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.
Encourage active reading habits among middle school and high school students with this 43-page reading guide to facilitate comprehension and recall of the characters and plot of The Hobbit. Each section of this resource is divided by chapter and includes lists of vocabulary terms to be defined, key quotations in need of analysis, and text-dependent questions to create a more purposeful reading experience. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
This item covers the following and more:
Description of a hobbit
Gandalf’s first meeting with Bilbo
Thorin’s ancestral history
Bilbo’s reluctance to participate in the journey
Bilbo’s role
The trolls
Gandalf as the mentor
The adventurers’ general disdain toward Bilbo
Elrond
Moon letters
Bilbo’s significant discovery
Gollum’s characterization and peculiar habits
The riddle contest
The escape from Gollum and the cave
The incident with the wargs
The Eages’ aid
Beorn’s background
Beorn’s role as a protector of nature
The dangers of Mirkwood
Bombur’s dream
The conflict involving spiders
Bilbo’s strategic thinking and heroic victory
The change in the adventurers’ perception of Bilbo
The characterization of the wood elves
Thorin’s imprisonment and stubbornness
Bilbo’s growing frustrations with the other adventurers
Lake Town, its inhabitants, and their reaction to the adventurers
Bilbo’s plan to rescue the dwarves – and its weakness
Lonely Mountain
Bilbo’s growing seriousness toward his role
The secret door of the mountain
The significance of the thrush
Smaug’s interactions with Bilbo
Smaug’s reaction to the people of Lake Town
The Arkenstone
The exit from the mountain
Bard’s talents and significance
How the Master of Lake Town infuriated his people
Smaug’s death
The relationship between Thror’s people and ravens
Roac’s recommendation
The return to the mountain
Bard’s attempt to rationalize with Thorin
Thorin’s disinterest in sharing his wealth
Bilbo’s secret bargaining with Bard and the Elvenking
Gandalf’s pride in Bilbo
Bilbo’s justification for the bargain
Thorin’s angry response
Dain’s involvement
Battle of Five Armies
Unity among factions
Thorin’s dynamic character/sudden realization
The Eagles’ return
Honoring the dead
Various new roles for previously met characters
Bilbo’s return home
Bilbo’s shocking discovery
Bilbo’s new reputation
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this set of quizzes on Life As We Knew It, a dystopian young adult novel by Susan Beth Pfeffer, with emphasis on chapters five through seven. A multiple choice assessment is provided, as well as a subjective version. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following important details:
Miranda’s perspective on her mother’s increasing worry
Ms. Nesbitt’s treat to the family
Megan’s alarming charity
Mom’s ironic response to fliers requesting help for the needy
Peter’s health advice to the family
Miranda’s stubborn response to health advice
Dan’s backstory
Miranda recalling a “perfect” day
Miranda and Ms. Nesbitt’s discovery at the elementary school
The reason Mom is outraged at Miranda
Jonny’s dreams
New natural disasters
Evaluate general reading comprehension and promote accountability for homework completion with this plot-based quiz covering The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (chapter 12). The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the novel. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following important plot details:
Bilbo’s frustration
Unique quality of dragons
Bilbo pilfering treasure
The adventurers’ terrible realization concerning Smaug
The adventurers’ abrupt frustration toward Bilbo
Speaking in riddles
Smaug’s suspicions and plan to attack
The function of the thrush
The Arkenstone
Evaluate general reading comprehension and promote accountability for homework completion with this plot-based quiz covering The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (chapter 7). The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the novel. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following important plot details:
“Skin-changing”
Beorn’s feelings toward animals
The adventurers’ strategy for approaching Beorn
Beorn’s background
Bilbo’s frightening observations at night
Gandalf’s discovery of animal tracks outside the residence
Beorn’s concerns for the adventurers
Details concerning Mirkwood’s black stream
Beorn’s advice
Evaluate general reading comprehension and promote accountability for homework completion with this plot-based quiz covering The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (chapters 13, 14, 15, and 16). The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the novel. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following important plot details:
Bilbo’s plans for the Arkenstone
Smaug’s assault
The master bowman
The thrush’s instructions
Why Lake Town’s citizens were furious with their Master
The wood-elves response to the tragedy
Thorin’s request of Roac
Thorin on why the adventurers are not liable for damages
Thorin’s promise to the people of Lake Town
Dain’s plan
Bilbo conspiring with outsiders
Promote student choice and facilitate the process of researching scientific and societally significant topics from beginning to end with this low-prep, standards-based resource complementing Feed by M.T. Anderson. Students will choose from more than twenty research prompts—addressing ideas such as commercial space travel, genetic engineering, environmental disasters, and the implications of irresponsible social media usage—and navigate academically appropriate sources with the goal of teaching their peers about their topics. A detailed scoring rubric is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Ultimately, students will perform the following tasks:
Articulate connections between a research topic and the assigned novel
Conduct research using available resources
Collect and classify reliable sources
Develop successful methods of recording information
Evaluate the credibility of nonfiction texts, taking into consideration readability, date, relevance, expertise, and bias
Apply conventions of MLA formatting
Correctly site resources to avoid plagiarism
Organize information in a cohesive manner, using a note-taking system that includes summary, paraphrasing, and quoted material
Analyze, synthesize, and integrate information, generating a thoughtfully comprehensive report, free of generalities and redundancies
Present information in a formal, coherent manner
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this set of quizzes covering chapters 38 through 58 of Feed by M.T. Anderson, a dystopian science fiction novel. A multiple choice quiz and answer key are provided, as well as a short answer alternative option for re-assessment. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Questions pertain to details from the sections titled “52.9%” (chapter 38) through “4.6%” (chapter 58):
Violet’s feed efficiency
The effects of Violet’s seizure
Violet’s mom’s background
Violet’s list
Titus’s reaction to Violet’s list
Tragic developments in Central America
The message from FeedTech
Violet’s memories
Violet’s plan “to really live”
Titus’s disturbing mental images
Violet’s sentimental ambitions
America’s culture of consumption
The story of Titus and Violet
Measure and extend reading comprehension of the first third of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale. Included are two assessments for differentiation purposes, one subjective and one objective. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered as Word Documents and PDFs.
