Evaluate general reading comprehension and align English Language Arts and World History curricula with this plot-based quiz covering Rebecca Harding Davis’ short story “Life in the Iron Mills,” one of the earliest narratives representing the realist movement in American Literature. A dominant theme is the unpleasant effects of the industrial revolution on common workers, such as the two Welsh immigrants who propel the story. An answer key and copy of the public domain text are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: General characterization of Deborah General characterization of Wolfe General characterization of the narrator General characterization of Clarke Kirby General characterization of Mitchell General characterization of Haley General characterization of Janey A significant object in the story

Support vocabulary development, enhance reading comprehension, and align English Language Arts and American History curricula with this set of games and activities covering Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Soldier’s Home,” a piece of historical fiction focusing on the effects of war on a Marine who returns from fighting in World War I. 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: ambition, apocryphal, atrocity, bar, beau, boast, court, elaborately, hamper, muss, noncommittal, resentful, vaguely, and wander. 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 align English Language Arts and American History curricula with this plot-based quiz covering Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Soldier’s Home,” a piece of historical fiction focusing on the effects of war on a Marine who returns from fighting in World War I. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate engagement with the narrative. An answer key and copy of the public domain text are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: The protagonist’s educational background The military branch in which the protagonist is enlisted Why the protagonist finds it difficult to talk to others The protagonist’s physical effects of lying and exaggerating stories The protagonist’s musical instrument What the protagonist does that temporarily makes him feel better Helen’s relation to the protagonist The protagonist’s relationship with his parents How the protagonist makes his mother cry The protagonist’s response to his mother’s tears The resolution

Facilitate research on thirty topics related to The House on Mango Street and its author, Sandra Cisneros, with this low-prep, standards-based activity. Students will navigate informational texts about historically significant women (Elvia Carillo Puerto, Adelina Zendejas, Lydia Cacho, and more), landmark events (Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Equal Rights Amendment, and more), social justice organizations (American Civil Liberties Union, League of Women Voters, Hispanic Heritage Foundation, and more), Chicana authors (Gloria Evangelina Anzaldúa, Denise Chávez, Michele Serros, and more), and opportunities for writers (Hispanic Scholarship Fund, National Endowment for the Arts, and more). After compiling relevant details, the process culminates in the delivery of a formal presentation. 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 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

Help students better understand the historical context of Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers and facilitate the process of researching topics related to the Vietnam War with this low-prep, standards-based resource. Students will choose from more than twenty relevant subjects—the Gulf of Tonkin incident, the Tet Offensive, the My Lai Massacre, Tinker vs. Des Moines, and Milton L. Olive III to name a few—and navigate credible sources with the goal of teaching others about their topic. 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

Eliminate assessment planning responsibilities and evaluate high school students’ knowledge of plot and literary craft with this summative test covering Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. An answer key is included, as well as a test prep guide and a standards-based rubric for scoring essay responses. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. The test is divided into four sections, outlined as follows: Part 1 - Characters and Plot. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following characters and aspects of plot:Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following characters and aspects of plot: ♦ Perry’s background ♦ Perry’s medical condition ♦ Perry’s family ♦ Perry’s external conflicts ♦ Perry’s superiors ♦ Perry’s cohorts ♦ A nurse Perry meets ♦ Miscellaneous characters Perry meets along the way Part 2 - Literary Craft. Students will apply knowledge of the following literary devices to quotes from the novel: ♦ Anaphora ♦ Aphorism ♦ External conflict ♦ Hyperbole ♦ Internal conflict ♦ Irony ♦ Metaphor ♦ Oxymoron Part 3 - Meaningful Quotations in Context. Students will read the given quotes in order to discern the speaker and significance of each: ♦ “The army was the place I was going to get away from all the questions.” (Chapter 2) ♦ “Anything anybody got in the army, I got. You got a gun, I got a gun. You got boots, I got boots.” (Chapter 2) ♦ “Movies are the only real thing in life.” (Chapter 6) ♦ “He was a thing, a trophy. I wondered if I could become a trophy.” (Chapter 7) ♦ “A man in Nam fighting by my side is a man fighting by my side.” (Chapter 18) ♦ “Mama would expect me to be the same person, but it could never happen.” (Chapter 20) Part 4 - Essay Writing. Students will develop a five paragraph essay in response to one of two given prompts: ♦ The first prompt requires students to explore Perry’s changing perspective on the war ♦ The second prompt requires students to evaluate any meaningful character’s methods of coping with the terrible realities of war

