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.
Reinforce the standard conventions of academic writing and perform a quick check of students’ knowledge with this grammar worksheet on resolving capitalization errors. Delivered in printable Word Document format, as well as in PDF format, this resource conveniently offers the option to edit. An answer key is provided. By completing this activity, students will demonstrate an ability to:
Capitalize the first word in a sentence
Capitalize names and other proper nouns including names of places, businesses, languages, days, months, holidays, historical events, religions, nationalities, and more
Capitalize family titled like Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa when they are used as a placeholder for a name
Capitalize the first word in a quotation if the quotation is a complete sentence
Capitalize most words in titles, namely the first word, verbs, nouns, proper nouns, adjectives, and adverbs
Capitalize A.M. or P.M. and A.D. and B.C.
Reduce teacher workload, measure reading comprehension, and promote homework accountability with this quiz on chapter one of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following important plot details:
Character description of a typical Baggins
Gandalf’s surprise appearance
Bilbo and Gandalf’s awkward conversation
The first dwarf to arrive unexpectedly
Awakening “something Tookish” within Bilbo
The dwarves’ skepticism toward Bilbo’s participation
Bilbo’s designated role
Description of the town of Dale
What Thorin receives from Gandalf during the party
The lost wealth of Thorin’s family
Reduce teacher workload, measure reading comprehension, and promote homework accountability with this quiz on chapters three through five of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following important plot details:
Lonely Mountain
Rivendell
Elrond
Background on the weapons the adventurers’ retrieved from trolls
Seeking safety inside the cave
The Orcrist
Glamdring the Foe-hammer
Goblins’ fear of something inside the cave
The riddle game
Discovery of the magical ring
Bilbo’s escape from the cave
Reduce teacher workload, measure reading comprehension, and promote homework accountability with this quiz on chapter six of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Questions pertain to the following important plot details:
The dwarves’ complaints
Gandalf’s insistence that the dwarves look for Bilbo
The adventurers’ reaction to Bilbo’s sudden return
Incident involving the Wargs
Wargs and their history with another antagonistic group
Gandalf’s rescue efforts
The Eagles’ arrival
The Eagles’ fear of man
Measure general comprehension and hold students accountable for reading Farley Mowat’s nonfiction book Never Cry Wolf with this set of printable assessments on chapters 1 through 8. In addition to a multiple choice quiz, a constructed response version is provided, which may double as a guided reading worksheet to encourage active engagement with the text. Answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in a zip file containing both Word Document and PDF versions.
Questions pertain to the following details.
An incident that helped lead Mowat to become a biologist
The purpose behind Mowat’s study
A long trip to “the middle of nowhere”
Mowat’s supplies
Mike’s background
The first encounter with a wolf
Alarming discoveries
A move to facilitate wolf observations
“Marking territory”
With this multiple choice, plot-based quiz covering the eighth chapter of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, high school English teachers will be able to evaluate reading comprehension and promote homework accountability. A short answer version is also provided, along with answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
A broken promise
The gardener’s intention and Gatsby’s refusal
Nick’s judgment of Gatsby
Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes and Wilson’s interpretation of them
Myrtle’s death
Wilson’s beliefs concerning Myrtle’s death
A tragic, deadly incident
With this multiple choice, plot-based quiz covering the ninth chapter of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, high school English teachers will be able to evaluate reading comprehension and promote homework accountability. A short answer version is also provided, along with answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Underwhelming attendance at Gatsby’s funeral
An unexpected telegram
Henry Gatsby’s discovery of his son’s death
Young Gatsby’s self-improvement plan
A brief conversation with Klipspringer
Nick’s decision to move back to the Midwest
Nick and Jordan’s breakup
An encounter with Tom
Tom’s feelings concerning Gatsby’s death
Nick’s character assessment of Tom and Daisy
Nick’s analysis of people’s dreams
For many high school readers, realistic fiction maximizes interest in and engagement with literature. “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker is a quality example of the genre. In this short story, complicated family dynamics and a clash of cultures are addressed. This multiple choice quiz evaluates general reading comprehension and holds students accountable for completing assigned homework. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Setting
A traumatic incident in the family’s past
The reason Dee does not live with her mother and sister
Maggie’s engagement
Maggie’s emotional response to the return of her sister
The reasons for Maggie’s self-consciousness
Mama’s daydreaming
A significant change in Dee’s life
The nickname for Dee’s boyfriend
Items in which Dee takes apparent interest
The reason Mama will not permit Dee to take the items
Dee’s parting words for her sister
Mama and Maggie’s actions at the end of the story
“The Juniper Tree” by the Brothers Grimm is a macabre fairy tale featuring a variety of literary elements including black humor and poetic justice. Help high school students extend beyond reading comprehension and sharpen close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous questions to complement the the short story. An answer key and copy of the public domain Grimms’ tale are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly
