions for migrant farmers in California The creation of larger migrant family communities A degrading term for migrant families Noah’s life-changing decision A gravely ill character Agricultural inspectors stopping the family Sad news shared with the family

Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 2, scene 4, of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. 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 explicitly as well as implicitly Define words as they are used in the text Describe tone in context Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Compare and contrast characters 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 Shakespearean drama

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapter 2 of Lord of the Flies by William Golding. 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: assent, bleakly, clamor, coarse, contemptuously, ebullience, festoon, gesticulate, mutter, nimble, shrill, and ungraspable. 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 Act 3, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this activity, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word and phrase 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 such as foreshadowing, pun, and dramatic irony Choose the best textual evidence in support of a claim Consider relevant themes in the context of the scene Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works

Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 5, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop 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 dramatic works

Help learners go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 2, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s Othello. 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 as well as implicitly Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings Infer the intended effects of Shakespeare’s word choices and dramatic techniques Discern tone in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Identify textual evidence in support of claims Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss works of Shakespeare

Help learners go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 3, scene 3, of William Shakespeare’s Othello. 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 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 Apply knowledge of literary devices including dramatic irony, verbal irony, situational irony, and metaphor Support ideas and claims with relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss works of Shakespeare

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 a meaningful excerpt from Act 4, scene 3, of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will: Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly Define complex words and phrases in context Discern the greater significance of a given detail Determine the function of a particular excerpt Discern tone in context Examine how characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion

Help learners go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 4, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s Othello. 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 as well as implicitly Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings Infer the intended effects of Shakespeare’s word choices and dramatic techniques Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Support ideas and claims with relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss works of Shakespeare

Help learners go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 4, scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s Othello. 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 as well as implicitly Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings Infer the intended effects of Shakespeare’s word choices and dramatic techniques Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Support ideas and claims with relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss works of Shakespeare