With this summative test covering the entirety of William Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night, English teachers will evaluate students’ essay writing skills and comprehension of characters, plot, and craft. A test prep study guide, answer key, and standards-based essay rubric are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will: Demonstrate knowledge of primary and secondary characters and the key aspects of their lives Demonstrate knowledge of significant events that take place throughout the novel Evaluate substantive excerpts for deeper meaning Apply knowledge of literary devices including alliteration, allusion, assonance, euphemism, hyperbole, metaphor, oxymoron, personification, and simile Generate an essay about the influence of love on three characters Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims made in an academic essay

Help high school students explore how Gabriel Garcia Marquez used literary devices such as hyperbole, personification, simile, metaphor, and imagery to develop a compelling short story: “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World.” Delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, this resource serves well for an independent learning opportunity, as well as for small-group discussions in which students evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to support claims. An answer key is included.

Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and practice close reading analysis skills with this rigorous worksheet covering “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. This activity helps to eliminate take-home assessment planning duties, saving teachers valuable time without sacrificing academic rigor. A detailed answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will: Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly Determine the greater significance of a given detail Discern the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices Explore cause-and-effect relationships Examine how characters think, behave, develop, and interact Argue whether the wives’ feelings toward their husbands are justified Consider whether the villagers are better off for having met the drowned man Support claims and inferences with reasoned thinking and relevant evidence Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Evaluate general reading comprehension with this plot-based quiz covering Mark Twain’s tall tale “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” also known as “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog” and “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Alternatively, this set of questions may serve as a guided reading document to foster active reading habits. An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of: Setting The reason for the narrator’s frustration The speaking style of Simon Wheeler Characterization of Jim Smiley Characterization of Daniel Webster Characterization of Andrew Jackson Simon Wheeler’s compulsive gambling The reason Wheeler hands off his box to the stranger The stranger’s trickery The resolution

Help high school students explore how Mark Twain used literary devices like hyperbole, allusion, and simile to develop an exaggerated short story in “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” also known as “Jim Smiley and His Jumping Frog” and “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” Delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, this resource serves well for an independent learning opportunity, as well as for small-group discussions in which students evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to support claims. An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are included.

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning duties with this plot-based, multiple choice quiz covering the short story “Catch the Moon” by Judith Ortiz Cofer. Additionally, a short answer option is provided for re-assessment purposes. These resources may double as guided reading handouts to foster active reading habits among students. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: Luis’s criminal behavior and its consequences The reason for disruptive behavior Luis’s defining characteristics How Luis made his gang “legal” The general characterization of Luis’s dad The reason Naomi comes to the junkyard Naomi’s positive influence on Luis Borrowing his father’s car The reason Luis cries for his mother The significance of the “treasure hunt” An evolving relationship with Luis’s father Finding textual support for Luis’s status as a dynamic character Internal vs. external conflict and seeking textual evidence

Help high school students improve fluency, stamina, text comprehension, and close reading analysis of the formal elements of fiction with this resource for teaching “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett. Additional materials are included to facilitate planning for unexpected teacher absences. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Included are the following: Public domain short story. With an estimated Lexile Measure range of 1200 to 1300, the narrative is a suitable selection for high school English Language Arts classes. Close reading analysis worksheet. By engaging with this exercise, students will articulate what is stated explicitly and implicitly; provide a description of the narrative’s setting; analyze how complex characters think, interact, and behave; explore the dynamic transformation of a character; discern the tone of a given passage; explore cause-and-effect relationships; compare and contrast characters; apply knowledge of literary devices including simile and anthropomorphism; explore how the author achieves effects such as conveying a sense of awe; conduct brief online research; cite textual evidence in support of claims; and write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision. Questions are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Close reading analysis worksheet answer key. Low-prep lesson plan for unexpected absences. This comes pre-filled with learning targets and agenda items. Space is also designated for classroom teachers to identify the name(s) of their class(es), the hour(s) of their class(es), student leaders, and upcoming homework assignments and assessments. Bell ringer activity. Help a substitute teacher engage students (and find time to take attendance) with a thematically linked writing prompt. Miscellaneous performance task handouts. Extend student thinking and learning in the event of unexpected absences with this item outlining creative tasks pertaining to the short story. For example, students may write poetry or journal entries from the perspective of a character; write a brief retelling of the narrative from a different character’s perspective; explore the thematic significance of stories; review the overall quality of the narrative with objectivity and supporting evidence; and more.

