Measure high school reading comprehension and support analysis of Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet (Act 2) with this bundle that features a plot-based quiz and rigorous close reading activities. By engaging with these resources, students will identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly, apply knowledge of literary devices, interpret figurative expressions, make engagement with text visible, and more. Answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Discern what the text states both explicitly and implicitly Identify a variety of functions this scene serves Analyze character statements and behaviors to draw logical inferences about character development and motivations Analyze complex vocabulary and phrasing in context to determine meaning and intended effect Apply knowledge of literary devices to the text with emphasis on situational irony Compare and contrast two characters Articulate ideas with clarity and precision Defend a claim with textual evidence Analyze the factors contributing to Hamlet’s internal conflict (the contradictory nature of religious values coupled with codes of honor)

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

Promote homework accountability, measure reading comprehension, support the development of close reading skills, and encourage deeper analysis of fiction with this bundle of teaching resources covering chapter 6 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A set of close reading questions and a plot-based quiz are provided, along with answer keys. Students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Explore character motivations Apply knowledge of literary devices such as onomatopoeia Define complex words and phrases in context Analyze nuances in word meanings Compare and contrast characters Isolate a true statement about plot from a set of falsehoods Discern the function of the chapter Write about literature with clarity and precision Identify several examples of complication in the context of the chapter Analyze the role language plays in the world of Animal Farm Articulate the intended effect of scapegoating Snowball Justify written responses with reasoning and/or textual evidence