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 eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz on the short story “The Burglar’s Christmas” by Willa Cather. The assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with fiction. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Setting
The protagonist’s name
The protagonist’s backstory
An acquaintance’s concern for the protagonist
The protagonist’s epiphany about his life circumstances
The nature of the dialogue between the protagonist and a young woman
The protagonist’s behavior inside the mansion
Dimly familiar objects
The owners of the mansion
The protagonist’s assessment of his past
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the short story “At Christmas Time” by Anton Chekhov. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: abide, ailing, bereaved, coarse, conceited, doze, efficacy, habitual, hasten, invincible, porter, stifling, subside, and unintelligible.
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 extend beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet covering Anton Chekhov’s short story “At Christmas Time.” An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable 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 completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Consider nuances in words with similar meanings
Reflect on the author’s choice of title and its intended effect
Evaluate the author’s means of emotionally influencing readers
Make logical inferences about the author’s philosophies on life
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare the lives of Vasilisa and Pyotr with the life of Yefimya
Apply knowledge of literary devices including ambiguity, euphemism, metaphor, onomatopoeia, and more
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about coming-of-age fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz on the short story “At Christmas Time” by Anton Chekhov. The assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with coming-of-age fiction. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The general characterization of the parents
Yegor’s paid task
Yegor’s response to a character’s anguish
The passing of time
Setting
The nature of the relationship between a daughter and her parents
Yefimya’s homelife
The name of Yefimya’s husband
The husband’s profession
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the holiday-themed short story “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: carnage, cavort, chastise, dilapidated, disposition, garish, goad, inaugurate, murmur, prosaic, shudder, sprightly, and vaguely.
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 extend beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet covering Truman Capote’s holiday-themed short story “A Christmas Memory.” An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable 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 completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Consider historical context in relation to the plot
Isolate examples of figurative language used in the text
Discern the intended effect of the author’s narrative techniques
Describe and examine tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Determine the functions of given details and excerpts
Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion, epiphany, foreshadowing, hubris, metaphor, onomatopoeia, simile, situational irony, and unreliable narrator
Reflect on significant themes
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about coming-of-age fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz on Truman Capote’s holiday-themed short story “A Christmas Memory.” The assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement with coming-of-age fiction. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Point of view
The characterization of the protagonist’s best friend
The protagonist’s personal interests
The protagonist’s goals
Bonding activities between the protagonist and his friend
The characterization of Mr. Haha
Christmas gifts
The significance of this particular Christmas
The resolution
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the Christmas-themed short story 'The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: ardent, cascade, coax
depreciate, falter, fixedly, imply, imputation, instigate, laboriously, meretricious, parsimony, and prudence.
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 support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering Act 2 of William Shakespeare’s comedy The Tempest. A plot-based quiz, two close reading worksheets (one per scene), 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:
Read for literal comprehension
Determine the meanings of unfamiliar and archaic 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
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and dramatic techniques
Describe tone in context
Determine the function of a given excerpt
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare two characters (Antonio and Sebastian)
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony
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 support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering Act 1 of William Shakespeare’s comedy The Tempest. A plot-based quiz, two close reading worksheets (one per scene), 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:
Read for literal comprehension
Determine the meanings of unfamiliar and archaic 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
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and dramatic techniques
Determine the primary function of a given scene
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including dramatic irony 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
Frontload assigned readings with these vocabulary games and activities to facilitate comprehension of Animal Farm by George Orwell. Alternatively, stash these materials in an emergency sub folder to keep students meaningfully engaged in the book during unexpected teacher absences. Included are 10 vocabulary application activities, 10 crossword puzzles,10 word search games, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
A total of 120 challenging words are addressed: articulate, benevolent, blithely, bray, capitulate, clamor, coccidiosis, complicity, conciliatory, contemptuously, continually, contrary, countenance, cryptic, cynical, dart, decree, demeanor, denounce, din, dismay, dissentient, eminent, enmity, ensconce, exclaim, expound, extravagant, falter, feebly, fortnight, frugally, gale, gambol, haughty, hearken, hearty, hoarse, hoist, humble, idle, ignominious, impart, impromptu, incite, indefatigable, indifferent, indignantly, indignation, intently, intermediary, internment, invariably, inventive, irrepressible, knacker, laborious, lamentation, leisure, liable, malignity, manifestly, maxim, misgiving, morose, mournfully, murmur, nimble, obstinate, oration, perpetually, plod, posthumously, preliminary, principle, procure, promptly, prophecy, quarrel, ratify, refuge, reign, rejoice, repose, reproach, restive, retribution, reverent, rheumy, rouse, seclusion, shirk, shrewd, shrill, skirmish, sly, solemn, sturdy, subversive, successive, superannuated, superintendence, taciturn, temper, thwart, timidly, toil, tractable, treachery, trifle, tumult, tyranny, unanimous, unintelligible, vague, waft, weary, whimper, whinny, and wistful.
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 chapter 10 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: denounce, eminent, frugally, haughty, hearty, invariably, misgiving, morose, rheumy, subversive, taciturn, and trifle.
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 chapter 9 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: bray, complicity, contemptuously, dart, demeanor, indignantly, internment, knacker, oration, superannuated, temper, and waft.
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 chapter 8 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: clamor, conciliatory, dismay, fortnight, impart, intently, lamentation, murmur, refuge, successive, weary, and wistful.
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 chapter 7 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: capitulate, coccidiosis, continually, countenance, decree, incite, rejoice, retribution, thwart, treachery, tumult, and whinny.
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 chapter 6 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: extravagant, gale, indignation, intermediary, malignity, mournfully, plod, promptly, repose, rouse, superintendence, and timidly.
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 chapter 5 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: articulate, blithely, indifferent, liable, manifestly, procure, ratify, restive, reverent, sly, unintelligible, and whimper.
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 chapter 4 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: din, exclaim, ignominious, impromptu, perpetually, posthumously, prophecy, shrewd, skirmish, solemn, tractable, and vague.
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 chapter 3 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: cryptic, hoist, humble, indefatigable, leisure, maxim, obstinate, principle, quarrel, seclusion, shirk, and toil.
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 chapter 2 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: contrary, expound, feebly, gambol, idle, inventive, irrepressible, nimble, reign, reproach, shrill, and unanimous.
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
