Challenge high school students to go beyond basic reading comprehension and exercise close reading analysis skills while engaging with Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Each close reading activity is rigorous enough for students to find deeper meaning in the text, yet convenient enough for teachers to efficiently gather data on their students’ textual analysis skills. Included are seventeen close reading worksheets, each addressing an individual scene, and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By the end of the play, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define complex words as they are used in the text Examine nuances in words with similar meanings Discern the intended effect of figurative language in context Delve into the methods by which Shakespeare achieved narrative effects such as tension and comic relief Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Compare and contrast several characters Conduct brief research on the four humors of classical Greek medicine to facilitate an evaluation of Benedick’s condition midway through the play Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, hyperbole, allusion, malapropism, personification, paradox, invective, oxymoron, symbolism, dramatic irony, situational irony, verbal irony, and more Determine the tone of given passages Discern the functions of given passages Compare elements of one scene with those of another Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Challenge high school students to go beyond basic reading comprehension and practice close reading analysis skills while engaging with To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Covering chapters ten and eleven, this bundle offers a multiple choice, plot-based quiz; a short answer quiz option for re-assessment purposes; a pair of vocabulary games; two close reading worksheets; and answer keys. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Materials in this bundle may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using these resources for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly. By engaging in these exercises, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define words and phrases as they are used in the text Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Apply knowledge of literary devices including symbolism and situational irony Explore cause-and-effect relationships Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Save time and maintain rigor with these printable resources supporting reading comprehension and analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (chapters 14-15). General comprehension quizzes are included, as are rigorous close reading activities and vocabulary development resources. These materials may be used to facilitate differentiated instruction in the classroom. Answer keys are provided. 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 literary works, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with access to the novel. By engaging in these exercises, students will: Discern the meaning of complex vocabulary and phrases in context, taking into consideration both denotative definitions and connotative associations Discern the intended effect of the author’s language upon the reader Identify the significance of a given detail Use context to make a logical inference about character motivations Use context to make a logical inference about character intentions Use context to make a logical inference about a character’s psychological state Use context to make a logical inference about a character’s intellectual capacity Use context to make a logical inference about a character’s family life Use context to discern the tone of a particular excerpt Use context to discern the primary function of a particular excerpt Apply knowledge of literary devices and figurative language to a particular excerpt Analyze how a complex character has developed Write with clarity, logic, and precision Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims Identify the factors that contributed to the “placid week” preceding the mob incident Analyze what the fact that “Jem would struggle…through the speeches of Henry W. Grady” suggests about his character development Explore the shift in tone once Scout approaches Mr. Cunningham Analyze Mr. Underwood’s values set Articulate a significant misunderstanding Atticus has about his own community Explore how Atticus demonstrates courage