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 covering chapters 7, 8, and 9 of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. 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. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Narration of a used car salesman
Taking advantage of departing families
Uncle Tom’s guilt
Ma and Pa Joad’s reaction to Tom’s return
Granma’s request at breakfast
Tom’s youngest brother, Al
Narration of tenant farmers
Talk of material possessions and memories of home
Pawning belongings
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 4, 5, and 6 of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. 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. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
An encounter with Jim Casy
Jim Casy’s former profession
Jim Casy’s revelation
Jim Casy’s philosophical/religious belief
Tom’s conviction
Tom’s experience in prison
Tom’s farm
The eviction of farmers
What happened to Tom’s family
The family’s work
Where Tom and his acquaintances sleep
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 1, 2, and 3 of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. 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. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Historical context
Setting
Environmental conditions
Tom Joad’s 4-year stay
Tom Joad’s conviction
The interaction between Tom Joad and the driver
Tom Joad’s irritability
Workers vs. owners
The incident with the turtle
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birthmark.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: abortive, affinity, ardent, assent, competent, countenance, credulity, detrimental, dingy, eminent, ephemeral, exuberance, fastidious, fervid, finite, folio, hastily, indistinct, inexorably, interminably, invariably, laborious, mar, melancholy, mien, nostrum, optical, placid, principle, quaff, recondite, relinquish, remonstrance, sanguine, sneer, tremulous, uncouth, unobtrusive, and verdure.
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 go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story “The Birthmark.” An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Discern the functions of various passages and excerpts
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast two characters (Aylmer and Aminadab)
Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing, imagery, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, and more
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of activities for teaching the short story “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Determine the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Discern the functions of various passages and excerpts
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast two characters (Aylmer and Aminadab)
Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing, imagery, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, and more
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about 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 covering the short story “Broken Chain” by Gary Soto. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The protagonist’s self-image
The protagonist’s request of his mother
The protagonist’s helpful nature
The name of the protagonist’s love interest
Relationships between characters
Reasons for conflict
Character transformations
And more
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Virginia Woolf’s short story “The New Dress.” An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Discern the functions of various passages and excerpts
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Articulate the hypocritical nature of the protagonist’s behavior
Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing and metaphor
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about 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 covering the short story “The New Dress” by Virginia Woolf. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF Formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
The reason for Mabel’s limited fashion
Mabel’s distinguishing characteristic
Mabel’s assumptions about her treatment at a party
Robert Haydon
Mrs. Barnet
Clarissa Dalloway
The reason for Mabel’s frustration with herself
Mabel’s perception of the partygoers
The effect a memory involving a dressmaker has on Mabel
Mabel’s opinion of her parents
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “Too Soon a Woman” by Dorothy Johnson. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Point of view
A family’s mode of transportation
Mary’s background
Pa’s concerns
The reason Mary is left in charge
The narrator’s 15-mile walk
A discovery
The reason Mary does not initially share the discovery
The narrator’s self-image
The source of Mary’s scars
The resolution
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Circuit” by Francisco Jiménez. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Point of view
The meaning behind the title
The name of Panchito’s younger brother
Setting
The family’s living conditions
Panchito’s first day of work
Papá’s reaction to seeing a school bus
Panchito’s grade level
The name of Panchito’s teacher
An exciting offer
The reason for Panchito’s abrupt disappointment
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Third Wish” by Joan Aiken. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The animal Mr. Peters saves
A sudden transformation
A king’s reaction to Mr. Peters’ actions
The nature of the first wish
The general characterization of Leita
Mr. Peters’ general characterization
The nature of the second wish
Rumors that later circulate about Mr. Peters
The resolution
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “The Flying Machine” by Ray Bradbury. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Setting
The Emperor’s name
Examples of miracles from the perspective of the Emperor
Who notifies the Emperor of the flying man’s presence
The materials used to construct the flying machine
The Emperor’s initial reaction to the flying machine
The flying man’s attitude toward his creation
The Emperor’s accusation
The Emperor’s own creativity
The fate of the flying man
The Emperor’s ominous perspective on the idea of beauty
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 1, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Determine the primary function of a given excerpt
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including hyperbole, metaphor, and pun
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
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 3, scene 3, of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Determine the primary function of the scene
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on foreshadowing
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
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 4, scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
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
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 5, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing and 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 Shakespearean drama
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 5, scene 3, of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on foreshadowing, situational irony, and symbolism
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 Shakespearean drama
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 5, scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Articulate why Shakespeare may have made this scene so short
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 Shakespearean drama
Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering Act 2 of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. A plot-based quiz, four close reading worksheets, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Determine the function of a given excerpt
Describe tone in context
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare two characters (Artemidorus and Calpurnia)
Compare and contrast two characters (Caesar and Calpurnia)
Articulate the qualities that distinguish Artemidorus from most other characters in the play
Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing, symbolism, and dramatic 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
