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 students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “My Name.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
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.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the intended effect of the author’s diction
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Examine how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor and situational irony
Analyze the symbolic meaning of a window in the context of this chapter
Explore relevant themes
Articulate the greater significance of a given detail
Support claims with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
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 Virginia Woolf’s short story “The New Dress.” 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 close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly as well as implicitly
Utilize dictionaries to ensure knowledge of word meanings
Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques
Discern the functions of various passages and excerpts
Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Articulate the hypocritical nature of the protagonist’s behavior
Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing and metaphor
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
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Gary Soto’s short story “The No-Guitar Blues.” A detailed 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
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 dramatic irony, metaphor, and simile
Consider themes in context
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
Help middle and high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading analysis worksheet covering a classic Grimm’s fairy tale titled “The Frog King” (also called “Iron Heinrich” and “Iron Henry”). An answer key and copy of the public domain short story are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will do the following:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Determine the narrative’s inciting incident
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices including hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, dramatic irony, and situational irony
Consider themes in context
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 Lurking Fear” by H.P. Lovecraft, a short story with elements of horror and supernatural fiction: ghosts, unsolved murders, secret investigations, and bizarre creatures. The assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate engagement with the text. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:
General description of the narrator
Setting
A gruesome inciting incident
Preparations for an emergency escape
Secondary characters and their fates
Natural disasters that transpire
The distinguishing physical characteristic of an antagonist
The narrator’s peculiar observations
Complications facing the narrator
A new demonic attack
A physical description of monstrous beings
The beings’ horrifying behavior
The resolution
This resource extends beyond text comprehension, helping high school students analyze the formal elements of fiction and respond thoughtfully in writing to questions about literature. The featured short story is “Cinderella” by the Brothers Grimm. Included are the following: the public domain fairy tale, which has an estimated Lexile measure of 1000-1100; a related bell ringer activity; a set of rigorous close reading questions in both Word Doc and PDF formats; an answer key; and editable emergency substitute teaching plans.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Articulate what is stated in the text explicitly and implicitly
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, juxtaposition, anthropomorphism, symbolism, and more
Identify the story’s inciting incident
Discern the intended meaning of figurative language
Discern the function of a given excerpt
Analyze the author’s craft
Explore relationships between complex characters
Articulate character motivations
Cite textual evidence in support of inferences and claims
Write with clarity and precision
For many high school readers, horror and psychological fiction are genres that maximize engagement with literature. “The Birds” by Daphne du Maurier features elements consistent with both genres: an isolated setting, killings without clear motivations, the suggestion of humanity’s imminent extinction, and more. With this challenging worksheet composed of high-order questions, English Language Arts teachers will help students extend beyond basic reading comprehension, support the development of close reading analysis skills, and save valuable time at home without sacrificing quality and rigor in the classroom. A detailed answer key is included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Analyze the author’s choice of title in order to articulate its intended effect on readers
Examine how elements of setting contribute to the development of suspense
Explore how complex characters think, behave, and interact with others
Determine the functions of characters
Infer character motivations
Make logical inferences about the author’s intent
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including personification, amplification, onomatopoeia, simile, epiphany, foreshadowing, and more
Conduct online research to answer a question about historical context
Paraphrase the author’s words (“You had to endure something yourself before it touched you”)
Examine what a given passage implies about humanity’s relationship with Nature
Identify narrative techniques used in a given passage to convey an unsettling mood
Articulate the irony associated with imagery in a given passage
Explore relevant themes
Discern the significance of the protagonist’s final actions
Support claims and ideas with reasoned thinking and relevant textual evidence
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Fairy tales are not just for elementary readers; even middle and high school students may use fairy tales as tools for extending beyond reading comprehension and practicing close reading analysis skills. “The Ugly Duckling” by Hans Christian Andersen is a representative short story that promotes active engagement with fiction. English Language Arts teachers may assign this set of rigorous questions to complement the story and evaluate students’ high-order skills. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Identify examples of various literary devices including onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance, foreshadowing, simile, personification, and symbolism
Discern author’s intent
Discern tone in context
Explain an example of foreshadowing in a given passage
Isolate a falsehood about plot among factual statements
Define words and phrases in the context of a passage
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials such as a dictionary or thesaurus
Articulate the significance of a given detail or details
Identify which descriptor best applies to the mother duck
Articulate why the mother duck rarely receives visitors
Discern and articulate a lesson the mother duck tries to instill in her babies
Analyze plot to generate a relevant theme about motherhood
Argue whether the mother duck is a sympathetic character
Support the claim that the tom cat and the hen do not appreciate the ugly duckling’s unique qualities
Articulate how the duckling comes into the possession of a peasant
Write with clarity and precision
Help students achieve more purposeful reading experiences and sharpen their note-taking skills with this reading guide covering Act 3 of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In addition, this resource aims to facilitate review and future recall of plot. Students will identify what the text states explicitly, track character and plot development, articulate the context and significance of given quotations, and more. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. The following details are addressed:
Tybalt’s verbal attack on Romeo
Dramatic irony
Mercutio’s decision to fight Tybalt
Romeo’s abrupt character change
Defying the prince’s orders
Lady Capulet’s demand
Romeo’s punishment
The Nurse’s news and ensuing confusion
Juliet’s immediate reaction to learning the truth
Juliet’s defense of her husband
The Nurse’s motivation to seek out Romeo
Romeo’s feelings toward his punishment
Friar Laurence’s strong words for Romeo
Romeo’s potential suicide attempt
Friar Laurence’s optimistic plan
Lord Capulet’s arrangement with Paris
Whether Romeo believes he will see his wife once more
Foreshadowing
Lady Capulet’s plan for Romeo after exile
The Nurse’s advice to Juliet
Juliet’s desire to seek Friar Laurence’s help
And more
Help students achieve more purposeful reading experiences and sharpen their note-taking skills with this reading guide covering Act 4 of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In addition, this resource aims to facilitate review and future recall of plot. Students will identify what the text states explicitly, track character and plot development, articulate the context and significance of given quotations, and more. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. The following details are addressed:
Lord Capulet’s rush to marry off Juliet
Lord Capulet’s threat to Juliet
Juliet’s morbid confession to Friar Laurence
The purpose of the vial
Juliet’s request for forgiveness from her father
Lord Capulet’s praise for Friar Laurence
Juliet’s paranoia in regard to Friar Laurence’s motives
The burial vault
The Nurse’s terrible discovery
Cancellation of the wedding
And more
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the twenty-fifth vignette titled “Geraldo No Last Name.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Connect the phrase “Nothing in his pockets” to the vignette’s title
Articulate the significance of the phrase “Nothing in his pockets”
Discern the intended effect of the author’s stylistic choices (with emphasis on the incorporation of fragments and colloquialisms)
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Apply knowledge of literary devices including verbal irony and dramatic irony
Explore the concept of systematic prejudice, or institutional bias, in the text
Support claims with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the twenty-third vignette titled “Born Bad.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define words and phrases as they are used in the text
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials such as a dictionary or thesaurus
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Discern the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices
Examine how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Articulate the power of photographs, as well as their limitations
Conduct brief research on Our Lady of Guadalupe in order to explain why the name Guadalupe suits the character
Support claims with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the twenty-ninth vignette titled “Four Skinny Trees.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the intended effect of the author’s diction
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Apply knowledge of literary devices including personification and sibilance
Support claims with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “Edna’s Ruthie.” The variety of question types also helps students prepare for standardized testing scenarios: main idea questions, detail questions, author’s craft questions, and more. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
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 do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Cite textual evidence in support of claims
Write with clarity and precision
Analyze how the author uses direct and indirect description to develop a sympathetic character in Ruthie
Make logical inferences about the relationships between characters
Determine the tone of a given passage
Analyze the author’s language to discern and articulate the intended effect
Analyze what a character’s actions reveal about their psychological state
Articulate the significance of reading and writing in Esperanza’s life
Articulate the significance of the fact that Ruthie no longer reads and writes
Compare characters from two texts to articulate what they share in common, using Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Nightingale” for reference
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “Alicia Who Sees Mice.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Alternatively, a Google Drive option is available.
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.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Define complex words or phrases as they are used in the text
Verify interpretations of language using reference materials including a dictionary and thesaurus
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Examine how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor
Articulate the significance of given details
Explore the symbolism of mice in the context of a passage
Support claims with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the twenty-first vignette titled “The First Job.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Evaluate Esperanza’s work ethic
Discern the nature of the relationship between Esperanza and Tito
Determine whether Esperanza’s anxiety is a rational emotional response
Apply knowledge of literary devices such as situational irony
Support claims with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Help students go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of high school close reading skills with this set of analysis questions for The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros with emphasis on the vignette titled “My Name.” An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
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.
Copyright restrictions do not allow for novel content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Discern the intended effect of the author’s diction
Explore cause-and-effect relationships
Examine how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor and situational irony
Analyze the symbolic meaning of a window in the context of this chapter
Explore relevant themes
Articulate the greater significance of a given detail
Support claims with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision
Prepare students in the classroom and in distance learning contexts to critically analyze texts at the high school level with this close reading of The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (the vignette titled “Minerva Writes Poems”). This assessment promotes high-order thinking that is consistent with high school English Language Arts standards. The variety of question types will also help prepare students for standardized testing scenarios: main idea questions, detail questions, author’s craft questions, and more. Copyright restrictions do not allow for the novel’s content to be included, so the purchaser is responsible for providing students with the text. The resource will be delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
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.
By completing this exercise, students will:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Cite textual evidence in support of claims
Write with clarity and precision
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including situational irony and oxymoron
Apply basic knowledge of Roman mythology to the character of Minerva to discern and explain the irony of the character’s name
Articulate the significance of the pancake dinner detail, taking into consideration Minerva’s financial distress
Analyze what Minerva’s behavior reveals about her psychological state
Make logical inferences about characterization in context
Analyze the author’s craft, articulating the intended effect of figurative language
Identify and explain an example of double denotation in the text
Discern the tone of a given excerpt
Analyze how Minerva influences Esperanza’s outlook on her future
Help middle and high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst. An answer key is included. 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
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Discern the function of a particular paragraph
Describe the tone of a particular excerpt
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
List several similarities between Doodle and the scarlet ibis
Conduct brief research to make sense of setting and an allusion
Apply knowledge of various literary devices including oxymoron, idiom, personification, dramatic irony, hubris, and more
Explore the traditional symbolism associated with rain in order to make sense of the phrase “heresy of rain” as it is used 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
Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering Morley Callaghan’s “All the Years of Her Life,” a short story focusing on how a young son’s behavior influences the psychological state of his loving mother. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with this close reading activity, students will:
Identify what the text states both explicitly and implicitly
Infer the intended effects of the author’s stylistic choices and narrative techniques
Determine the point of view of the narrative
Discern the tone of a particular passage
Examine how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Compare and contrast characters
Apply knowledge of literary devices including situational irony and epiphany
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision