The Adventures of Ulysses Close Reading Analysis Worksheets Bundle

Challenge middle and high school students to push beyond basic reading comprehension and exercise close reading analysis skills while engaging with The Adventures of Ulysses by Bernard Evslin. Given the objective nature of the multiple choice questions, each close reading activity is rigorous enough for students to find deeper meaning in the novel, yet convenient enough for teachers to quickly and efficiently gather data on their students’ textual analysis skills. Seven close reading worksheets are provided, as well as answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.

These resources may be used to facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using these materials for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly.

By the end of the novel, students will:

• Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
• Define complex words as they are used in a given passage
• Select the best synonyms for given words as they are used in the text
• Verify interpretations of language using reference materials as needed
• Discern tone in context
• Explore how characters think, behave, and interact
• Compare and contrast characters
• Examine how setting influences character development
• Apply knowledge of various literary devices including foreshadowing, personification, simile, epiphany, understatement, symbolism, situational irony, and dramatic irony
• Apply knowledge of various sound devices including sibilance and assonance
• Locate relevant textual details in support of the claim that Ulysses was the only crew member with the ability to think critically in the face of danger
• Explore themes that are reinforced in a given passage
• Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision