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.
With this summative test covering the entirety of the science fiction novel Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, English teachers will evaluate students’ reading comprehension, essay writing skills, and ability to analyze key aspects of plot. Included are the following: an answer key, standards-based rubric, and test prep study guide. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will:
Demonstrate knowledge of primary and secondary characters and the key aspects of their lives
Demonstrate knowledge of significant events that take place throughout the novel
Evaluate substantive excerpts for deeper meaning
Apply knowledge of literary devices including allusion, anaphora, dramatic irony, euphemism, foreshadowing, hubris, hyperbole, imagery, invective, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, personification, simile, and verbal irony
Respond to an essay prompt about the protagonist’s isolation, arguing whether he is better or worse off for having been isolated
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims made in an academic essay
Promote student choice and facilitate the process of researching relevant topics from beginning to end with this low-prep activity to conclude a unit on Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Students will choose from thirty research topics—addressing ideas such as real-life child soldiers, humanitarian organizations, Project Blue Book, the Fermi paradox, space travel, and other events transpiring as recently as 2023—and navigate academically appropriate sources with the goal of teaching their peers about their topics. A detailed scoring rubric is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Ultimately, students will perform the following tasks:
Articulate connections between a research topic and the assigned novel
Conduct research using available resources
Collect and classify reliable sources
Develop successful methods of recording information
Evaluate the credibility of nonfiction texts, taking into consideration readability, date, relevance, expertise, and bias
Apply conventions of MLA formatting
Correctly site resources to avoid plagiarism
Organize information in a cohesive manner, using a note-taking system that includes summary, paraphrasing, and quoted material
Analyze, synthesize, and integrate information, generating a thoughtfully comprehensive report, free of generalities and redundancies
Present information in a formal, coherent manner
This summative test covers William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing and includes an answer key, as well as a standards-based rubric for scoring essays. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will:
Demonstrate knowledge significant characters and the key aspects of their lives
Demonstrate knowledge of significant events throughout the play
Identify the context of meaningful quotations in the play
Apply knowledge of a variety of literary devices applied in the play including hyperbole, metaphor, malapropism, oxymoron, hyperbole, personification, invective, and pun
Respond to an essay prompt requiring students to explore the complexities of Benedick’s character
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims made in an academic essay
This summative assessment complements a Grimms’ fairy tales unit with emphasis on application of literary devices, examination of character motivations, and synthesis of textual details to perform thematic analysis.
In addition to 50 objective questions, the test includes a writing prompt requiring students to select three texts from which to draw textual evidence in support of analytical thinking. The core objective of the essay is to demonstrate an ability to identify a common theme among three texts and synthesize textual details with clarity and precision to elaborate upon the shared theme. A Common Core-aligned rubric for evaluating student writing is included in addition to the objective portion’s answer key.
Fourteen short stories are covered, and copies of each are included (listed in order of estimated Lexile Measure):
“The Dog and the Sparrow” (700-800)
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (800-900)
“Clever Gretel” (900-1000)
“The Twelve Dancing Princesses” (900-1000)
“Cinderella” (1000-1100)
“Rumpelstiltskin” (1000-1100)
“The Elves and the Shoemaker” (1000-1100)
“The Four Clever Brothers” (1000-1100)
“The Seven Ravens” (1000-1100)
“Donkey Cabbages” (1100-1200)
“The Frog King” (1100-1200)
“The Juniper Tree” (1100-1200)
“The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage” (1100-1200)
“Sleeping Beauty” (1200-1300)
Help students better understand the historical context of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah and facilitate the process of researching topics related to Sierra Leone with this low-prep, standards-based resource. Students will choose from thirty relevant subjects—the deposing of Siaka Stevens’ government, the Revolutionary United Front, illegal diamond mining, the West Side Boys, and All People’s Congress to name a few—and navigate credible sources with the goal of teaching others about their topic. A detailed scoring rubric is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Ultimately, students will perform the following tasks:
Articulate connections between a research topic and the assigned text
Conduct research using available resources
Collect and classify reliable sources
Develop successful methods of recording information
Evaluate the credibility of nonfiction texts, taking into consideration readability, date, relevance, expertise, and bias
Apply conventions of MLA formatting
Correctly site resources to avoid plagiarism
Organize information in a cohesive manner, using a note-taking system that includes summary, paraphrasing, and quoted material
Analyze, synthesize, and integrate information, generating a thoughtfully comprehensive report, free of generalities and redundancies
Present information in a formal, coherent manner
With this summative test covering the entirety of Feed by M.T. Anderson, English teachers will evaluate students’ reading comprehension, essay writing skills, and ability to analyze key aspects of plot. An answer key and standards-based rubric for scoring essays are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will:
Demonstrate knowledge of primary and secondary characters and the key aspects of their lives
Demonstrate knowledge of significant events that take place throughout the novel
Evaluate substantive excerpts for deeper meaning
Respond to an essay prompt requiring students to examine the author’s use of satire
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims made in an academic essay
Help students better understand the historical context of Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers and facilitate the process of researching topics related to the Vietnam War with this low-prep, standards-based resource. Students will choose from more than twenty relevant subjects—the Gulf of Tonkin incident, the Tet Offensive, the My Lai Massacre, Tinker vs. Des Moines, and Milton L. Olive III to name a few—and navigate credible sources with the goal of teaching others about their topic. A detailed scoring rubric is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Ultimately, students will perform the following tasks:
Articulate connections between a research topic and the assigned novel
Conduct research using available resources
Collect and classify reliable sources
Develop successful methods of recording information
Evaluate the credibility of nonfiction texts, taking into consideration readability, date, relevance, expertise, and bias
Apply conventions of MLA formatting
Correctly site resources to avoid plagiarism
Organize information in a cohesive manner, using a note-taking system that includes summary, paraphrasing, and quoted material
Analyze, synthesize, and integrate information, generating a thoughtfully comprehensive report, free of generalities and redundancies
Present information in a formal, coherent manner
Dystopian fiction and adolescent literature are genres that appeal to the imaginations of many middle and high school students and maximize their ability to relate to literary works. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer is a representative narrative, told from the perspective of a seemingly ordinary teenage girl facing extraordinary conflicts. With this summative test covering the entire novel, English teachers will be able to evaluate students’ comprehensive text comprehension and ability to analyze key characters, plot developments, and themes. Additionally, the self-grading nature of all multiple choice questions helps teachers minimize take-home grading responsibilities. An answer key and standards-based rubric for scoring essays are provided. Materials are delivered in both Word Document and PDF formats.
By taking this assessment, students will:
Demonstrate knowledge of primary and secondary characters and the key aspects of their lives
Demonstrate knowledge of significant events that take place throughout the novel
Apply knowledge of a variety of literary devices applied in the novel including hyperbole, personification, metaphor, simile, allusion, onomatopoeia, situational irony, dramatic irony, and verbal irony
Respond to an essay prompt requiring students to examine the protagonist’s emotional growth and transformation into a genuine hero
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims made in an academic essay
With this summative test covering The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, high school English teachers will evaluate student knowledge and analysis of plot while eliminating the need for at-home assessment planning. In addition to an answer key, a standards-based rubric for scoring the essay section is included to streamline the scoring process. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this test, students will demonstrate understanding of plot (characters, setting, conflicts, etc.); apply knowledge of literary devices to the text; write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision; and support claims with relevant textual evidence
Part 1. Character Identification Multiple choice.
Demonstrate knowledge of the following characters:
Bilbo
Thorin
Gandalf
Elrond
Beorn
Bard
Smaug
Roac
Kili & Fili
Bombur
Bifur
Bofur
Dwalin
Balin
Dori
Gollum
The Great Goblin
Lord of the Eagles
The trolls
The Elvenking
The woof-elves
The thrush
Wargs
Part 2. Important Places and Concepts. Multiple choice.
Demonstrate awareness of the following:
The Arkenstone
Durin’s Day
Description of a typical Baggins
What it means to be “Tookish”
The dwarves’ response to Bilbo’s participation
Bilbo’s emotional response following the unexpected party
The conflict involving the trolls
Beorn’s concerns
Bilbo’s sword
The Orcrist
Rivendell and the Last Homely House
The enchanted stream
Thorin and the Elvenking’s stubbornness
Bilbo’s strategic rescue of the adventurers
Bilbo’s flaw in the escape plan
Lake-town’s reaction to the presence of the adventurers
The mountain’s secret door
A dragon’s special traits
Part 3. Multiple Choice. Literary Devices.
Apply knowledge of the following literary devices:
Internal conflict
Metaphor
Simile
Hyperbole
Imagery
Dramatic irony
Situational irony
Onomatopoeia
Alliteration
Personification
Part 4. Quote Association.