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

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 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 10, 11, and 12 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: Granma’s concern about California Granpa’s intentions upon getting to California The family pawning their possessions The purpose of a family meeting The activities following the family meeting Muley Graves bidding goodbye Granpa’s surprising reaction to departing The method of halting a protest Farmers’ worries about transportation and travel The narrator’s assessment of corporate farmers Treatment of farmers and their observations on a typical journey west

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 13, 14, and 15 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: The family driver Ma Joad’s perspective on the future Al’s conflict with a gas station attendant An incident involving the family dog The family’s reaction to Oklahoma City The Wilsons’ background Sudden death of a family member The influx of farmers posing a perceived threat to citizens of western states Truckers and the coffee shop A request of Mae A shift in Mae’s reaction to patrons of the coffee shop

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 28, 29, and 30 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: The Joads’ financial situation Ruthie��s fight and revelation Tom’s reflective thoughts Tom’s significant decision Al and Agnes’s decision to get married Horrendous weather conditions How to men may remain strong according to the women The need to build an embankment Rose of Sharon’s stillborn child Rose of Sharon’s role in trying to save a dying man

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 22, 23, and 24 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: Life in the government-sponsored camp The generosity of Timothy and Wilkie Wallace The demands of the Farmers’ Association “Red agitators” The Farmers’ Association’s plan to cause trouble Mrs. Sandy’s scary warning to Rose of Sharon Ma’s feelings of sadness and loss Ezra Huston’s big responsibility The mountain men of Akron, Ohio The “turkey shoot”

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 a meaningful excerpt from chapter 2 of Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. An answer key is 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 and implicitly Consult reference materials as needed to learn or verify word meanings Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Explore how knowledge of the Vietnam War’s outcome emotionally influences the reader Describe tone in context Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Isolate an example of figurative language Conduct brief research to identify parallels between the narrator and the author James Baldwin Decide what the primary function of the excerpt is Write about complex literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss literature

Incorporate narrative nonfiction into the English Language Arts classroom and help high school students practice their close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous questions covering an excerpt titled “Loophole of Retreat” from Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs. This text addresses an enslaved woman’s paradoxically empowering decision to hide from her master in a confined space. An answer key and copy of the public domain text are included. Additionally, a bonus PowerPoint providing more context on the author’s background is provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will: Summarize key details from the text Use context to make logical inferences about the author’s beliefs Explore the symbolism attached to an object (the gimlet) Apply knowledge of various literary devices including invective, metaphor, paradox, and more Examine nuances in words with similar meanings in order to choose the most appropriate synonym for a given term Make logical inferences about the author’s intent based on stylistic choices Discern the tone of a given passage Support claims and ideas with relevant textual details Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Incorporate more nonfiction into the English Language Arts classroom and help high school students practice their close reading analysis skills with this set of rigorous questions covering a persuasive speech delivered by Sojourner Truth. Given to the Convention of the American Equal Rights Association in 1867, the historically significant speech argues in favor of suffrage for Black women and encourages Black women to speak up for their rights in order to achieve a more just society. An answer key and copy of the public domain speech are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will: Articulate the function of the speech Identify what the text states explicitly about Truth’s feelings toward slavery, Truth’s desires for all women, Truth’s reason for living a long life, and Truth’s reasoning for why men should fight alongside women for their rights Explore cause-and-effect relationships Explore Truth’s personal motivations Analyze stylistic elements of Truth’s speech and evaluate its effectiveness Make and defend logical inferences about the audience’s reception to the speech Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Evaluate general reading comprehension and align English Language Arts and World History curricula with this plot-based quiz covering Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Old Man at the Bridge,” a piece of historical fiction addressing the Spanish Civil War. The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate engagement with the narrative. An answer key and copy of the public domain text are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot: Point of view The narrator’s role Weather conditions A relevant holiday The old man’s age The old man’s home city The reason the old man is the last person to leave the city The old man’s personal background The old man’s health condition The old man’s perspective on cats And more

Help high school students go beyond basic comprehension, practice critical thinking skills, and explore literary elements with this close reading inference worksheet covering chapter 17 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will do the following: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings as needed Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, hyperbole, and allusion Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss works of fiction

Help high school students go beyond basic comprehension, practice critical thinking skills, and explore literary elements with this close reading inference worksheet covering chapter 16 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will do the following: Read for literal comprehension Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings as needed Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor and hyperbole Consider the greater significance of the kids’ being seated in the balcony Come to class better prepared to discuss works of fiction