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.
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “The Imp of the Perverse” by Edgar Allan Poe, a piece of horror and psychological fiction that explores the impulse to do wrong for wrong’s sake alone. A vocabulary application worksheet, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the public domain text, and answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: alimentiveness, beckon, circumlocution, commence, deprecate, earnest, engender, fallacy, fetter, forbear, giddy, impel, impetuously, intelligible, irreducible, meritorious, obtrude, pang, paradoxical, perpetually, petulance, principle, prolix, saunter, scarcely, scourge, shudder, sophistry, supererogation, swoon, ulterior, and vex.
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. A vocabulary application worksheet, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the public domain text, and answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: ajar, apprehension, attune, beckon, denouement, desolate, eccentricity, elation, fleeting, furtively, haughty, incorrigible, interminably, malice, melancholy, mundane, perturbation, petulance, plaintive, poignant, precarious, pugilistic, recede, relinquish, riotous, scarcely, sinuous, smirk, somnolent, squint, surfeit, tarry, and veranda.
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “The Twelve Huntsmen.” 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: acrimonious, betrothed, counsel, doleful, entreat, exultant, genial, harrow, infirm, jovial, latter, subdue, summon, and treachery.
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the classic Grimm’s fairy tale “Old Rinkrank.” 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: acquiesce, ascend, avaricious, betrothed, despondent, exultation, feeble, haggard, hasten, implore, lament, subterranean, and weary.
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
Support vocabulary development, enhance reading comprehension, and indulge the Halloween spirit no matter the time of year with this set of games and activities to complement “The Tomb” by H.P. Lovecraft, a short story with elements of Gothic fantasy that evokes the works of Edgar Allan Poe. A vocabulary application worksheet, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the public domain text, and answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: accordingly, accost, admonish, allude, archaism, beckon, boisterous, commence, conviviality, declivity, dryad, empiricism, erudition, habitual, interment, inure, keen, mirth, monotony, phosphorescence, prosaic, sojourn, sultry, sylvan, tangible, temperament, transmute, uncanny, verdure, and voluble.
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, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of activities for teaching “Dagon” by H.P. Lovecraft, a short story with elements of horror and supernatural fiction: a psychologically fragile protagonist, isolation in the middle of the ocean, the discovery of a newly risen island, and a humanoid creature. 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 with emphasis on how the author creates and sustains an atmosphere of dread
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including consonance and 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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement “Dagon” by H.P. Lovecraft, a short story with elements of horror and supernatural fiction: a psychologically fragile protagonist, isolation in the middle of the ocean, the discovery of a newly risen island, and a humanoid creature. A vocabulary application worksheet, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the public domain text, and answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: anthropologist, appreciable, bestow, competent, crude, declivity, detestable, eminence, espy, fowl, hastily, monolith, monotonous, parching, peer, penniless, prodigious, scarcely, scrutiny, shudder, squalid, Stygian, transient, undulation, vaguely, wane, weary, and zenith.
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 “Dagon” by H.P. Lovecraft, a short story with elements of horror and supernatural fiction: a psychologically fragile protagonist, isolation in the middle of the ocean, the discovery of a newly risen island, and a humanoid creature. The assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The origin of the narrator’s captors
The narrator’s work-related duties
The narrator’s psychological condition
How the narrator copes with his circumstances
The means by which the narrator escapes
The conditions of a strange island
A stunning discovery
The behavior of a strange creature
Where the narrator eventually wakes up
The narrator’s feelings
A major decision in the resolution
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement “The Lurking Fear” by H.P. Lovecraft, a short story with elements of horror and supernatural fiction: ghosts, unsolved murders, secret investigations, and bizarre creatures. A vocabulary application worksheet, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the public domain text, and answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: antediluvian, assiduousness, baleful, bough, brood, callous, caprice, decadent, decrepitude, desolate, effulgence, eldritch, elucidate, ensanguine, exhume, fetid, furtive, gibber, hoary, infer, languidly, leer, liable, menial, nebulous, portentous, precede, precipitous, shudder, sordid, specter, subterranean, summon, taciturn, ululation, vacuous, vain, verminous, and zeal.
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 school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the short story “The War of the Wall” by Toni Cade Bambara. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Consider how a different point of view would fundamentally change the story
Determine the functions of given excerpts
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including idiom, onomatopoeia, situational irony, and symbolism
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “The War of the Wall” by Toni Cade Bambara. A vocabulary application worksheet, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: aroma, beckon, courtesies, drawl, epoxy, fuss, hipshot, inscription, integration, liberation, loose, mutter, petal, satchel, scheme, and squinch.
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, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of activities for teaching the short story “A Day’s Wait” by Ernest Hemingway. 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
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including alliteration, assonance, cacophony, and sibilance
Consider themes in context
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The War of the Wall” by Toni Cade Bambara. The resource may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The narrator’s feelings toward the wall
The narrator’s feelings toward the painter
The name of the person whose name is chiseled into the wall
The general characterization of the narrator’s mother
The Morris twins’ offer to the painter
Why the narrator’s mother says an artist’s life is hard
What the narrator’s mother thinks is a real shame
The narrator’s devious plans
Historical figures painted on the wall
The significance of the painted flowers
Side Pocket’s observations about the mural
The painter’s identity
Help middle and high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the short story “A Day’s Wait” by Ernest Hemingway. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
Choose the most appropriate synonym to replace an adjective in the text
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 alliteration, assonance, cacophony, and sibilance
Consider themes in context
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 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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “A Day’s Wait” by Ernest Hemingway. A vocabulary application worksheet, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: commence, covey, detached, epidemic, evidently, flush, poised, purgative, quail, schatz, and varnish.
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 “A Day’s Wait” by Ernest Hemingway. The resource may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The identity of the narrator
The boy’s nickname, age, and condition
The weather
The father’s offer
The boy’s alarming question
A fundamental misunderstanding
The resolution
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Portrait” by Tomás Rivera. The resource may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Where the salesman is from
The name of the worker
The salesman’s proposition
The subject of the portrait
Method of payment
The wife’s assessment of the cost
A surprising discovery
What upsets the worker most
The worker’s perspective on fear
The most striking aspect of the portrait
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Patricia McKissack’s short story “The 11:59,” a narrative addressing the futility of controlling fate. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
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
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “The 11:59” by Patricia McKissack. A vocabulary application worksheet, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: berth, boast, chide, customary, finery, fledgling, meager, mournful, porter, solemnly, specter, squint, and union.
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
