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.
Eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities, evaluate general reading comprehension, and promote homework accountability with this multiple choice quiz covering “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are included. Materials are delivered in a zip file containing editable Word Documents and printable PDFs. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The subject of a portrait
The personal histories of the doctor’s guests
The reason for the acquaintances’ visit
Dr. Heidegger’s claims and his guests’ immediate reactions
The object the doctor uses to prove a point
The doctor’s general characterization
The effects of the doctor’s experiment
The resolution
For many reluctant readers, science fiction helps to maximize student engagement. “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut is a satirical, cautionary short story about governmental efforts to enforce equality on all citizens. This plot-based quiz covering the short story helps English teachers promote homework accountability and evaluate general reading comprehension—while eliminating take-home assessment planning responsibilities. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in a zip file containing editable Word Documents and printable PDFs. By completing this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Harrison’s physical characteristics
Setting
The reason for Harrison’s arrest
The purpose of the law regarding mandated handicaps
Hazel’s general characterization
George’s specific handicap
Breaking news
Harrison’s defiant behavior
Hazel’s reaction to her son’s death
Promote active engagement with humorous fiction, reinforce understanding of situational irony, and evaluate general reading comprehension with this multiple choice quiz on the short story “The Cop and the Anthem” by O. Henry. An answer key is included. All materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
Setting
The protagonist’s living circumstances
The onset of a particular season
The function of newspapers in the context of the protagonist’s life
The protagonist’s motivations
The protagonist’s attempts to achieve his goals
The prevalence of situational irony
Factors contributing to dynamic character
The fate of the protagonist as the story resolves
Help high school students extend beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous, text-dependent questions on the humorous short story “The Cop and the Anthem” by O. Henry. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this activity, students will:
Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly
Analyze how complex characters interact and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion, juxtaposition, and situational irony
Isolate a phrase that features an example of figurative language
Analyze character actions to make logical inferences
Determine the function of a particular passage
Make an inference about the author’s point of view
Articulate the significance of a given detail
Cite textual evidence in support of claims
Write with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support the development of close reading skills for high school with this set of analysis questions for The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Covering chapters 12 through 17, this worksheet saves teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable Word Documents and PDFs.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Explore character motivations
Analyze how complex characters develop and interact
Discern the function of a particular character in context
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Analyze differences and nuances in word meanings
Apply knowledge of literary devices such as pun and metaphor
Explore the author’s intent
Analyze a shift in narrative technique in chapter 16
Articulate the intended effect of a figurative expression
Write about literature with clarity and precision
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims
Support the development of close reading skills for high school with this set of analysis questions for The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Covering chapters 18 through 23, this worksheet saves teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable Word Documents and PDFs.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Explore the author’s use of figurative language
Analyze how complex characters develop and interact
Articulate the irony associated with the relationship between Offred and her mother
Explore character motivations
Discern the function of a particular detail in context
Analyze differences and nuances in word meanings
Analyze how theme is developed and reinforced
Write about literature with clarity and precision
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims
Make a defend a claim about whether Offred is a reliable narrator
Support the development of close reading skills for high school with this set of analysis questions for The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Covering chapters 24 through 27, this worksheet saves teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable Word Documents and PDFs.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Explain the intended effect of figurative language as it is used in context
Isolate a false statement about plot among a set of true statements
Articulate the flaw in a character’s logic
Analyze how complex characters develop and interact
Explore character motivations
Discern the function of a given chapter
Analyze differences and nuances in word meanings
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, pun, and dramatic irony
Write about literature with clarity and precision
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims
Support the development of close reading skills for high school with this set of analysis questions for The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Covering chapters 35 through 39, this worksheet saves teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable Word Documents and PDFs.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Isolate a false statement about plot among a set of true statements
Analyze how complex characters develop and interact
Explore character motivations
Explore the psychological state of a given character
Articulate how several situations are ironic
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, situational irony, allusion, and euphemism
Infer why Offred chose not to “reconstruct” her memory of her final encounter with Moira
Analyze differences and nuances in word meanings
Write about literature with clarity and precision
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims
Help high school students extend beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering chapter 3 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. 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 completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define complex words as they are used in the text
Analyze dialogue to make logical inferences
Analyze character actions and motivations
Determine which character is likeliest to challenge leadership and take interest in the world outside of Animal Farm
Make logical inferences about the author’s beliefs based on details from chapter three
Explore the purposes of a given passage
Articulate the purposes of slogans and mottos
Articulate why the pigs in particular would favor the incorporation of slogans and mottos into Animal Farm’s culture
Write about literature with clarity and precision
Justify written responses with reasoning and/or textual evidence
Help high school students extend beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous, text-dependent questions on the satirical science fiction short story titled “Lose Now, Pay Later” by Carol Farley. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Examine a figurative expression (“used like a flock of sheep”) for meaning
Select expository character details that support the claim that the protagonist should be more capable of exercising discipline
Apply knowledge of literary devices including portmanteau and personification
Analyze the author’s diction to discern the intended effect of a particular word (staggered)
Visualize a particular scene to make a logical inference about the author’s intent
Explore the author’s description of the slimmer to make a logical inference about the safety of the contraption
Read a passage to determine its tone
Evaluate nuances in word meanings and use reference materials as needed
Articulate how satire is present throughout the story, indicating aspects of modern society that are being critically targeted
Write clearly, concisely, and accurately in response to analytical questioning
Exercise rational thought
Cite textual evidence in support of claims
Help high school students extend beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous, text-dependent questions on the science fiction short story “Backward Step” by Paul Jennings. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Analyze the author’s decision to have the narrator directly address the reader in the exposition
Apply knowledge of literary devices including euphemism and onomatopoeia
Discern the intended effect of a given detail (“People from the university wanted to study me”)
Make logical inferences about what a given excerpt reflects about the human condition (“Fortune-tellers and mystics claimed they had moved me in time. I was on television all over the world.”)
Articulate similarities between the five-year-old protagonist and his grandmother
Determine the function of a given excerpt (“I was lying on a seat on the other side of the road. An old man sitting next to me looked as if a ghost had just appeared in front of him. He screamed and ran off as fast as he could go.”)
Identify techniques used to convey the narrator’s childlike voice
Conduct brief research into the Grandfather Paradox
Determine a theme that is reinforced by the story’s resolution
Write clearly, concisely, and accurately in response to analytical questioning
Exercise rational thought
Cite textual evidence in support of claims
For many high school readers, supernatural fiction and fantasy are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “The Tree” by H.P. Lovecraft features plot elements consistent with the aforementioned genres: allusions to Greek mythology, inexplicable vanishings, the personification of inanimate objects, and more. This multiple choice quiz covering “The Tree” helps English teachers promote homework accountability, evaluate reading comprehension, and save time at home without sacrificing quality in the classroom. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The role of the beekeeper
The protagonists’ jobs
The nature of the relationship between the protagonists
The artistic inspirations of each individual protagonist
The Tyrant of Syracuse’s motivations
The goddess whom the Tyrant wishes to honor
Kalos’ reaction to his grave illness
The request Kalos makes of his friend upon his death
The promise Musides makes to Kalos prior to his death
The length of time it takes Musides to complete his assigned task
Peculiar characteristics of the tree
The fate of Musides and his work
For many high school readers, psychological fiction and horror are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “The Premature Burial” by Edgar Allan Poe features elements consistent with both genres: a stream-of-consciousness technique, the intensification of an irrational fear, tales of being buried alive, and more. This multiple choice quiz covering “The Premature Burial” helps English teachers promote homework accountability, evaluate reading comprehension, and save time at home without sacrificing quality in the classroom. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The exposition
The identities of those mentioned who suffered premature burials
The intentions of Julien Bossuet
The narrator’s beliefs concerning premature burials
The narrator’s medical condition
Precautions taken by the narrator to avoid death by premature burial
Where the narrator seeks shelter during a storm
How a premature burial scare affects the narrator’s life moving forward
The narrator’s evaluation of human imagination
For many high school readers, horror and supernatural fiction are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe features elements consistent with both genres: a Gothic mansion, psychological deterioration, heightened emotions, grim imagery, and more. This multiple choice quiz covering “The Fall of the House of Usher” helps English teachers promote homework accountability, evaluate reading comprehension, and save time at home without sacrificing quality in the classroom. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following key details:
How the narrator comes upon the House of Usher
The narrator’s descriptions of the House of Usher
What the narrator means when he refers to “shadowy fancies”
A characterization of the relationship between the narrator and Roderick
The content of the letter Roderick wrote the narrator
What the narrator means when he refers to Roderick’s “reserve [which] had always been excessive and habitual.
