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.
Reinforce the standard conventions of academic writing and perform a quick check of students’ knowledge with this grammar worksheet on complete sentences and fragments. Delivered in printable Word Document format, as well as in PDF format, this resource conveniently offers the option to edit. An answer key is provided.
For many high school readers, fairy tales and fantasy fiction are genres that maximize engagement with literature. This bundle focuses on five short stories by Hans Christian Andersen: “The Little Mermaid,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” and “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Red Shoes,” and “The Buckwheat.” English teachers may use these resources as tools for evaluating general reading comprehension, supporting the development of close reading analysis skills, and promoting homework accountability.
Included are the following: multiple choice, plot-based quizzes for each narrative; close reading analysis activities for each narrative; answer keys; and copies of each public domain short story. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats.
For many high school readers, fairy tales and fantasy fiction are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “The Red Shoes” by Hans Christian Andersen is about a peasant girl whose obsession with her footwear leads to supernatural events, seemingly divine punishment, and eventual redemption. Included are the following: a multiple choice, plot-based quiz; a worksheet composed of rigorous close reading questions; answer keys; and a copy of the public domain short story. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. With these materials, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including dramatic irony, personification, symbolism, and more
Make logical inferences about the author’s intent
Explore how complex characters think, behave, and interact with others
Make a claim about whether a detail is ironic
Defend claims with valid reasoning and relevant textual details
Explore potential themes
Discern the function of a given paragraph
Connect the text to societally relevant concepts in modern society, such as social mobility
Conduct research to answer questions about autobiographical parallel
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
For many high school readers, fairy tales and fantasy fiction are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “The Red Shoes” by Hans Christian Andersen is about a peasant girl whose obsession with her footwear leads to supernatural events, seemingly divine punishment, and eventual redemption. With this editable quiz on “The Red Shoes,” English teachers will promote homework accountability and evaluate reading comprehension. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
How the protagonist demonstrates his obsession with clothes
The motivations of the visitors
The visitors’ outlandish claims
The protagonist’s motivations
The protagonist’s internal conflict
Means by which the visitors deceive the community
The emperor’s participation in the procession
The resolution
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the satirical short story “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen. 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
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 stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Consider how the story conforms to conventions of fairy tale literature
Discern the function of a given passage
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including dramatic irony and situational irony
Explore implied themes about society
Make a claim about which human vice is most scrutinized in the story
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 satirical short story “The Emperor’s New Clothes” by Hans Christian Andersen. Alternatively, the assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active engagement. 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 assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
How the protagonist demonstrates his obsession with clothes
The motivations of the visitors
The visitors’ outlandish claims
The protagonist’s motivations
The protagonist’s internal conflict
Means by which the visitors deceive the community
The emperor’s participation in the procession
The resolution
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 Imp of the Perverse” by Edgar Allan Poe, piece of horror and psychological fiction that explores the impulse to do wrong for wrong’s sake alone. 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 tone of a given paragraph
Determine the function of a given paragraph
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on situational irony
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
For many high school readers, horror and environmental fantasy are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “Leiningen Versus the Ants” by Carl Stephenson involves a cataclysmic onslaught of voracious ants and one man’s misguided confidence in eliminating the threat. This editable quiz covering “Leiningen Versus the Ants” helps English teachers promote homework accountability and evaluate reading comprehension. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The protagonist’s intelligence
The protagonist’s profession
How the protagonist’s neighbors reacted to the threat
The Brazilian District Commissioner’s outlook
The protagonist’s shortcomings
The motivations of the ants
Strategies used to combat the ants
How the ants demonstrate resourcefulness
The protagonist’s potentially game-changing idea
The protagonist’s recollections in a moment of crisis
The resolution
For many middle and high school readers, realistic and young adult fiction are high-interest genres that maximize engagement with literature. “I, Hungry Hannah Cassandra Glen” by Norma Fox Mazer is a short story told from the perspective of a teen girl whose economic hardships lead her to come up with an unconventional approach to overcoming a predicament. This complementary close reading activity helps students extend beyond reading comprehension and practice high-order thinking skills. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will:
Discern what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Identify the narrative’s inciting incident
Explore character motivations
Examine how complex characters think, behave, and interact with others
Compare and contrast the nature of two separate relationships
Explore what a particular detail reveals about the protagonist’s psychological state
Identify factors that contribute to the emerging conflict between the protagonist and her friend
Identify and explain an example of situational irony
Analyze the author’s use of figurative language to articulate its meaning
Explain the significance of a particular detail
Articulate the symbolism associated with the name “Crow”
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
