Help high school students improve fluency, stamina, text comprehension, and close reading analysis of the formal elements of fiction with this resource for teaching “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett. Additional materials are included to facilitate planning for unexpected teacher absences. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Included are the following:
- Public domain short story. With an estimated Lexile Measure range of 1200 to 1300, the narrative is a suitable selection for high school English Language Arts classes.
- Close reading analysis worksheet. By engaging with this exercise, students will articulate what is stated explicitly and implicitly; provide a description of the narrative’s setting; analyze how complex characters think, interact, and behave; explore the dynamic transformation of a character; discern the tone of a given passage; explore cause-and-effect relationships; compare and contrast characters; apply knowledge of literary devices including simile and anthropomorphism; explore how the author achieves effects such as conveying a sense of awe; conduct brief online research; cite textual evidence in support of claims; and write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision. Questions are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
- Close reading analysis worksheet answer key.
- Low-prep lesson plan for unexpected absences. This comes pre-filled with learning targets and agenda items. Space is also designated for classroom teachers to identify the name(s) of their class(es), the hour(s) of their class(es), student leaders, and upcoming homework assignments and assessments.
- Bell ringer activity. Help a substitute teacher engage students (and find time to take attendance) with a thematically linked writing prompt.
- Miscellaneous performance task handouts. Extend student thinking and learning in the event of unexpected absences with this item outlining creative tasks pertaining to the short story. For example, students may write poetry or journal entries from the perspective of a character; write a brief retelling of the narrative from a different character’s perspective; explore the thematic significance of stories; review the overall quality of the narrative with objectivity and supporting evidence; and more.
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Bundle of Short Story Close Reading Worksheets
This bundle of 20 assessments promotes analytical thinking, measures and extends reading comprehension, and offers flexibility of choice to differentiate and satisfy the academic needs of students of varying proficiency levels in classroom and distance learning settings. Included are close reading activities, answer keys, and copies of public domain texts. Short story selections include the following: "Desiree's Baby" by Kate Chopin * "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell * "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe * "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving * "The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield * "The New Dress" by Virginia Woolf * "The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane * "The Open Window" by Saki * "The Oval Portrait" by Edgar Allan Poe * "A White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett * "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry * "The Businessman" by Edgar Allan Poe * "The Legend of the Christmas Rose" by Selma Lagerlof * "The Old Tombstone" by Hans Christian Andersen * "The Wind Blows" by Katherine Mansfield * "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen * "The Stolen Farthings" by the Brothers Grimm * "Slave on the Block" by Langston Hughes "The Wives of the Dead" by Nathaniel Hawthorne * "The Sparrow and His Four Children" by the Brothers Grimm * (* denotes a public domain text) By completing these analysis exercises, students will demonstrate the following high-order skills: * An ability to apply knowledge of more complex literary devices to the texts including foreshadowing, situational irony, dramatic irony, hyperbole, personification, metaphor, symbolism, theme, and more * An ability to analyze context clues and draw logical inferences about character motivations and other elements of plot * An ability to discern and articulate details that illustrate contrasts between characters * An ability to define complex words by taking into consideration denotative definitions, connotative definitions, and context clues * An ability to find and articulate relevant textual details in support of claims * An ability to discern mood and tone in context * An ability to discern author’s intent * An ability to conduct brief research and articulate historical and autobiographical parallels * An ability to analyze text structures * An ability to analyze text to determine the function of an excerpt * An ability to analyze a text for how it conforms to the conventions of a particular genre * An ability to establish formal tone, paying attention to conventions of written English * An ability to take leadership in class discussions, addressing nuances in the author’s craft to help peers understand literature from different perspectives
"A White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett Quiz and Close Reading Bundle
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and practice close reading analysis skills while engaging with the short story "A White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett. A bell-ringer writing prompt, a plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, a low-prep lesson plan template with pre-filled learning targets and agenda items, and answer keys are included. 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 narrative techniques used to convey a sense of immediacy and awe * Determine the tone of a given passage * Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact * Compare and contrast two characters * Conduct brief research to articulate the significance of the protagonist's name * Apply knowledge of literary devices including consonance, simile, and anthropomorphism * Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence * Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
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