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.
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 1 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 complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Isolate an example of figurative language
Select textual evidence in support of a claim
Decide what the primary function of the excerpt is
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 20, 21, 22, and 23 of Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. 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:
Monaco’s hallucinations
The reason Gearhart hands Perry a letter
What Gearhart hands Walowick
Why Perry feels distressed when writing to Kenny
Brunner’s new role
Qualities Perry and Peewee share in common
How Perry and Peewee are separated from their peers
Where Perry and Peewee spend a night
The Viet Cong fighters’ trap
Perry’s concerns for his physical condition
An update on Judy Duncan
Characters who are sent home
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 16, 17, 18, and 19 of Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. 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 nature of Perry’s injuries
Judy’s role
What happens to Brew
What Perry sends Kenny
The squad’s suspicions about Dongan
Dongan’s trick to make enemy forces vulnerable to attack
A booby-trapped child
Perry’s observations before shooting an enemy soldier
Dongan’s death
The reason for burning American soldiers’ bodies
The incident involving a jet
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 13, 14, and 15 of Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. 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 rumor circulating about the war
An incident that jeopardizes the squad’s safety
Who accepts responsibility for the aforementioned incident
The reason for a group vote
The main purpose of the American soldiers’ mission to ambush Vietnamese forces
Perry’s brush with death
How Peewee is affected by events
The ARVN
Jamal’s role
Tam Ky
Why Gearhart does not order his men to fire upon enemy forces
Simpson’s feelings toward Captain Stewart
Perry’s physical condition
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 9, 10, 11, and 12 of Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. 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:
Monaco’s reckless behavior
The purpose of a visit to a Vietnamese village
Brunner’s behavior while in the Vietnamese village
Johnson’s defense of Perry
What Peewee wants to buy while in the Vietnamese village
The content of a letter Lobel receives
Kenny’s personal goals as outlined in his letter to Perry
Peewee’s emotional state as he interacts with Red Cross representatives
The location where the squad will wait to ambush enemy forces
The death of a character following a conflict
Who is tasked with notifying the dead character’s family
Perry’s declining of an offer from Stewart
Perry’s learning of how Vietnamese forces treat hostages
Lobel’s extreme guilt
The author of a letter sent to Peewee
A lengthy discussion on draft-dodging
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8 of Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. 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 purpose of Earlene’s letter to Peewee
Lt. Carroll’s request of Perry
Perry’s loyalty to his squad
Lobel’s mindset at he is on patrol
Perry’s stated reason for being a soldier
The reason Perry does not participate in the killing of an adversary
Perry’s mindset as he looks at the corpse of the adversary
Captain Stewart’s lies
Perry’s physical condition
The reason for a fistfight between two characters
Why Peewee asks Perry to write a letter to Earlene
A major mistake by another squad
Lt. Carroll’s generosity
Perry’s request of Brew
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. 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:
Perry’s home city
Perry’s hopes and dreams
Perry’s motivations for serving in the military
Perry’s physical limitations
Rumors concerning the war
Peewee’s erratic behavior
Perry’s relation to Kenny
Why Peewee likes being in the military
Jenkins’ motivations for serving in the military
Why Lt. Carroll refers to Jenkins as an “angel warrior”
The veteran soldiers’ perception of Lt. Carroll
The reason for a mission to a Vietnamese village
Support the development of high school close reading skills and analytical thinking with this bundle of To Kill a Mockingbird resources covering the second half of the novel (chapters 16-31). Featuring more than 125 high-order thinking questions, this bundle offers Word Doc and PDF versions of each individual resource.
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.
Make reading more purposeful with these close reading activities to support students in their efforts to demonstrate proficiency in the following areas:
An ability to define complex vocabulary in context
An ability to analyze context clues and draw logical inferences about character motivations
An ability to analyze context clues and draw logical inferences about character relationships
An ability to analyze the text for literary devices such as foreshadowing, situational irony, dramatic irony, theme, symbolism, dynamic character, and more
An ability to find and articulate relevant textual details in support of a claim
An ability to analyze context clues to discern and articulate the significance of a given detail
An ability to articulate what the text indicates both explicitly and implicitly
An ability to 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 chapter 19 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is provided. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, these instructional materials save teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom.