Questions pertain to the following important details:
The emptiness and loneliness of her room
Serena Joy’s previous life
The Japanese tourists’ interest in handmaids’ lives
The Wall
The teachings of Aunt Lydia
The doctor’s offer
Offred’s previous life
Moira’s escape attempt and its consequences
The loss of the narrator’s daughter
The Ceremony
The news Nick shares with Offred
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this set of quizzes covering chapters 1 through 16 of Feed by M.T. Anderson, a dystopian science fiction novel. A multiple choice quiz and answer key are provided, as well as a short answer alternative option for re-assessment. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Questions pertain to details from the sections titled “Your Face is Not an Organ” (chapter 1) through “Dead Language” (chapter 16):
Setting
The hacking of characters
The purpose for the visit to the moon
Disturbing fashion trends
Titus’s experience in the hospital
Titus’s emotional reaction to a painting
Protests
The most appealing aspects of the feed
Titus’s family background
The significance of metaphor
Violet’s family background
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this set of quizzes covering chapters 30 through 37 of Feed by M.T. Anderson, a dystopian science fiction novel. A multiple choice quiz and answer key are provided, as well as a short answer alternative option for re-assessment. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Questions pertain to details from the sections titled “Nudging Again” (chapter 30) through “Our Duty to the Party” (chapter 37):
The imagery concerning Titus’s nightmare
The Coca Cola promotion
The girls’ poor treatment of Violet
Titus’s accusation against Violet
A malfunctioning feed
A visit to the sea
Quendy’s conflict with Calista
Artificial lesions
Link’s background
A dramatic incident involving Violet
The feed’s chilling suggestions to Titus
Promote student choice and facilitate the process of researching scientific and societally significant topics from beginning to end with this low-prep, standards-based resource pertaining to the novel Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Students will choose from more than a dozen topics—Yellowstone’s supervolcano, Hurricane Katrina, the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, and nuclear disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima to name a few—and navigate academically appropriate sources with the goal of teaching their peers about their topics. A detailed scoring rubric is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Ultimately, students will perform the following tasks:
Articulate connections between a research topic and the assigned novel
Conduct research using available resources
Collect and classify reliable sources
Develop successful methods of recording information
Evaluate the credibility of source work, taking into consideration readability, date, relevance, expertise, and bias
Apply conventions of MLA formatting
Correctly site resources to avoid plagiarism
Organize information in a cohesive manner, using a note-taking system that includes summary, paraphrasing, and quoted material
Analyze, synthesize, and integrate information, generating a thoughtfully comprehensive report, free of generalities and redundancies
Present findings verbally, using their own words
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this set of quizzes covering chapters 17 through 29 of Feed by M.T. Anderson, a dystopian science fiction novel. A multiple choice quiz and answer key are provided, as well as a short answer alternative option for re-assessment. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Questions pertain to details from the sections titled “Release” (chapter 17) through “A Day in the Country” (chapter 29):
Violet’s excitement
Unique terminology for deliberately causing one’s feed to malfunction
The condition of Violet’s feedware
Titus’s dreams
Violet’s beliefs about corporate influence on society
Violet’s behavior at the mall
Characteristics associated with School™
Violet’s classification of America’s system of government
How Titus’s parents try to cheer him up
The fate of the hacker from earlier in the novel
The reason Violet’s father speaks the way he does
An unsettling question asked by Violet
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this set of quizzes on Life As We Knew It, a dystopian young adult novel by Susan Beth Pfeffer, with emphasis on chapters eleven through fourteen. A multiple choice assessment is provided, as well as a subjective version. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following important details:
Miranda’s retrieval of books, notebooks, and pens
Miranda’s behavior that infuriates Mom
Dad’s letters highlighting life outside Howell, PA
Miranda biking to the hospital
Mrs. Nesbitt’s backstory
Miranda and Matt’s visit to the library
The family’s decision to burn something in the woodfire
Matt bringing sad news from the post office
The hypocrisy of Reverend Marshall
Miranda’s belief that she only has one gift to give her mother
Ice skating at the pond
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this multiple choice quiz covering Act 2 of William Shakespeare’s Othello. The plot-based assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active reading experiences. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The end of the war with the Turks
Iago’s emphasis on Cassio’s friendliness toward Desdemona
Cassio’s weakness
Iago’s taking advantage of Cassio’s weakness
The consequences of Cassio’s actions
Othello’s ironic perspective on Iago’s character
Cassio seeking advice from one he considers his closest friend
Iago’s next manipulative move involving Desdemona
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this set of quizzes on Life As We Knew It, a dystopian young adult novel by Susan Beth Pfeffer, with emphasis on chapters fifteen through seventeen. A multiple choice assessment is provided, as well as a subjective version. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following important details:
Mom’s feelings about needing Miranda’s help
Why Mrs. Nesbitt believes it is better that Miranda visit daily
What Mrs. Nesbitt wants Miranda’s mom to know
The significance of people moving plywood into their living rooms
Miranda’s feelings following the death of Mrs. Nesbitt
Mrs. Nesbitt’s pendant
The alarming discovery at Mrs. Nesbitt’s house following her death
Gray snow and the blizzard
Miranda and Jonny’s plan to help Matt find his way home
Jonny’s discovery about the family’s eating habits
Matt’s suggested diet change
The fantasy that plays out in Miranda’s head
This 30-slide PowerPoint presentation complements a unit on memory devices and study skills for high school freshmen. The following concepts are covered in a visually pleasing manner:
Memory (includes 3 brief memory exercises requiring students to attempt to remember 13 items; this always lends itself to great follow-up discussion on memory devices students used to meet their goal)
Aspects of Short-term and Long-term Memory
Stages of Memory
Numbers and Why They Tend to Frustrate the Brain
Ebbinghaus’s Memory Curve (a.k.a. “Forgetting Curve”)
Contributing Factors that Influence Retention of Information
Flashbulb Memory
The Importance of Reviewing Information Over Time
Memory Devices
Mnemonics
Acronyms
Chunking
Grouping
Repetition
Flashcards
Imagery & Visualization
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this multiple choice quiz covering chapters 6 and 7 of A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck. In addition to an answer key, an alternate short answer option is provided for re-assessment purposes. Materials are delivered in a zip file as Word Documents and PDFs. Questions pertain to the following details:
Aunt Matty’s distinguishing skill
The reason for Aunt Matty’s frustration with Rob
Rob’s reaction to the suggestion that he needs a tutor
Aunt Matty’s religious affiliation
Rob’s reaction to Aunt Matty’s religious affiliation
Rob’s observations, including sights and unsettling sounds
Rob’s plan to keep Pinky safe
The nature of a conversation between Rob and Haven
Evaluate general reading comprehension with this multiple choice quiz covering Act 1 of William Shakespeare’s Othello. The plot-based assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active reading experiences. An answer key is included. Additionally, a short answer worksheet is provided for re-assessment purposes. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Roderigo’s affections for Desdemona
Iago’s fury toward Othello
Brabantio
The Turks’ plan to attack Cyprus
Othello and Desdemona’s relationship
Desdemona’s internal conflict
Othello’s departure
Brabantio’s warning to Othello
Iago’s manipulation of Roderigo
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this multiple choice quiz covering chapters 12 and 13 of A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck. In addition to an answer key, an alternate short answer option is provided for re-assessment purposes. Materials are delivered in a zip file as Word Documents and PDFs. Questions pertain to the following details:
Pinky’s possible barrenness
Rob’s rifle
Mom’s request of Rob
A poor apple crop
Why Haven thinks the bad crop is Rob’s fault
Haven’s admission
Rob’s advice to Haven concerning the winter
Haven’s ominous remarks
Samson
Mr. Tanner’s compensation
Rob’s realization that he was wrong about something
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this multiple choice quiz covering chapters 14 and 15 of A Day No Pigs Would Die by Robert Newton Peck. In addition to an answer key, an alternate short answer option is provided for re-assessment purposes. Materials are delivered in a zip file as Word Documents and PDFs. Questions pertain to the following details:
How Haven tries to stay warm
What Haven means when he says Rob needs to “get it done”
Why Haven lights a fire to boil water
The purpose of the crowbar
Rob’s emotional reaction to the situation
Haven’s perspective on what constitutes being a man
Rob’s expression of forgiveness
Mr. Wilcox’s role
Surprising discoveries
The resolution