Analyze nuances in word definitions in order to select the best synonym in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, and interact with others
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including foreshadowing, dramatic irony, allusion, personification, onomatopoeia, black humor, and more
Determine the function of a given passage
Make logical inferences about the authors’ intent
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
This resource extends beyond text comprehension, helping high school students analyze the formal elements of fiction and respond thoughtfully in writing to questions about literature. The featured short story is titled “The Seven Ravens” by the Brothers Grimm. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Explore character development and motivations
Analyze unique and unfamiliar phrasing to find meaning
Write clearly, concisely, and accurately in response to analytical questioning
Argue whether the authors intend for the father to be seen as a villain
Identify an example of foreshadowing and explain what it suggests about plot development
Explore the symbolism of ravens and consider why the father specifically chose for his sons to be transformed into ravens
Explore the symbolism of rings and consider the role they play in terms of plot development
Explore the symbolism of stars and consider the role they play in terms of plot development
Cite textual evidence in support of claims
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about the Parsons family from Book 1, chapter 2, this resource saves teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing academic rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable Word Documents and PDFs.
This resource may facilitate small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development, demonstrating an ability to analyze how complex characters transform and advance the plot and themes by applying logic and citing compelling, meaningful textual evidence. They will also evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to advance claims, clarifying or challenging unclear ideas. Using this resource for structured guidance, students, ultimately, will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
By engaging with this resource, students will:
Apply knowledge of literary devices and techniques including assonance and aposiopesis
Analyze textual details to make logical inferences about character fears, behaviors, and motivations
Analyze the emphasis on sports impedimenta and articulate how sporting events promote modes of thinking sanctioned by the Party
Analyze how the description of setting contributes to the author’s warning on the effects of totalitarianism on the masses
Define complex words and phrases in context
Write with logic, clarity, and precision
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about O’Brien’s explanation of the Brotherhood’s inner-workings from Book 2, chapter 8, this resource saves teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing academic rigor. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable Word Documents and PDFs.
This resource may serve as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development, demonstrating an ability to analyze how complex characters transform and advance the plot and themes by applying logic and citing compelling, meaningful textual evidence. They will also evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to advance claims, clarifying or challenging unclear ideas. Using this resource for structured guidance, students, ultimately, will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
By engaging with this resource, students will:
Identify what the text says both explicitly and implicitly
Analyze a portion of text to discern which literary device is applied and what its function is
Articulate what makes it impossible for Winston or any other individual member to take down the Brotherhood
Define complex words and phrases in context
Identify textual evidence to support the claim that Winston admires O’Brien
Analyze a character’s dialogue to discern and articulate how it is ironic
Compare aspects of the Party’s inner-workings to aspects of the Brotherhood’s inner-workings
Articulate what this passage reflects about George Orwell’s attitude toward rebellion against dictatorships
Use logic and/or textual evidence to support an argument
Write with clarity and precision
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about Parsons’s pitiful loyalty to the Party from Book 3, chapter 1, this resource saves teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable Word Documents and PDFs.
This resource may serve as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development, demonstrating an ability to analyze how complex characters transform and advance the plot and themes by applying logic and citing compelling, meaningful textual evidence. They will also evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to advance claims, clarifying or challenging unclear ideas. Using this resource for structured guidance, students, ultimately, will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
By engaging with this resource, students will:
Identify what the text says both explicitly and implicitly
Define complex words and phrases in context
Analyze textual details to discern which literary device is applied (oxymoron and situational irony)
Articulate Parsons’s beliefs concerning what makes thoughtcrime so dangerous
Analyze the author’s word choices to discern what they reveal about a character
Articulate how Parsons evaluates his effectiveness as a father
Identify and explain textual evidence that contribute to Parsons’s pitiful characterization
Discern a primary function of the excerpt
Articulate how the excerpt illustrates the Party’s success in terms of restricting human emotions and complicating human relationships
Write with clarity and precision
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984. Featuring a brief passage about the Party’s definition of reality from Book 3, chapter 2, this resource saves teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing academic rigor. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable Word Documents and PDFs.
This resource may serve as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development, demonstrating an ability to analyze how complex characters transform and advance the plot and themes by applying logic and citing compelling, meaningful textual evidence. They will also evaluate their peers’ reasoning and use of rhetoric to advance claims, clarifying or challenging unclear ideas. Using this resource for structured guidance, students, ultimately, will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
By engaging with this resource, students will:
Identify what the text says both explicitly and implicitly
Define complex words and phrases in context
Apply knowledge of situational irony to the passage
Explain why reality only exists in the collective mind of the Party, according to O’Brien
Isolate a false statement from factual statements in the context of the passage
Analyze O’Brien’s statements and actions to discern and articulate his intent
Identify where anaphora is present in the given passage
Identify words, phrases, and details that contribute to Winston’s childlike characterization
Infer why the author wished to characterize Winston like a child given the context of the passage
Write with clarity and precision
Help high school students extend beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous, text-dependent questions on the Gothic short story “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe (estimated Lexile Measure of 1180). An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are made delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Provide an objective summary of the plot
Analyze the intended effect of Poe’s descriptive language
Analyze the author’s technique to explain whether a suggested revision would be appropriate
Make logical inferences about characterization
Articulate how setting influences character actions
Determine the intended effect(s) of simile
Apply knowledge of situational irony to the text
Apply knowledge of anaphora to the text
Apply knowledge of consonance to the text
Isolate examples of inversion in a given excerpt
Identify textual evidence in support of claims
Define complex vocabulary and phrasing in context
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
Help high school students extend beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering chapter 1 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. 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. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification and verisimilitude
Make logical inferences about the author’s intent
Identify the greater significance of a given detail
Discern the main function of a given passage
Write about literature with clarity and precision
Conduct brief research on the beliefs of German philosopher Karl Marx
Articulate whether Major’s speech reflects a belief in Marxist ideology
Articulate how the author incorporates humor into his writing
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims
“Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston is a short story about a woman of color who must reconcile the resentment she feels toward her abusive husband with her faith—a task that threatens to compromise the integrity of her soul. This multiple choice quiz covering “Sweat” helps English teachers evaluate general reading comprehension while eliminating take-home assessment planning responsibilities. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
Setting
Delia’s line of work
Items with which Sykes attempts to instill fear
Sykes’ attitude toward Delia’s Sunday work
The length of time Delia and Sykes have been married
Aspects of Sykes’ antagonistic characterization
Delia’s motivations
Delia’s observation while passing the store
Sykes’ affair with Bertha
Delia’s remarks that leave Sykes nearly speechless
The fate of Sykes
Delia’s intentional inaction
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this quiz covering vignettes 1 through 4 of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros: “The House on Mango Street,” “Hairs,” “Boys and Girls,” and “My Name.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The reason behind the family’s move
The qualities/description of the new house
The smell of her mother’s hair
The lack of interaction among boys and girls in the community
Esperanza’s frustrations with spending time with Nenny
Esperanza’s desire to have a best friend
The origin of Esperanza’s name
Esperanza’s personal feelings about her name
The Chinese year of the horse and its superstitious meaning to women
Cultural views on women (Chinese and Mexican)
Esperanza’s great grandmother and her arranged marriage
Help high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering Act 2, scene 4, of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. 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.
By engaging with this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the intended effect of figurative language in context
Describe the tone of dialogue in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, juxtaposition, dramatic irony, and situational irony
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet to complement chapter 6 of Dracula by Bram Stoker. An answer key and copy of the chapter, which is in the public domain, 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 says explicitly and implicitly
Determine the function of a given excerpt
Explore mood in relation to a given excerpt
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Contrast two characters (Mina and Swales)
Come to class better prepared to engage in collaborative discussions
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Gothic literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision