Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, sharpen critical thinking skills, and maximize interest in works of fiction with this bundle of materials for teaching the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “The Singing Bone.” Themes addressed include betrayal and the virtue of kindness. A plot-based quiz, a close reading inference worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings as needed Choose the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences Infer the intended effects of the authors’ word choices and narrative techniques Discern tone in context Determine the purpose of a given passage Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification, poetic justice, situational irony, verbal irony, 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

Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, sharpen critical thinking skills, and maximize interest in works of fiction with this bundle of materials for teaching the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “The Girl Without Hands,” also known as “The Maiden Without Hands” and “The Armless Maiden.” Themes addressed include the power of faith and the resilience of the human spirit. A plot-based quiz, a close reading inference worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the short story, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings as needed Choose the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences Infer the intended effects of the authors’ word choices and narrative techniques Discern tone in context Determine the purpose of a given passage Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including dramatic irony, euphemism, foreshadowing, invective, metaphor, 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

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

Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of materials for teaching Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Black Cat.” A plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a literary craft analysis activity, a vocabulary application exercise, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Read for literal comprehension Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings Discern 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 Determine the function of a given excerpt Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including alliteration, anaphora, hubris, hyperbaton, paradox, and simile Conduct brief research on Roman mythology to discern and articulate why the name Pluto carries symbolic value 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, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of materials for teaching Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Masque of the Red Death.” A plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings Discern 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 Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Articulate how setting influences character actions Apply knowledge of literary devices including anaphora, consonance, inversion, simile, and situational irony 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