Say hello to a platform dedicated to industrious, yet overtasked teachers like you. Say goodbye to countless hours spent developing relevant and engaging ELA lessons. Whether you are teaching the fundamentals of grammar, creative writing skills, classic literature, or contemporary fiction, you will find thousands of activities and assessments to help you achieve a healthier work-life balance without sacrificing academic rigor.
Say hello to a platform dedicated to industrious, yet overtasked teachers like you. Say goodbye to countless hours spent developing relevant and engaging ELA lessons. Whether you are teaching the fundamentals of grammar, creative writing skills, classic literature, or contemporary fiction, you will find thousands of activities and assessments to help you achieve a healthier work-life balance without sacrificing academic rigor.
Evaluate general reading comprehension and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the short story “Early Autumn” by Langston Hughes. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, 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
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor and symbolism
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
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Sphinx.” This piece of psychological horror features compelling plot elements including a cholera epidemic, social isolation, fear of death, and more. 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:
The nature of the epidemic
The location of the epidemic
The narrator’s current location
The length of time the narrator is away from home
The relationship of the narrator to his roommate
General character descriptions
The narrator’s beliefs concerning omens
The narrator’s obsessive tendencies
The narrator’s frightening observation
The reason the narrator was mistaken in his observation
The roommate’s evaluation of the narrator in the resolution
Help high schoolers go beyond basic comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Sphinx.” This piece of psychological horror features compelling plot elements including a cholera epidemic, social isolation, fear of death, 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
Paraphrase information
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
Analyze nuances in words with similar meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including hyperbole and paradox
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
For many high school readers, horror and psychological fiction are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “The Sphinx” by Edgar Allan Poe features plot elements consistent with both genres: a cholera epidemic, social isolation, omens, fear of death, and more. With this bundle of high school resources covering “The Sphinx,” English teachers will save valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. Included are the following: a multiple choice, plot-based quiz; a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading analysis questions; the public domain narrative; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. With these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Examine how complex characters think, behave, and interact
Explore character motivations
Define complex words as they are used in context
Analyze nuances in words with similar meanings
Choose the most appropriate synonym to replace a given word without changing fundamental meaning
Paraphrase information
Make logical inferences based on context clues
Explain how a given detail (the fact that it was “an exceedingly warm day”) is an example of paradox
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including hyperbole
Identify several examples of the narrator’s self-awareness
Identify several examples of the narrator’s questionable judgment
Support claims and ideas with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence
Write ideas with clarity, logic, and precision
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s short story “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: affliction, antiquarian, catechism, conjectures, decrepit, deign, disperse, exasperated, frivolous, gale, grandeur, haughty, hermetic, impede, impertinence, ingenuous, iridescent, magnanimous, myrrh, parish, penitents, proliferate, prudence, repose, reverence, scarcely, stern, ungainly, and unwary.
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
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Jay” by Yasunari Kawabata. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The reason for a jay’s singing
Yoshiko’s personal history
A misinterpreted sign of good luck
Characters’ shared traits
The effect of the father’s second marriage on his family
How Yoshiko and her brother came to live with their grandmother
The grandmother’s medical condition
The father’s arrangement for Yoshiko
An important meeting
Yoshiko’s discovery
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Yasunari Kawabata’s short story “The Jay.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: abruptly, assiduously, cataracts, emaciated, foliage, frail, furtively, indignation, intransigence, kimono, nephritis, plaintively, stifle, vaguely, and winsome.
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 high schoolers go beyond basic comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Edgar Allan Poe’s allegory “The Island of the Fay.” This piece is a surprising departure from the grotesque and instead focuses more on philosophy and spirituality. An answer key and copy of the text are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with 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 author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Compare and contrast two regions of the island
Explore how a complex narrator thinks, behaves, and develops
Make logical inferences about the author’s mindset in the context of his allegory
Apply knowledge of literary devices including oxymoron, metaphor, symbolism, and personification
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
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of materials for teaching Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling.” A plot-based quiz, a close reading 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
Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Argue whether the mother duck is a sympathetic character
Apply knowledge of literary devices including onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance, foreshadowing, simile, personification, and symbolism
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
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning duties with this plot-based quiz covering Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling,” a story of resilience. An answer key and copy of the short story are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The reason for the mother duck’s impatience
The absence of the ducklings’ father
A suggested reason for one egg’s lack of hatching
Lessons the mother duck teachers her babies
The mother duck’s internal conflict
The treatment of the ugly duckling
The ugly duckling’s interactions with wild ducks
Threats that soon face the ugly duckling upon running away
How the duckling’s appearance may have saved its life
The reason the ugly duckling enters an old cottage
The inhabitants of the cottage
The treatment of the ugly duckling by the cottage’s residents
An awe-inspiring sight
How the ugly duckling survives the cold winter
A request the ugly duckling makes of the swans
The resolution
Promote high school reading comprehension and textual analysis in classroom and distance learning contexts with close readings of “The Little Mermaid,” “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” “The Red Shoes,” “The Old Tombstone,” “The Buckwheat,” “The Butterfly,” and “The Leaping Match,” all written by Hans Christian Andersen. A variety of question types are included to help prepare for standardized testing scenarios: vocabulary-in-context questions, main idea questions, detail questions, author’s craft questions, and more. Copies of all short stories are included since they are in the public domain. Word Document and PDF versions of these resources will be delivered.
By completing these exercises, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Identify textual evidence in support of claims
Write with clarity and precision
Identify examples of various literary devices including onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance, foreshadowing, simile, metaphor, inversion, personification, situational irony, dramatic irony, symbolism, and more
Discern author’s intent
Discern tone in context
Isolate factual statements about plot from falsehoods
Cite textual evidence in support of claims
Analyze character interactions and motivations
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials such as a dictionary or thesaurus
Articulate the significance of a given detail or details
Use the Internet to conduct brief research on the life of Hans Christian Andersen
Articulate autobiographical parallels between the author and a specific story
Discern the primary function of a given passage
Fairy tales are not just for elementary readers; even middle and high school students may use fairy tales as tools for extending beyond reading comprehension and practicing close reading analysis skills. “The Ugly Duckling” by Hans Christian Andersen is a representative short story that promotes active engagement with fiction. English Language Arts teachers may assign this set of rigorous questions to complement the story and evaluate students’ high-order skills. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with 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 author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Argue whether the mother duck is a sympathetic character
Apply knowledge of literary devices including onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance, foreshadowing, simile, personification, and symbolism
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
For many high school readers, fairy tales and fantasy fiction are genres that maximize engagement with literature. This bundle focuses on five short stories by Hans Christian Andersen: “The Little Mermaid,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” and “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Red Shoes,” and “The Buckwheat.” English teachers may use these resources as tools for evaluating general reading comprehension, supporting the development of close reading analysis skills, and promoting homework accountability.
Included are the following: multiple choice, plot-based quizzes for each narrative; close reading analysis activities for each narrative; answer keys; and copies of each public domain short story. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats.
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the 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: agreeable, bound, brood, disposition, endure, fancies, farther, fragrant, hasten, moor, obliged, persecute, plumage, privation, saucy, seldom, spiteful, and whet.
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 high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 1, scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost. An answer key is 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 in order to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, oxymoron, situational irony
Conduct brief research on the topic of Humorism
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 2, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost. An answer key is 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 in order to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Determine the function of a given passage
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including alliteration, simile, and hyperbole
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 3, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost. An answer key is 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 in order to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works
This close reading assessment bundle features text-dependent, high-order questions to promote improved reading comprehension and analysis of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost. By completing these activities, students will:
Discern and articulate what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Isolate a factual statement about the passage from false statements
Examine cause-and-effect relationships
Analyze Shakespearean language to discern and articulate meanings of words and phrases in context, taking into consideration denotative definitions and connotative associations
Analyze Shakespearean language to discern and articulate tone in context
Gain deeper insight into character modes of thinking by analyzing dialogue
Analyze a portion of text to discern which literary device is applied in context (anaphora and simile)
Demonstrate knowledge of Biron’s criticisms of those who are obsessive in their pursuit of knowledge
Make reasonable inferences about why the quickness of Moth’s responses frustrates Armado
Articulate Armado’s internal conflict in the context of an excerpt
Analyze Moth’s dialogue to discern what is implied about women who wear makeup
Analyze Moth’s asides to discern and articulate what they reveal about his true feelings
Conduct brief research on the topic of Humorism
Analyze Costard’s use of malaprops and explain why Shakespeare had him speak in such a manner
Interpret figurative language with emphasis on metaphor (“love is a devil”)
Make an inference about what Armado finds reassuring about the tale of Samson
Apply knowledge of situational irony by explaining what is unexpected about Cupid’s powers
Articulate the significance of of Armado’s closing soliloquy
Apply knowledge of literary devices to the text including alliteration, simile, hyperbole, and stichomythia
Articulate the intended effect of hyperbole in the context of the passage
Articulate the intended meaning of a given simile
Define complex words and phrases in context, taking into consideration denotative meanings and connotative associations
Identify the Princess’s motivation for choosing Boyet to be a spokesperson
Identify textual evidence that serves to justify Maria’s judgment of Longaville
Analyze Rosaline’s dialogue to discern tone in the context of her conversation with Biron
Determine and articulate the primary purpose of a passage
Explain why Longaville grows impatient with Boyet’s responses
Identify the evidence supporting the claim that Ferdinand is lovesick, according to Boyet
Articulate the intended meaning of a given metaphor
Analyze Armado’s dialogue to discern and articulate what it reveals about his mindset
Analyze Moth’s dialogue to discern and articulate his intent
Identify the most synonymous word or phrase to replace a given word in the text
Analyze Moth’s dialogue to discern tone in context
Contrast Costard’s characterization with that of Biron and Armado
Apply knowledge of epiphora to the text
Analyze Biron as a dynamic character, identifying textual evidence in support of the claim that he is dynamic
Analyze Biron’s diaogue to discern and articulate what he believes is Cupid’s motivation for plaguing him with feelings of love
Analyze Armado’s letter and articulate the function of an excerpt
Analyze Rosaline’s dialogue and actions to argue how she defies standard conventions of femininity and what her motivations are
Analyze Shakespeare’s craft to identify which literary devices he employs and what their intended effects are (emphasis is placed on rhyme, innuendo, diacope, metaphor, and irony)
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 1, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost. An answer key is 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 in order to learn and verify word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Describe tone in context
Determine the functions of given excerpts
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including anaphora and simile
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Edgar Allan Poe’s allegory “The Island of the Fay.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. This piece is a surprising departure from the grotesque and instead focuses more on philosophy and spirituality. An answer key and copy of the text are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
The narrator’s appreciation of the natural world
The narrator’s observations
The narrator’s perceptions of humanity
Nature’s effect on humanity
The peculiar qualities of the island
And more