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 resource, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Examine plot developments from a historical perspective
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Discern the function of a given passage
Analyze the author’s application of indirect characterization
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony
Support claims with sound reasoning and/or relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 23 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is provided. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, these instructional materials save teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions prohibit the inclusion of the complete chapter, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with access to the novel.
By engaging in this exercise, students will:
Discern the meaning of complex vocabulary and phrases in context, taking into consideration both denotative definitions and connotative associations.
Analyze Scout’s dialogue to make a logical inference about Atticus’s parenting
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor
Identify textual evidence in support of the claim that Jem is a dynamic character
Explore the internal conflict that exists within Jem
Connect a portion of a given passage to the content of a previous chapter
Analyze how complex characters interact
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 26 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is provided. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, these instructional materials save teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions prohibit the inclusion of the complete chapter, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with access to the novel.
By engaging in this exercise, students will:
Apply knowledge of various literary devices to passages in the text
Discern the intended effect of figurative language
Articulate the significance of Atticus’s re-election
Discern the most accurate paraphrasing of a detail in a given passage
Analyze how complex characters interact
Discern author’s intent
Analyze the text from an historical context
Discern the tone of a given passage.
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 31 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is provided. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, these instructional materials save teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
By engaging in this exercise, students will:
Discern the tone of a character’s remarks
Use context to determine the symbolism of a tree in context
Apply knowledge of various literary devices to passages in the text (personification)
Discern a character’s intent
Discern the author’s intent
Cite evidence to support the claim that Scout’s world perspective has matured
Analyze the author’s craft
Make a logical inference about why Alexandra would be proud of Scout
Write with clarity and precision
Copyright restrictions prohibit the inclusion of the complete chapter, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with access to the novel.
This bundle of 20 assessments promotes analytical thinking, measures and extends reading comprehension, and offers flexibility of choice to differentiate and satisfy the academic needs of students of varying proficiency levels in classroom and distance learning settings. Included are close reading activities, answer keys, and copies of public domain texts. Short story selections include the following:
“Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin *
“Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell *
“The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe *
“The Devil and Tom Walker” by Washington Irving *
“The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield *
“The New Dress” by Virginia Woolf *
“The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane *
“The Open Window” by Saki *
“The Oval Portrait” by Edgar Allan Poe *
“A White Heron” by Sarah Orne Jewett *
“After Twenty Years” by O. Henry *
“The Businessman” by Edgar Allan Poe *
“The Legend of the Christmas Rose” by Selma Lagerlof *
“The Old Tombstone” by Hans Christian Andersen *
“The Wind Blows” by Katherine Mansfield *
“The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen *
“The Stolen Farthings” by the Brothers Grimm *
“Slave on the Block” by Langston Hughes
“The Wives of the Dead” by Nathaniel Hawthorne *
“The Sparrow and His Four Children” by the Brothers Grimm *
(* denotes a public domain text)
By completing these analysis exercises, students will demonstrate the following high-order skills:
An ability to apply knowledge of more complex literary devices to the texts including foreshadowing, situational irony, dramatic irony, hyperbole, personification, metaphor, symbolism, theme, and more
An ability to analyze context clues and draw logical inferences about character motivations and other elements of plot
An ability to discern and articulate details that illustrate contrasts between characters
An ability to define complex words by taking into consideration denotative definitions, connotative definitions, and context clues
An ability to find and articulate relevant textual details in support of claims
An ability to discern mood and tone in context
An ability to discern author’s intent
An ability to conduct brief research and articulate historical and autobiographical parallels
An ability to analyze text structures
An ability to analyze text to determine the function of an excerpt
An ability to analyze a text for how it conforms to the conventions of a particular genre
An ability to establish formal tone, paying attention to conventions of written English
An ability to take leadership in class discussions, addressing nuances in the author’s craft to help peers understand literature from different perspectives
“Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin is an example of historical fiction that, when integrated into the English Language Arts classroom, complements American History curricula, as the plot precedes the Civil War and addresses the issue of how race and ethnicity affect one’s life experiences in the South. With this worksheet composed of challenging, text-dependent questions, teachers will help students extend beyond general reading comprehension, exercise close reading analysis skills, and save valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will do the following:
Articulate what is stated in the text explicitly and implicitly
Analyze how complex characters think, interact, and behave
Explore character motivations and intentions
Apply knowledge of literary devices including irony and foreshadowing
Analyze the author’s craft, determining how figurative language contributes to storytelling and character development
Articulate point of view
Make logical inferences about the psychological states of characters
Cite textual evidence in support of claims
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 15 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is provided. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, these instructional materials save teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom.