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning duties with this plot-based, multiple choice quiz covering the short story “A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett. Alternatively, this resource may serve as a guided reading handout to foster active reading habits among students. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Setting The protagonist’s background The nature of the interactions between Sylvia and the hunter The differences between the lives of Sylvia and the hunter

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning duties with this plot-based, multiple choice quiz covering “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. A short answer alternative is also provided for re-assessment purposes. Alternatively, these resources may serve as guided reading handouts to foster active reading habits. Answer keys are included. All materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: The found man’s impressive physical attributes The immediate awareness of the man’s status as ‘stranger’ The village’s attributes The women’s discoveries as they clean the found man The women’s acts of reverence toward the found man The men’s perception of the found man The village’s realization that their community is one of desolation The narrative’s point of view and its significance The narrative’s use of hyperbole and its overall effect

Help high school Creative Writing students better understand the conventions of science fiction and prepare for the drafting of original sci-fi short stories with this comprehensive, low-prep, standards-aligned unit plan. All supporting materials are provided in both Word Document and PDF formats. More specifically, the following are included: A detailed, standards-based unit plan articulating the unit’s transfer goal(s), essential question(s), enduring understanding(s), learning target(s), academic vocabulary, formative assessment(s), summative performance task(s), and learning plan(s). A PowerPoint presentation addressing the conventions of the science fiction genre. Representative science fiction narratives. Worksheets to facilitate analysis of representative literature. Detailed directions. A comprehensive outline for student planning. A document to facilitate the editing process. A comprehensive rubric for evaluating student writing.

Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 4, scene 3, of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, this worksheet saves English Language Arts teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly. With this close reading activity, students will do the following: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define words and phrases as they are used in the text Describe tone in context Discern the function of a given excerpt Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony and dramatic irony Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 4, scene 2, of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, this worksheet saves English Language Arts teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly. With this close reading activity, students will do the following: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Determine the significance of given details Discern the intended effects of Shakespeare’s choices in terms of characterization Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including oxymoron, allusion, dramatic irony Isolate the best evidence in support of a claim

Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 5, scene 1, of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, this worksheet saves English Language Arts teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly. With this close reading activity, students will do the following: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Explore nuances in words with similar meanings Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification, hyperbole, situational irony, personification, metaphor, allusion, and oxymoron

Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 4, scene 1, of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, this worksheet saves English Language Arts teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly. With this close reading activity, students will do the following: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Discern the tone of dialogue in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including paradox and situational irony Isolate the best evidence in support of claims

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz addressing chapters 5 and 6 of Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. This assessment may otherwise double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with literature. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: A trip to the movies Application of situational irony (irony of result) Ackley’s inclusion The intended subject matter of Stradlater’s composition assignment Holden’s decision to deviate from the assignment’s expectations Character description of Allie Holden’s response to Allie’s death Stradlater’s reaction to Holden’s writing Holden’s attempt to irritate Stradlater Stradlater’s date with Jane A physical altercation

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate take-home assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz addressing chapters 7, 8, and 9 of Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. This assessment may otherwise double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with literature. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Holden’s difficulties in falling asleep A late-night conversation with Ackley Holden’s decision to leave for New York abruptly Holden’s decision to delay returning to his parents’ apartment Holden’s train ride encounter with Ms. Morrow and the ensuing conversation Holden’s hypocrisy Holden’s loneliness Holden’s attempt to set himself up on a date Holden’s judgment of many other hotel patrons