"The 11:59" by Patricia McKissack Quiz, Close Reading Activity, and Vocabulary Games Bundle

Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of activities for teaching Patricia McKissack’s short story “The 11:59,” a narrative addressing the futility of controlling fate. 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
• Describe the tone of a given comment
• Determine the functions of given excerpts
• Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
• Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion, foreshadowing, oxymoron, personification, situational irony, and more
• Consider themes in context
• Conduct research as needed to answer questions about relevant plot points
• 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