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.
Promote homework accountability, measure reading comprehension, support the development of close reading skills, and encourage deeper analysis of fiction with this bundle of teaching resources covering chapter 8 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A set of close reading questions and a plot-based quiz are provided, along with answer keys. Materials are delivered in both Word Document and PDF formats. Students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Make logical inferences about characters’ intentions and motivations
Analyze a particular detail to infer the author’s intent
Explore how Boxer is becoming a dynamic character
Isolate a true statement about plot from a set of falsehoods
Contrast the Battle of the Windmill with the Battle of the Cowshed
Apply knowledge of literary devices such as hubris
Evaluate the role propaganda plays in the world of Animal Farm
Write about literature with clarity and precision
Justify written responses with reasoning and/or textual evidence
Evaluate reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapter four of Animal Farm by George Orwell. Alternatively, the quiz may serve as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate more focused engagement with literature. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The important role of the pigeons
The characterization of Pilkington and Frederick
The nature of the relationship between Pilkington and Frederick
A rumor circulating around Animal Farm
Snowball’s research
Injured animals
Boxer’s terrible concern
An animal who goes missing
The name of the battle that transpired
The identity of an animal killed in battle
Evaluate reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapter five of Animal Farm by George Orwell. Alternatively, the quiz may serve as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate more focused engagement with literature. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Mollie’s life-changing decision
Napoleon’s strategies for disrupting Snowball’s speeches
The growing rift between Snowball and Napoleon
Napoleon’s priorities
Napoleon’s treatment of Snowball’s drawn-up plans
A dangerous incident that precedes Snowball’s departure
Napoleon’s big decision about community meetings
Intimidation tactics
Squealer’s accusations
Boxer’s new motto
Details concerning Sunday ceremonies
Napoleon’s surprise announcement
Evaluate reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapter seven of Animal Farm by George Orwell. Alternatively, the quiz may serve as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate more focused engagement with literature. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The humans’ belief about the fate of the windmill
Napoleon’s dynamic character
The deaths of nine hens
Squealer’s allegations
Napoleon’s lies
Immoral tactics used against the animals
Boxer’s reaction to the animal-on-animal violence
Clover’s reaction to the animal-on-animal violence
The decision related to the anthem “Beasts of England”
Promote homework accountability, measure reading comprehension, support the development of close reading skills, and encourage deeper analysis of fiction with this bundle of teaching resources covering chapter 7 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A set of close reading questions and a plot-based quiz are provided, along with answer keys. Materials are delivered in both Word Document and PDF formats. Students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Make logical inferences about characters’ intentions, motivations, and beliefs
Apply knowledge of sonic devices including assonance, sibilance, onomatopoeia, and cacophony
Explain how Napoleon is a dynamic character
Identify an example of foreshadowing in the chapter
Conduct brief research on Joseph Stalin’s regime
Identify historical parallels between Stalin’s leadership and Napoleon’s
Write about literature with clarity and precision
Justify written responses with reasoning and/or textual evidence
Evaluate reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapter six of Animal Farm by George Orwell. Alternatively, the quiz may serve as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate more focused engagement with literature. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The year-to-year comparison of the harvest
A newly instituted policy
Squealer’s method of convincing animals the new policy is acceptable
The pigs’ collective lifestyle
Napoleon’s big announcement
Revisions to existing commandments
Muriel’s skill
Benjamin’s general characterization
The fate of the windmill
Napoleon’s response to the windmill’s fate
Promote homework accountability, measure reading comprehension, support the development of close reading skills, and encourage deeper analysis of fiction with this bundle of teaching resources covering chapter 6 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A set of close reading questions and a plot-based quiz are provided, along with answer keys. Students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Explore character motivations
Apply knowledge of literary devices such as onomatopoeia
Define complex words and phrases in context
Analyze nuances in word meanings
Compare and contrast characters
Isolate a true statement about plot from a set of falsehoods
Discern the function of the chapter
Write about literature with clarity and precision
Identify several examples of complication in the context of the chapter
Analyze the role language plays in the world of Animal Farm
Articulate the intended effect of scapegoating Snowball
Justify written responses with reasoning and/or textual evidence
Evaluate reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this bundle of 10 plot-based quizzes covering each individual chapter of Animal Farm by George Orwell. These quizzes may otherwise serve as guided reading worksheets to facilitate focused engagement with fiction. Answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Evaluate reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapter ten of Animal Farm by George Orwell. Alternatively, the quiz may serve as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate more focused engagement with literature. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Working conditions and general quality of life
The elimination of once common aspects of Animal Farm
A new slogan at Animal Farm
Physical changes to the pigs
The farm’s name change
The reason humans return to the farm
The single remaining commandment
The nature of the interaction between pigs and humans
A conflict between Napoleon and Pilkington
The working animals’ observation of the interaction between pigs and humans
Promote homework accountability, measure reading comprehension, support the development of close reading skills, and encourage deeper analysis of fiction with this bundle of teaching resources covering chapter 10 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A set of close reading questions and a plot-based quiz are provided, along with answer keys. Materials are delivered in both Word Document and PDF formats. Students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Make logical inferences about characters’ intentions and motivations
Analyze character relationships
Define complex words and phrases as they are used in the novel
Determine the intended effect of a word as it is used in the novel
Explore the greater significance of Animal Farm’s name change
Apply knowledge of figurative language
Analyze a particular detail to infer the author’s intent
Defend the claim that the animals are collectively worse off than before Napoleon’s rule
Write about literature with clarity and precision
Justify written responses with reasoning and/or textual evidence
