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 “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. The brevity of the narrative helps fill awkward scheduling gaps, while the nature of the activity maintains academic rigor. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are 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 Describe the tone of a given excerpt Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing and paradox 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 high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet covering Kate Chopin’s short story “A Pair of Silk Stockings.” An answer key and a 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 Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings Describe the overall tone of the narrative Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques with emphasis on the decision not to give the protagonist a first name Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, 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

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement “The Storyteller” by Saki. 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: bristle, deplorably, dissentient, emphatically, fatuously, ferocity, glare, immense, listlessly, murmur, petulant, promptly, reluctantly, resolute, scowl, and sultry. 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 Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. 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: afflict, aquiver, elixir, elusive, exalted, forestall, hasten, implore, importunity, peddler, procession, repression, shudder, trivial, tumultuously, twitter, and unwittingly. 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 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

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “The Frog King,” also known as “Iron Heinrich” and “Iron Henry.” 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: acquiesce, arresting, consternation, dejected, haste, jubilant, lament, odious, relish, vehemently, weary, and weep. 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 James Hurst’s short story “The Scarlet Ibis.” 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: armada, blighted, careen, descend, doodlebug, egret, evanesce, frond, heresy, idle, imminent, infallibility, invalid, iridescent, lug, mar, marquisette, mournful, peal, peer, precariously, prim, reiterate, serene, sullenly, wander, and withered. 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 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 Ray Bradbury’s cautionary short story “The Pedestrian.” 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 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 double negative, simile, situational irony, symbolism, and more 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

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Amy Tan’s short story “Two Kinds” from The Joy Luck Club. 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: assert, dawdle, discordant, dutifully, fiasco, lament, lilting, listlessly, mutter, nonchalantly, prodigy, reverie, shrilly, sonata, squabble, stricken, sulky, and vaguely. 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 Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Possibility of Evil.” 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: appropriation, banish, bleak, chipper, degraded, indulgently, infatuated, proverbial, rapt, reprehensible, scoured, stationery, translucent, unduly, and wander. 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 and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “A Visit to Grandmother” by William Melvin Kelley. 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: Setting The reason(s) for traveling The protagonist’s travel companion How the travel companion’s view of the protagonist changes A character missing from the dinner table An acquisition The nature of the relationship between the protagonist and his mother The mother’s view of the protagonist’s older brother The mother’s admission The protagonist’s emotional state as the narrative concludes

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Ray Bradbury’s short story “All Summer in a Day.” 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: frail, immense, pale, peer, plead, repercussion, resilient, savagely, seize, slacken, solemn, squint, tumultuously, vital, wail, and waver. 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 Zora Neale Hurston’s short story “Sweat.” 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: avert, descend, dismay, galvanized, gibber, habitual, hypocrite, introspection, listlessly, matrimonial, meekness, mirth, mournful, mutter, nullify, portly, scimitar, scornfully, sidle, timid, truculently, and virtue. 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 Zora Neale Hurston’s short story “Spunk.” 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: badinage, boisterously, coarse, conjecture, dejected, derision, dingy, grit, lamentation, leer, nonchalance, rakish, saunter, skittish, strut, and timid. 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 Virginia Woolf’s short story “The New Dress.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: altar, annul, botany, chastise, clamor, decrepit, dingy, etymology, feeble, fructify, gesticulate, miserly, odious, paltry, pertly, peter, principle, relentlessly, satirical, scanty, simper, sordid, squint, and vacillate. 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 Piri Thomas’ coming-of-age short story “Amigo Brothers.” 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: affect, barrage, bilingual, bout, briskly, corazón, dispel, evade, fitful, frenzied, hermano, improvise, lanky, nimble, peer, pensively, squint, tenement, torrent, and unbridled. 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 and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “Amigo Brothers” by Piri Thomas. 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: Setting The ages of the protagonists The protagonists’ shared goals and philosophies Physical descriptions of the protagonists How the protagonists decide to handle conflict The reaction of the public The story’s resolution And more

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birthmark.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: abortive, affinity, ardent, assent, competent, countenance, credulity, detrimental, dingy, eminent, ephemeral, exuberance, fastidious, fervid, finite, folio, hastily, indistinct, inexorably, interminably, invariably, laborious, mar, melancholy, mien, nostrum, optical, placid, principle, quaff, recondite, relinquish, remonstrance, sanguine, sneer, tremulous, uncouth, unobtrusive, and verdure. 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