The Ushers’ ancestry
A description of the narrator as he first explores the House of Usher
Roderick’s ill appearance
Madeline’s relationship to Roderick
Madeline’s unusual medical condition
Roderick’s ability to play the guitar
Why Roderick wants to keep Madeline’s corpse in the house
A realization that Roderick and Madeline were twins
A strange sight through the window
Peculiar noises
Roderick’s terrible fear regarding Madeline
Roderick’s death
The narrative’s resolution
For many high school readers, realistic fiction is a genre that maximizes relatability and engagement with literature. “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker is a story about self-image, generational clashes, cultural conflicts, and more. With this challenging worksheet composed of high-order questions, English teachers will help students extend beyond basic reading comprehension, support the development of close reading analysis skills, and save valuable time at home without sacrificing quality and rigor in the classroom. A detailed answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Analyze the narrator’s sense of self-image
Explore the author’s use of language to convey a sense of realism
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including but not limited to dialect, syncope, and malapropism
Contrast how two characters perceive the concept of heritage
Analyze why the narrator takes offense to another character’s actions and evaluate whether her reaction is justified
Examine how point of view shapes the readers’ understanding of Dee’s character
Apply objectivity in order to infer a character’s true motivations
Articulate the greater significance of a given detail (Maggie’s smile)
Support claims and ideas with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
For many high school readers, realistic, historical, and young adult fiction are genres that maximize relatability and engagement with literature. “Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird” by Toni Cade Bambara is a short story focusing on a Black family whose ways of life are being infringed upon by opportunistic, politically motivated filmmakers. With this challenging worksheet composed of high-order questions, English Language Arts teachers will help students extend beyond basic reading comprehension, support the development of close reading analysis skills, and save valuable time at home without sacrificing quality and rigor in the classroom. A detailed answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Explore how complex characters think, behave, and interact with others
Infer character motivations
Articulate the function of a specific character (Cathy)
Make logical inferences about the author’s intent
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including metaphor, idiom, and onomatopoeia
Isolate an example of figurative language from among several options
Choose an opinion with which Granny would most likely agree based on an anecdote she shares with her family
Determine which character or characters are represented in the character of Goldilocks
Identify several ways in which the filmmakers dehumanize Granny and members of her family
Draw parallels between the American folk hero John Henry and the character of Granddaddy Cain
Support claims and ideas with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Evaluate general reading comprehension and promote homework accountability with this set of quiz questions on Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (chapters 1 through 3). An answer key is provided. The materials are delivered in a zip file as both Word Documents and PDFs. By completing this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
How Huck came into possession of money
The current arrangement for managing Huck’s money
Huck’s dissatisfaction with living under others’ rules
Tom’s behavior in contrast to Huck’s
The location of the gang’s initiation meeting
The pledge each gang member makes to guarantee secrecy
The illness that afflicts Huck’s father
The situational irony related to the gang’s decision not to meet on Sundays
Huck’s scrutiny of prayer
The speculation surrounding a corpse in the river
Huck’s feelings about the possibility that his father is dead
The influence of literature on Tom’s thinking
Huck’s scrutiny of Tom’s imagination
Incorporate narrative nonfiction into the English Language Arts classroom and measure general reading comprehension with this editable quiz on “Not Poor, Just Broke” by Dick Gregory. This autobiographical account addresses the author’s formative years with emphasis on the transformational incident that caused him to feel personal shame for the first time. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The mother’s perspective on life
The mother’s job and how it complicates life for the family
How the narrator demonstrates anger at his mother’s treatment
An item hidden in the family closet
The reason for hiding the item
The importance of Helene Tucker
Why the narrator gathers ice from the grocery store
How the teacher treats the narrator
The narrator’s motivations
Why the mother called her son, the narrator, a “little rat”
A terrible incident at the diner and its effect on the narrator
The narrator’s reaction to a visitor
Why the narrator throws a brick through the grocery store window
For many high school readers, fairy tales and fantasy fiction are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “The Red Shoes” by Hans Christian Andersen is about a peasant girl whose obsession with her footwear leads to supernatural events, seemingly divine punishment, and eventual redemption. With this editable quiz on “The Red Shoes,” English teachers will promote homework accountability and evaluate reading comprehension. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
How the protagonist demonstrates his obsession with clothes
The motivations of the visitors
The visitors’ outlandish claims
The protagonist’s motivations
The protagonist’s internal conflict
Means by which the visitors deceive the community
The emperor’s participation in the procession
The resolution
Reinforce the standard conventions of academic writing and perform a quick check of students’ knowledge with this grammar worksheet on misplaced and dangling modifiers. With this multiple choice resource, teachers will be able to expedite the grading process. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this activity, students will demonstrate an ability to:
Identify and avoid misplaced adjectives
Identify and avoid misplaced adverbs
Identify and avoid misplaced phrases
Identify and avoid misplaced clauses
Identify and avoid dangling gerund phrases
Identify and avoid dangling participle phrases
Identify and avoid dangling infinitive phrases
Identify and avoid dangling elliptical phrases
Make corrections to poorly phrased sentences to resolve issues of clarity and logic