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 resource, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Explore an abrupt shift in tone
Apply knowledge of literary devices including paradox and dramatic irony
Consider the greater significance of a given detail
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims
Write about literature with clarity, logic, and precision
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 28 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is provided. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, these instructional materials save teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions prohibit the inclusion of the complete chapter, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with access to the novel.
By engaging in this exercise, students will:
Explain the significance of a given detail
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
Discern the meaning of complex vocabulary and phrases in context, taking into consideration both denotative definitions and connotative associations
Analyze a Dr. Reynolds’s remarks to discern tone in context
Analyze the author’s craft to discern the intended effect
Apply knowledge of literary devices (hyperbole) to the text
Analyze Dr. Reynolds’s comments to Scout to discern and articulate his intent
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 27 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is provided. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, these instructional materials save teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions prohibit the inclusion of the complete chapter, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with access to the novel.
By engaging in this exercise, students will:
Address Scout’s youthful misconception of “two minor changes” in Maycomb
Analyze an excerpt to discern its significance to the plot
Draw a logical inference about Atticus’s remarks, which allude to the Supreme Court of the United States
Conduct brief research on the Great Depression’s influence on common Halloween practices, especially in the South
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
Analyze the author’s craft to discern her intent
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Apply knowledge of foreshadowing to the text, with emphasis on how Miss Tutti and Miss Frutti’s deafness contribute to the plot
Analyze an excerpt to discern its tone in context
Support the development of close reading skills with this worksheet composed of challenging questions designed to help high school students analyze chapter 25 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is provided. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, these instructional materials save teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom.
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.
Copyright restrictions prohibit the inclusion of the complete chapter, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with access to the novel.
By engaging in this exercise, students will:
Analyze an excerpt to draw rational inferences
Discern the most logical interpretation of a particular excerpt
Analyze an excerpt to discern its significance to the plot
Analyze Mr. Underwood’s actions to discern his personal motivations
Analyze Bob Ewell’s remarks to predict his future behaviors, possibly addressing foreshadowing in the process
Discern the meaning of complex vocabulary and phrases in context, taking into consideration both denotative definitions and connotative associations
Isolate factual statements from false statements
Apply knowledge of literary devices (metaphor) to the text
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
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 chapter 24 of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. An answer key is provided. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, these instructional materials save teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom.
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 will present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly, concisely, and appropriately, thereby helping their peers comprehend their thinking.
Copyright restrictions prohibit the inclusion of the complete chapter, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with access to the novel.
By engaging in this exercise, students will:
Apply knowledge of literary devices (situational irony and simile) to the text
Discern the meaning of complex vocabulary and phrases in context, taking into consideration both denotative definitions and connotative associations
Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly
Analyze Scout’s characterization to draw a logical inference in context
Analyze a passage to discern its significance toward advancing the plot
Isolate factual statements from false statements
Analyze Grace Merriweather’s characterization to draw a logical inference in context
Analyze a passage to discern its tone
Help high schoolers go beyond basic comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering an obscure short story by H.P. Lovecraft titled “Old Bugs.” This piece is a surprising departure from the grotesque and fantastical characteristics typically associated with Lovecraftian fiction. It also aligns nicely to American History courses since the narrative addresses the topic of Prohibition. An answer key and copy of the narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Consider tone in context
Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion and dynamic character
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
