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 Edgar Allan Poe’s allegory “The Island of the Fay.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. This piece is a surprising departure from the grotesque and instead focuses more on philosophy and spirituality. An answer key and copy of the text are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
The narrator’s appreciation of the natural world
The narrator’s observations
The narrator’s perceptions of humanity
Nature’s effect on humanity
The peculiar qualities of the island
And more
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
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the short story “The Legend of the Christmas Rose” by Selma Lagerlöf. An answer key is provided. 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
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony and symbolism
Conduct brief research to articulate historical parallels
Write about literature with clarity, precision, and accuracy
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and dramatic craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Act 4, scene 1, of William Shakespeare’s comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings
Infer 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
Argue how Rosaline’s dialogue and actions defy standard conventions of femininity
Apply knowledge of literary devices including epiphora, metaphor, verbal irony, and more
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
This close reading assessment bundle features text-dependent, high-order questions to promote improved reading comprehension and analysis of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost. By completing these activities, students will:
Discern and articulate what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Isolate a factual statement about the passage from false statements
Examine cause-and-effect relationships
Analyze Shakespearean language to discern and articulate meanings of words and phrases in context, taking into consideration denotative definitions and connotative associations
Analyze Shakespearean language to discern and articulate tone in context
Gain deeper insight into character modes of thinking by analyzing dialogue
Analyze a portion of text to discern which literary device is applied in context (anaphora and simile)
Demonstrate knowledge of Biron’s criticisms of those who are obsessive in their pursuit of knowledge
Make reasonable inferences about why the quickness of Moth’s responses frustrates Armado
Articulate Armado’s internal conflict in the context of an excerpt
Analyze Moth’s dialogue to discern what is implied about women who wear makeup
Analyze Moth’s asides to discern and articulate what they reveal about his true feelings
Conduct brief research on the topic of Humorism
Analyze Costard’s use of malaprops and explain why Shakespeare had him speak in such a manner
Interpret figurative language with emphasis on metaphor (“love is a devil”)
Make an inference about what Armado finds reassuring about the tale of Samson
Apply knowledge of situational irony by explaining what is unexpected about Cupid’s powers
Articulate the significance of of Armado’s closing soliloquy
Apply knowledge of literary devices to the text including alliteration, simile, hyperbole, and stichomythia
Articulate the intended effect of hyperbole in the context of the passage
Articulate the intended meaning of a given simile
Define complex words and phrases in context, taking into consideration denotative meanings and connotative associations
Identify the Princess’s motivation for choosing Boyet to be a spokesperson
Identify textual evidence that serves to justify Maria’s judgment of Longaville
Analyze Rosaline’s dialogue to discern tone in the context of her conversation with Biron
Determine and articulate the primary purpose of a passage
Explain why Longaville grows impatient with Boyet’s responses
Identify the evidence supporting the claim that Ferdinand is lovesick, according to Boyet
Articulate the intended meaning of a given metaphor
Analyze Armado’s dialogue to discern and articulate what it reveals about his mindset
Analyze Moth’s dialogue to discern and articulate his intent
Identify the most synonymous word or phrase to replace a given word in the text
Analyze Moth’s dialogue to discern tone in context
Contrast Costard’s characterization with that of Biron and Armado
Apply knowledge of epiphora to the text
Analyze Biron as a dynamic character, identifying textual evidence in support of the claim that he is dynamic
Analyze Biron’s diaogue to discern and articulate what he believes is Cupid’s motivation for plaguing him with feelings of love
Analyze Armado’s letter and articulate the function of an excerpt
Analyze Rosaline’s dialogue and actions to argue how she defies standard conventions of femininity and what her motivations are
Analyze Shakespeare’s craft to identify which literary devices he employs and what their intended effects are (emphasis is placed on rhyme, innuendo, diacope, metaphor, and irony)
Write with clarity, logic, and precision
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Selma Lagerlöf’s short story “The Legend of the Christmas Rose.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: adder, ajar, celestial, cloister, coax, delude, derisively, desolate, diligence, haste, haughty, implore, lamentation, larder, malefactor, meek, parish, perdition, peril, plead, promptly, prostrate, reverent, saunter, stalwart, strident, subdue, wander, wane, wayfarer, and zealous.
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 eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Selma Lagerlöf’s short story “The Legend of the Christmas Rose.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the text are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following aspects of plot:
Setting
How the family gets by
A mother’s conversation with an abbot
An abbot’s conversation with an archbishop
An archbishop’s skepticism of a legend
Strange incidents in the forest
General characterization of a lay brother
A tragic incident
The fate of the lay brother
The fate of the family
And more
Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering the short story “Priscilla and the Wimps” by Richard Peck. The resource may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is provided. 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 identity of the main antagonist
The name of the group of bullies
How the narrator deals with the school’s bullies
The physical characteristics of Priscilla Roseberry
The nature of the relationship between Priscilla and Melvin
The narrator’s reason for why gang members don’t need names
The interaction between Priscilla and Monk
The reason Monk’s ego seems bruised
The reason for a week-long cancellation of school
An inference to be drawn from the resolution
Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement Richard Peck’s short story “Priscilla and the Wimps.” A crossword puzzle, a word search activity, a vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: bionic, immense, inclined, laceration, malnutrition, pun, straggler, suitable, trot, and wittiness.
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, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the short story “The Legend of the Christmas Rose” by Selma Lagerlöf. A plot-based quiz, a close reading worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will:
Read for literal comprehension
Consult reference materials to learn and verify word meanings
Discern 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
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony and symbolism
Conduct brief research to articulate historical parallels
Write about literature with clarity, precision, and accuracy
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature
Help high school students go beyond basic reading comprehension and develop critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the short story “He” by H.P. Lovecraft. The complexity of the narrative makes it most suitable for upper grade levels and advanced literature classes. An answer key is provided. 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
Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing and situational irony
Write about literature with clarity, precision, and accuracy
Support claims and inferences with relevant evidence and sound reasoning
Come to class better prepared to discuss literature