Part 4. Quote Association.
Identify the speakers of the following quotes:
“If I say he is a Burglar, a Burglar he is, or will be when the time comes.”
“Moon letters are rune letters, but you cannot see them.”
“He’s found it, yes he must have. My birthday present.”
“The day will come when they will perish and I will go back!”
“I’m going to lie here and sleep and dream of food, if I can’t get it any other way.”
“No treasure will come back through Mirkwood without my having something to say in the matter.”
“You ought to have brought 500 burglars, not one."
“I don’t know your smell, but if you are not one of those men of the lake, you had their help.”
“Look for the hollow of the left breast as he flies and turns above you.”
“It is a hundred years and three and fifty since I came out of the egg…”
Part 5. Essay Writing.
Students will read the last few paragraphs of the novel and articulate what the author implies about achieving a fulfilling life.
This end-of-unit test covers the entirety of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. An answer key is included. With this assessment, which is delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, high school English Language Arts teachers will be able to evaluate students’ abilities to do the following:
Accurately recall details associated with characters, setting, and plot
Demonstrate awareness of historically relevant events
Apply knowledge of various literary devices such as symbolism, oxymoron, personification, hyperbole, simile, metaphor, allusion, dynamic character, and more
Analyze the greater significance of given quotes or details
Write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision
This summative test covers A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah and includes an answer key, as well as a standards-based rubric for scoring essays. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By administering this assessment, teachers will evaluate students’ abilities to do the following:
Demonstrate knowledge significant figures in a nonfiction text
Demonstrate knowledge of significant events throughout the memoir
Respond to an essay prompt requiring students to explore the concept of perseverance in the context of the memoir
Support claims made in an academic essay with sound reasoning and relevant textual evidence
Conclude a unit on William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice with this fifty-question test delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. An answer key is included. This assessment is divided into four sections and breaks down as follows.
Part 1. Multiple choice. Students will demonstrate knowledge of character and plot details.
Part 2. True/False and Either Or. Students will identify whether a statement is true or false, or they will identify the correct option between two choices.
Part 3. Matching. Students will match an excerpt with its appropriate context.
Part 4. Multiple choice. Students will be given a detail or excerpt and must determine which literary device is best reflected.
This summative assessment measures reading comprehension of The Dead and The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer. It also assesses a student’s ability to write claims in an analysis of the text and its characters using valid reasoning and sufficient evidence. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. A breakdown of content follows.
Part 1. Character Identification.
This matching section features 20 total questions, all of which pertain to the characters of Alex, Briana, Julie, Carlos, Mami, Papi, Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Lorraine, Kevin, Chris, Father Franco, Father Mulrooney, Sister Rita, and Harvey.
Part 2. Plot Recall.
This multiple choice section features 12 total questions. Students must demonstrate that they recall key incidents that occurred throughout the novel.
Part 3. Literary Term Application.
In this multiple choice section featuring 8 total questions, students will be presented with a textual detail that relates to a common literary device, such as foreshadowing, symbolism, metaphor, simile, antagonist, static character, dynamic character, dramatic irony, irony of result, theme, personification, complication, and more. Students must match the appropriate literary device to the given detail.
Part 4. Essay Writing.
Students must choose one of two prompts and write a thoughtful analysis of a character who demonstrates either the character trait of adaptability or perseverance. The student must use sufficient and compelling textual evidence to support their claims and may choose to relay personal anecdotes within their response.
This summative test covers William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and includes an answer key, as well as a standards-based rubric for scoring essays. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By administering this assessment, teachers will evaluate students’ abilities to do the following:
Demonstrate knowledge of aspects of drama including relevant vocabulary and historical context
Demonstrate knowledge significant characters and the key aspects of their lives
Demonstrate knowledge of significant events that transpire
Identify the context of meaningful quotations in the play
Apply knowledge of a variety of literary devices applied in the novel including hyperbole, metaphor, situational irony, dramatic irony, verbal irony, and more
Respond to an essay prompt requiring students to evaluate tragic mistakes characters make
Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims made in an academic essay
Conclude a unit on To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee with this printable summative test. An answer key is included. All materials are delivered in both Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate an ability to:
Correctly identify characters based on a given description or detail
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, personification, allusion, internal conflict, dynamic character, hyperbole, and more
Identify the speaker and articulate the greater significance of a given quotation
Write a brief essay in which students defend a claim with relevant textual evidence and adhere to the standard conventions of written English
Mythological fiction is a genre that appeals to the imaginations of many middle and high school students. The Adventures of Ulysses by Bernard Evslin is a modern retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey, written in a manner that is easier to process—even for struggling readers. With this summative test covering the entire novel, English teachers will be able to evaluate students’ comprehensive text comprehension and ability to analyze key characters, plot developments, and themes. An answer key is provided, and all materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats.
This assessment covers the following:
Athena’s aid along the journey
Ulysses brilliant trick
Achilles’ warrior status and weakness
Menelaus’s call to arms
Poseidon’s relationship to Polyphemus
The faithful wife of Ulysses
Helen’s reputation
The enormous whirlpool
Paris’s judgment
A faithful, old dog
A loyal swineherd
Circe’s peculiar abilities
Hyperion’s background
Morpheus and the lotus flowers
Helen’s suitors
Aeolus’ efforts to help Ulysses
Hermes’ role in Ulysses’ journey
The gullibility of Polyphemus
A blind prophet
The peculiar talents of the sirens
Eurycleia’s discovery
Telemachus
Alcinous’s assistance
Nausicaa’s revelation
Poseidon’s ire
The winner of a contest
A character’s disguise
Foreshadowing
External conflict/internal conflict
Antagonist
Situational irony
Dramatic irony
Theme
Dynamic character
And more
Promote student choice and facilitate the process of researching scientific and societally significant topics from beginning to end with this low-prep, standards-based resource pertaining to the novel Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Students will choose from more than a dozen topics—Yellowstone’s supervolcano, Hurricane Katrina, the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, and nuclear disasters at Chernobyl and Fukushima to name a few—and navigate academically appropriate sources with the goal of teaching their peers about their topics. A detailed scoring rubric is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats.
Ultimately, students will perform the following tasks:
Articulate connections between a research topic and the assigned novel
Conduct research using available resources
Collect and classify reliable sources
Develop successful methods of recording information
Evaluate the credibility of source work, taking into consideration readability, date, relevance, expertise, and bias
Apply conventions of MLA formatting
Correctly site resources to avoid plagiarism
Organize information in a cohesive manner, using a note-taking system that includes summary, paraphrasing, and quoted material
Analyze, synthesize, and integrate information, generating a thoughtfully comprehensive report, free of generalities and redundancies
Present findings verbally, using their own words
Conclude a unit on Lord of the Flies by William Golding with this printable summative assessment. Delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, this test includes 50 multiple choice questions on character and plot details. Additionally, an essay section composed of three prompts is featured, requiring high school students to analyze plot development, character development, and author’s craft. An answer key is included with sample essay responses.
By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate an ability to:
Correctly identify characters based on a given description or detail
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, personification, allusion, understatement, situational irony, and more
Write several brief essays in which students defend claims with relevant textual evidence and adhere to the standard conventions of written English
Conclude a unit on The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells with this printable summative assessment. Delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, this test includes 46 multiple choice questions. In addition to objective questions on character, plot, literary devices, and quote/passage analysis, an essay section is featured, requiring high school students to explore how the author incorporated verisimilitude into the plot. An answer key and standards-based essay scoring rubric are provided. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate an ability to:
Correctly identify characters based on given details and descriptions
Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, dramatic irony, imagery, personification, and more
Analyze passages to determine which ones support a given claim or idea
Write a brief essay in which students convey ideas with relevant textual evidence and adhere to the standard conventions of written English
Promote student choice and facilitate the process of researching scientific and societally significant topics from beginning to end with this low-prep, standards-based resource complementing Feed by M.T. Anderson. Students will choose from more than twenty research prompts—addressing ideas such as commercial space travel, genetic engineering, environmental disasters, and the implications of irresponsible social media usage—and navigate academically appropriate sources with the goal of teaching their peers about their topics. A detailed scoring rubric is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Ultimately, students will perform the following tasks:
Articulate connections between a research topic and the assigned novel
Conduct research using available resources
Collect and classify reliable sources
Develop successful methods of recording information
Evaluate the credibility of nonfiction texts, taking into consideration readability, date, relevance, expertise, and bias
Apply conventions of MLA formatting
Correctly site resources to avoid plagiarism
Organize information in a cohesive manner, using a note-taking system that includes summary, paraphrasing, and quoted material
Analyze, synthesize, and integrate information, generating a thoughtfully comprehensive report, free of generalities and redundancies
Present information in a formal, coherent manner