For many high school readers, science fiction is a high-interest genre that maximizes student engagement. “Puppet Show” by Fredric Brown is a sci-fi short story about a supposed alien visitor who is tasked with evaluating humanity’s worthiness to be included in a distinguished organization. With this editable quiz, high school English teachers will be able to evaluate reading comprehension and promote homework accountability. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Setting
Physical characteristics of the visitor
Manuel Casey’s general characterization
The purpose of the alien’s visit
The alien’s mode of communication
The condition under which humanity will learn the secrets to space travel
A definition of xenophobia
The psychological condition of the aliens
Criticism of humankind’s hubris
Incorporate historical nonfiction into the English Language Arts classroom and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of questions covering “The First Basketball Game.” The essay addresses the origins of basketball, as well as the sport’s gradual evolution. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will do the following:
Make active reading visible by annotating text
Accurately restate what the text says explicitly
Analyze a passage to determine tone
Make sense of unfamiliar phrases and idiomatic expressions
Make and support a claim using relevant and compelling textual evidence
Compare and contrast
Discern author’s purpose
Apply a literary device to the text (situational irony)
Discern meaning from nonfiction text features including graphs and charts
Incorporate narrative nonfiction into the English Language Arts classroom and measure general reading comprehension with this editable quiz on “Not Poor, Just Broke” by Dick Gregory. This autobiographical account addresses the author’s formative years with emphasis on the transformational incident that caused him to feel personal shame for the first time. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The mother’s perspective on life
The mother’s job and how it complicates life for the family
How the narrator demonstrates anger at his mother’s treatment
An item hidden in the family closet
The reason for hiding the item
The importance of Helene Tucker
Why the narrator gathers ice from the grocery store
How the teacher treats the narrator
The narrator’s motivations
Why the mother called her son, the narrator, a “little rat”
A terrible incident at the diner and its effect on the narrator
The narrator’s reaction to a visitor
Why the narrator throws a brick through the grocery store window
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
With this literature circle resource for To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, high school English teachers may facilitate active participation in small-group discussions of complex literature. Included are the following: a handout outlining each role; a documentation log for each role; and a standards-based rubric for efficiently evaluating student work. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging in these literature circle activities, students will do the following:
Articulate key details from the story
Generate open-ended questions related to the novel in order to carry out meaningful discussions with peers
Respond thoughtfully to open-ended questions and others’ contributions to the discussion
Document ways in which the novel is consistent with aspects of American and/or world history
Locate specific passages and/or quotations that relate to major themes and concepts—especially those relating to economic struggles, coming of age, and the pursuit of justice and fairness
Artistically convey important information from the assigned reading
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Evaluate general reading comprehension and promote homework accountability with this bundle of thirteen quizzes covering the entirety of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Answer keys are provided.
Evaluate general reading comprehension and promote homework accountability with this set of quiz questions on Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (chapters 40 through 43). An answer key is provided. The materials are delivered in a zip file as both Word Documents and PDFs. By completing this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
Who is in the Phelps’ parlor
Sally’s concern for Huck’s health
A complication involving Tom’s health
Huck’s lie to the doctor
A racist assumption
Huck’s promise to Sally
Why mob participants decide against lynching Jim
Tom’s feelings about Jim
Aunt Polly’s introduction
A major revelation
Evaluate general reading comprehension and promote homework accountability with this set of quiz questions on Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (chapters 36 through 39). An answer key is provided. The materials are delivered in a zip file as both Word Documents and PDFs. By completing this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The boys’ digging efforts
Jim’s reaction to the boys’ plan
Tom’s opinion of the rescue efforts
Why Jim pokes his food with a fork
Nat’s superstitious nature
The boys’ guilt over their behavior
The disappearances of household items
The difficulty in baking a pie with a rope ladder in it
The coat of arms
Conditions in the hut that make Jim’s stay there unbearable
The contents of an anonymous letter
Evaluate general reading comprehension and promote homework accountability with this set of quiz questions on Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (chapters 32 through 35). An answer key is provided. The materials are delivered in a zip file as both Word Documents and PDFs. By completing this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
The dramatic irony associated with Huck’s introduction to Aunt Sally
Aunt Sally’s playful prank
Why Huck rushes away in the middle of a conversation with Sally and Silas
Why Tom is frightened upon first meeting Huck
Tom’s agreement to free Jim
Tom and Sally’s similarities
Sid Sawyer
The treatment of the king and the duke
Huck’s conscience
Huck’s admiration of Tom
Tom’s motivations
Preparations for rescuing Jim
Evaluate general reading comprehension and promote homework accountability with this set of quiz questions on Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (chapters 29 through 31). An answer key is provided. The materials are delivered in a zip file as both Word Documents and PDFs. By completing this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
How Huck’s plan goes awry
How Harvey proves his identity
The crowd’s decision to dig up the body
How Huck gets away from the king and the duke
Huck’s feelings about the duke and the king getting away
How Huck is saved from being accused of stealing
Why the king confessed to a crime
Huck’s motives for wanting to write to Tom Sawyer
Why Huck reconsiders his decision
The decision Huck feels dooms him to hell
Transactional behavior between Huck and the duke
The duke’s inability to be trusted
