Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning duties with this plot-based quiz on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “What the Moon Brings,” a piece featuring numerous compelling elements for high school students: a bizarre dreamscape, an anxious narrator, and the discovery of an underwater city. The briefness of the narrative makes it a helpful time-filler for awkward gaps in teaching schedules, and the assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate engagement with the narrative. An answer key and copy of the text are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Point of view Setting The narrator’s emotional reaction to the moon The narrator’s obsessiveness Transformative qualities of ordinary things The appearance of an animal in the distance A discovery in the water The smell that overwhelms the narrator’s senses A realization about the reef The narrator’s decision in the resolution

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning duties with this plot-based quiz on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “Polaris,” a piece featuring numerous compelling elements for high school students: a narrator of questionable sanity, a dreamscape setting, the conflict between imagination and reality, and more. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate engagement with the narrative. An answer key and copy of the text are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: The narrator’s home Medical conditions from which the protagonist suffers Setting The role of the Inutos The strange qualities of the protagonist’s dreams The narrator’s strengths and weaknesses in the context of the war The job assigned to the protagonist The narrator’s observations of Polaris How the narrator fails his people The resolution

Help high schoolers go beyond basic comprehension and sharpen their critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “Polaris,” a piece featuring numerous compelling elements for high school students: a narrator of questionable sanity, a dreamscape setting, the conflict between imagination and reality, and more. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings Infer the intended effects of the authors’ word choices and narrative techniques Discern tone in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including hyperbaton, sibilance, callback, and personification 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 schoolers go beyond basic comprehension and sharpen their critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “The Other Gods.” An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings Infer the intended effects of the authors’ word choices and narrative techniques Determine the main purpose of a given paragraph Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including hubris 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

Help high schoolers go beyond basic comprehension and sharpen their critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “Memory,” a very brief and dreamy piece about two mythical beings struggling to recall who constructed the ancient ruins in their valley. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings Infer the intended effects of the authors’ word choices with emphasis on how adjectives enhance the story Determine the function of a given passage Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including alliteration, personification, simile, and more Make a rational inference about the author’s views on humanity 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

Help high schoolers go beyond basic comprehension and sharpen their critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “The Doom that Came to Sarnath,” a piece featuring many compelling elements: strange shadows, the vanishing of a city, the plundering of a race of lizard people, and more. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings Infer the intended effects of the authors’ word choices and narrative techniques Determine the function of a given passage Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on foreshadowing 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

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning duties with this plot-based quiz on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “The Doom that Came to Sarnath,” a piece featuring many compelling elements: strange shadows, the vanishing of a city, the plundering of a race of lizard people, and more. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate engagement with the narrative. An answer key and copy of the text are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: The name Sarnath used to be known by A physical description of the beings who once inhabited the area The name of the beings’ leader The object worshiped by the beings The value humans saw in this region The fate of the strange beings and the object they worshiped The function of the amphitheater The celebration humans held in commemoration of genocide A strange event that takes place annually The amount of time that has passed since the killing of the beings The fate of the kings and their noblemen The resolution

Help middle and high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering the short story “Priscilla and the Wimps” by Richard Peck. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will: Read for literal comprehension Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Determine the function of a given passage Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion, invective, situational irony, zoomorphism, and more Consider themes in context Write about literature with clarity, precision, and accuracy Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning Come to class better prepared to discuss literature

Help middle and high schoolers go beyond basic comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering a classic Grimm’s fairy tale titled “Donkey Cabbages.” An answer key and copy of the short story are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will: Read for literal comprehension Infer the intended effects of the authors’ word choices and narrative techniques Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of various literary devices including situational irony, dramatic irony, foreshadowing, and juxtaposition Isolate an example of figurative language from among several options 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 “Donkey Cabbages.” 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: alms, amiss, contented, contrive, draught, fare, filch, inquire, mantle, scarcely, seldom, thither, treachery, twittering, verily, wander, whence, and zest. 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 middle and high schoolers go beyond basic comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering a classic Grimm’s fairy tale titled “The Fox and the Horse.” The briefness of the narrative makes it a helpful time-filler for awkward gaps in the teaching schedule, yet the rigor of the activity ensures that quality instruction and discussion continue. An answer key and copy of the short story are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will: Read for literal comprehension Infer the intended effects of the authors’ word choices and narrative techniques Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Evaluate the morality of characters in context Argue whether the horse could have benefited from giving greater consideration to the fox’s personal motivations Apply knowledge of various literary devices including anthropomorphism, hyperbole, situational irony, dramatic irony, and sibilance 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

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning duties with this plot-based quiz covering a classic Grimm’s fairy tale titled “The Fox and the Horse.” The assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with the short story. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: How age has affected the protagonist The seemingly insurmountable challenge the protagonist faces The protagonist’s emotional state The role of the fox in terms of assisting the horse The execution of a plan to resolve the protagonist’s conflict The resolution

Evaluate general reading comprehension and maximize students’ interest in works of fiction with this plot-based quiz covering a classic Grimm’s fairy tale titled “Donkey Cabbages.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate students’ engagement with the short story. An answer key and copy of the narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: The protagonist’s hobby An old crone’s instructions The reward of following the old crone’s directions A major life change The young witch’s motivations The location where the protagonist is abandoned The dangerous inhabitants of the aforementioned location The purpose of the spell cast upon the protagonist The means by which the protagonist enters a cabbage patch The magical properties of the cabbages The protagonist’s disguise The fate of the old witch The protagonist’s change of heart The resolution

Stanley Kunitz’s environmental poem “The War Against the Trees” creatively explores the issue of prioritizing corporate interests and commercial progress over Nature and is a suitable option to incorporate into the high school ELA classroom. This quiz measures general comprehension and holds students accountable for assigned reading. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word document and PDF formats. By engaging with this resource, students will perform the following tasks: Read for literal and interpretive comprehension Apply knowledge of setting, characterization, and conflict Be better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions about poetry Develop improved reading stamina

Help middle and high schoolers go beyond basic comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading inference worksheet covering a classic Grimm’s fairy tale titled “The Elves and the Shoemaker.” The narrative emphasizes the positive effects of performing good deeds for others and is an especially fitting piece during the Christmas and holiday seasons. An answer key and copy of the short story are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will: Read for literal comprehension Infer the intended effects of the authors’ word choices and narrative techniques Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony, dramatic irony, foreshadowing, simile, hyperbole, allusion, and symbolism 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