Evaluate reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapter nine of Animal Farm by George Orwell. Alternatively, the quiz may serve as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate more focused engagement with literature. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Boxer’s medical condition
The raising of Napoleon’s children
Details concerning spontaneous demonstrations
Animal Farm’s classification
Napoleon’s official title
New allegations against Snowball
The re-appearance of a character
The effect the re-appearance has on the community
The collapsing of an overworked animal
Benjamin’s distressing belief
Squealer’s newest misinformation campaign
Promote homework accountability, measure reading comprehension, support the development of close reading skills, and encourage deeper analysis of fiction with this bundle of teaching resources covering chapter 9 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A set of close reading questions and a plot-based quiz are provided, along with answer keys. Materials are delivered in both Word Document and PDF formats. Students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Make logical inferences about characters’ intentions and motivations
Analyze character relationships
Analyze a particular detail to infer the author’s intent
Articulate the irony associated with the word republic
Explore the motif of hypocrisy
Articulate how the pigs demonstrate contradictory thinking and actions
Write about literature with clarity and precision
Justify written responses with reasoning and/or textual evidence
“A Strange Story” by O. Henry is a narrative packed with situational irony, yet it is short enough to compensate for awkward gaps in teaching schedules. With this plot-based quiz covering the short story, teachers will be able to evaluate general reading comprehension and promote homework accountability. Additionally, the brevity of the narrative helps to fill awkward gaps in the teaching schedule. An answer key is provided, as well as a copy of the public domain text. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Setting
The family’s last name
A character’s medical condition
The reason for a character’s departure
The effects of a character’s disappearance
Similarities between characters
Ironic coincidences
The resolution
This summative test covers William Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It and includes an answer key, as well as a standards-based rubric for scoring essays. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will:
Demonstrate knowledge significant characters and the key aspects of their lives
Demonstrate knowledge of significant events throughout the play
Identify the context of meaningful quotations in the play
Apply knowledge of a variety of literary devices applied in the play including hyperbole, metaphor, oxymoron, allusion, personification, and more
Respond to an essay prompt requiring students to explore the theme of bravery and its effects on a character in the play
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims made in an academic essay
Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of close reading analysis skills with this bundle of assessments covering chapters 14 and 15 of Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Included are the following: a plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, and answer keys. These activities eliminate the need for take-home assessment planning without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. Answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Discern the greater significance and intended effects of given details
Make logical inferences about the author’s thinking in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Consider the symbolism associated with Mazer Rackham
Apply knowledge of literary devices with an emphasis on situational irony
Explore themes in context
With this summative test covering the entirety of the science fiction novel Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, English teachers will evaluate students’ reading comprehension, essay writing skills, and ability to analyze key aspects of plot. Included are the following: an answer key, standards-based rubric, and test prep study guide. 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 allusion, anaphora, dramatic irony, euphemism, foreshadowing, hubris, hyperbole, imagery, invective, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, and verbal irony
Respond to an essay prompt about the protagonist’s isolation, arguing whether he is better or worse off for having been isolated
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims made in an academic essay
Support the development of close reading analysis skills for high school with this set of rigorous activities covering the science fiction novel Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Each worksheet eliminates the need for take-home assessment planning without sacrificing academic rigor. Answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define challenging words and phrases as they are used in the text
Examine nuances in words with similar meanings
Discern the greater significance and intended effects of given details
Consider historical context when answering questions about plot
Make logical inferences about the author’s thinking in context
Discern the tone of given excerpts
Determine the function of a given chapter
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast characters (Ender and Peter)
Apply knowledge of literary devices including symbolism, personification, simile, metaphor, epiphany, pun, foreshadowing, invective, euphemism, allusion, paradox, ambiguity, anaphora, rhetorical questioning, situational irony, verbal irony, and dramatic irony
Explore themes in context
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “Alicia and I Talking on Edna’s Steps.” An 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.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the greater significance of a given detail (“I like Alicia because once she gave me a little leather purse with the word GUADALAJARA stitched on it”)
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Compare two characters in the novel (Esperanza and Alicia)
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor and paradox
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood lends itself to compelling research opportunities for high school students. This low-prep, standards-based project has students investigate topics related to women’s history and human rights around the world: from America (the Fourteenth Amendment, Equal Pay Act, Equal Rights Amendment, etc.) to Canada (the Royal Commission on the Status of Women in Canada, National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, etc.), from the Middle East (Benazir Bhutto, the Taliban’s treatment of women, the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq, etc.) to Mexico (Laureana Wright de Kleinhans, First Feminist Congress of the Yucatan, etc.). Thirty-nine topics are addressed. Supporting materials—including a detailed scoring rubric—are 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 text
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
For many high school students, humorous fiction, tall tales, and satire are types of literature that maximize interest and engagement. “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” by Mark Twain is a representative short story with great literary and academic merit. With this rigorous worksheet, learners will be prompted to exercise close reading analysis skills. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in printable 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 activity, students will:
Articulate what is stated in the text explicitly and implicitly
Determine the tone of a particular passage
Discern the author’s intent and its effect on readers.
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on simile
Apply knowledge of the elements of satire and tall tales
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision