Help high school readers go beyond basic reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this close reading worksheet covering the prologue of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By completing this activity, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word and phrase meanings (“Two households, both alike in dignity,” “Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean,” “What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend,” and more) Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Consider historical context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision Come to class better prepared to discuss dramatic works

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 Act 4, scene 2, of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. 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 both explicitly and implicitly Explain the intended effect of figurative language in context Define complex words and phrases in context Determine the function of the scene Examine how characters think, behave, interact, and develop Compare and contrast the murders of Lady Macduff and her son to previous homicides Compare and contrast the characters of Lady Macduff and Lady Macbeth Apply knowledge of literary devices such as simile, paradox, invective, and hyperbole Support inferences and claims with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about Shakespearean drama with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Extend reading comprehension and support the development of close reading skills for high school with this set of analysis questions covering chapter 11 of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. With this resource, students will focus on significant details in order to develop a deeper understanding of the novel and its craft, thus helping them contribute more meaningfully during class discussions. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with this resource, students will… Analyze the effect of the author’s language upon the reader Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Determine tone in context Define unfamiliar and challenging vocabulary in context Apply knowledge of literary devices with an emphasis on callback and situational irony Analyze the symbolism of an object Read closely to isolate logical inferences from less compelling or illogical inferences Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision Support claims with relevant textual evidence and/or reasoned thinking

Extend reading comprehension and support the development of close reading skills for high school with this set of analysis questions covering chapter nine of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. With this resource, students will focus on significant details in order to develop a deeper understanding of the novel and its craft, thus helping them contribute more meaningfully during class discussions. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with this resource, students will… Analyze the effect of the author’s language upon the reader Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Determine tone in context Define unfamiliar and challenging vocabulary in context Draw reasoned inferences about characterization Apply knowledge of literary devices with emphasis on situational irony Read closely to isolate accurate statements from false statements Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision Support claims with relevant textual evidence and/or reasoned thinking

Help middle and high school students go beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering chapter 9 of Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. This worksheet is delivered in Word Document and PDF formats, and it eliminates the need for take-home assessment planning while upholding rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. 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. With this close reading activity, students will be able to: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Explain the significance of a given detail Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Analyze word choices to discern what they reveal about Holden’s psychological state Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor, hyperbole, and situational irony Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence Write about fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision

Evaluate general reading comprehension with this multiple choice quiz covering Act 5 of William Shakespeare’s Othello. The plot-based assessment may double as a guided reading handout to facilitate active reading experiences. An answer key is included. Additionally, a short answer worksheet is provided for re-assessment purposes. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Iago’s concern that Roderigo could expose him Iago’s irrational jealousy of Cassio Cassio’s injury Fatal wounds The arrest of Bianca Othello’s verbal exchange with Desdemona The subsequent killing Emilia’s news The brief revival of a character The ensuing stabbings, one fatal Othello’s subsequent perception of himself The fatal flaw of the hero

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement the dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (chapters 31, 32, 33, and 34). A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: anguished, appease, camaraderie, diffuse, fruitful, gaiety, ignominious, indifferent, indignity, luxuriate, palpable, querulous, respectively, smoldering, squeamish, subversive, transgression, and whimper. By engaging with these activities, students will: Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences

With this printable test covering the entirety of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, English teachers will be able to evaluate students’ comprehension of key characters, plot developments, and literary craft. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. A breakdown of content follows. Part 1. Knowledge of Plot. Students will demonstrate comprehension of the following: Christopher Sly’s disruptive behavior An activity in which Christopher Sly participates Baptista’s terms for his daughters’ marriages Lucentio’s persona, “Cambio” The quality in women about which Petruchio cares most Hortensio’s persona, “Litio” Petruchio’s intentions for Katharina Baptista’s preferences to be his son-in-law Petruchio’s tardiness to the wedding Petruchio’s appearance on his wedding day Bianca’s assessment of her sister’s relationship An accident involving a horse Petruchio’s strictness Hortensio’s feelings toward Petruchio Petruchio’s eccentric behavior Hortensio’s marriage A test of the wives’ loyalty Katharina’s closing speech Part 2. True/False. Students will identify whether a statement is true or false. Questions focus on: “Cambio’s” area of expertise The nature of the relationship between Bianca and Katharina The first character to reveal his true identity to Bianca Hortensio’s dwindling affection toward Bianca Katharina’s reaction to her husband’s strange behavior Baptista’s negotiating the terms of his daughters’ marriages Baptista and Vincentio’s forgiveness of their children The false Vincentio’s reaction to meeting the real Vincentio Part 3. Quotations in Context. Students will match an excerpt with its appropriate context. Act 1, scene 1: Hark, Tranio! thou may’st hear Minerva speak. Act 1, scene 1: No profit grows where is no pleasure ta’en: / In brief, sir, study what you most affect. Act 2, scene 1: Her silence flouts me, and I’ll be revenged. Act 2, scene 1: O slow-wing’d turtle! shall a buzzard take thee? Act 3, scene 2: Go, girl; I cannot blame thee now to weep; / For such an injury would vex a very saint, / Much more a shrew of thy impatient humour. Act 3, scene 2: That, being mad herself, she’s madly mated. Act 4, scene 2: …here I firmly vow / Never to woo her no more, but do forswear her, / As one unworthy all the former favours / That I have fondly flatter’d her withal. Act 5, scene 1: Fear not, Baptista; we will content you, go to: but / I will in, to be revenged for this villany Act 5, scene 2: A woman moved is like a fountain troubled, / Muddy, ill-seeming, thick, bereft of beauty… Part 4. Application of Literary Devices. Students will be given a detail or excerpt from the drama and must determine which literary device is best reflected. Literary devices addressed include: Sibilance Allusion Hyperbole Anaphora Oxymoron Aposiopesis Idiom Metaphor Consonance Simile Onomatopoeia

Support the development of close reading skills for high school with this set of analysis questions for The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Covering chapters 31 through 34, this worksheet saves teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered as printable Word Documents and PDFs. 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 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 Articulate how the government has failed in its mission to divide women in the context of chapter 31 Interpret an idiomatic phrase as it is used in the text Isolate a false statement about plot among a set of true statements Analyze how complex characters develop and interact Compare and contrast characters Explore character motivations Apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor and portmanteau Analyze differences and nuances in word meanings Explain an example of paradox in the context in chapter 34 Explore cause-and-effect relationships Write about literature with clarity and precision Cite relevant textual evidence in support of claims

Help high school students extend beyond basic plot recall and develop close reading analysis skills with this set of high-order questions covering chapter 3 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. Delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats, this worksheet saves English Language Arts teachers valuable time at home without sacrificing rigor in the classroom. An answer key is provided. By completing this exercise, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Define complex words as they are used in the text Analyze dialogue to make logical inferences Analyze character actions and motivations Determine which character is likeliest to challenge leadership and take interest in the world outside of Animal Farm Make logical inferences about the author’s beliefs based on details from chapter three Explore the purposes of a given passage Articulate the purposes of slogans and mottos Articulate why the pigs in particular would favor the incorporation of slogans and mottos into Animal Farm’s culture Write about literature with clarity and precision Justify written responses with reasoning and/or 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.

With this multiple choice, plot-based quiz covering the eighth chapter of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, high school English teachers will be able to evaluate reading comprehension and promote homework accountability. A short answer version is also provided, along with answer keys. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this quiz, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: A broken promise The gardener’s intention and Gatsby’s refusal Nick’s judgment of Gatsby Dr. T.J. Eckleburg’s eyes and Wilson’s interpretation of them Myrtle’s death Wilson’s beliefs concerning Myrtle’s death A tragic, deadly incident

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapter 5 of Lord of the Flies by William Golding. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: effigy, farthest, flourish, grim, ineffectual, jeeringly, lamentation, lavatory, murmur, scowl, subdued, tottery, and vague. By engaging with these activities, students will: Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences

Support vocabulary development and enhance reading comprehension with this set of games and activities to complement chapter 2 of Animal Farm by George Orwell. A crossword puzzle, word search activity, vocabulary application worksheet, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Specifically, the following vocabulary terms are addressed: contrary, expound, feebly, gambol, idle, inventive, irrepressible, nimble, reign, reproach, shrill, and unanimous. By engaging with these activities, students will: Determine the meaning of unfamiliar and complex words Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences

Evaluate general reading comprehension and eliminate assessment planning responsibilities with this plot-based quiz covering Liam O’Flaherty’s short story “The Sniper.” The assessment may double as a guided reading worksheet to facilitate active engagement with the narrative. An answer key is included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the following: Setting The general characterization of the sniper Risks taken by the sniper What initiates an exchange of fire Where the sniper gets injured A strategy to trick the enemy The sniper’s reaction to his kill What motivates the sniper to know the enemy’s identity An ironic discovery

Eliminate assessment planning responsibilities and evaluate high school students’ knowledge of plot and literary craft with this summative test covering William Shakespeare’s tragedy King Lear. An answer key is included, as well as a standards-based rubric for scoring a thematic essay response tied to a significant quotation (“Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides, / Who covers faults at last with shame derides”). Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. Students are responsible for demonstrating an understanding of the following characters, details, concepts, and quotes: Cordelia Goneril Regan King Lear Edmund Edgar Kent Albany Cornwall The Fool Gloucester Oswald The King of France Tom of Bedlam The play’s setting Edmund’s status as an illegitimate child and associated consequences Edmund’s promotion to Earl of Gloucester Cornwall’s torture of Gloucester Edgar’s philosophies on life Edmund’s desire to kill his father King Lear’s epiphany regarding power and its benefits King Lear’s imprisonment Metaphor Simile Foreshadowing Situational irony Dramatic irony Paradox Alliteration Hyperbole Personification Internal conflict External conflict Dynamic character Symbolism “Nothing will come from nothing.” (Act 1, scene 1) “I love your Majesty / According to my bond; no more no less.” (Act 1, scene 1) “Let his knights have colder looks among you.” (Act 1, scene 3) “Fortune, good night; smile once more; turn thy wheel!” (Act 2, scene 2) “The younger rises when the old doth fall.” (Act 3, scene 3) “I will have my revenge ere I depart this house.” (Act 3, scene 5) “Out, vile jelly!” (Act 3, scene 7) “I have no way, and therefore want no eyes; / I stumbled when I saw.” (Act 4, scene 1) “Was this a face / To be opposed against the warring winds?”(Act 4, scene 7) “You have some cause; they have not.”(Act 4, scene 7) “Ripeness is all.” (Act 5, scene 2) “My master calls me, I must not say no.” (Act 5, scene 3)

Extend reading comprehension and support the development of close reading skills for high school with this set of analysis questions covering chapter 12 of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. With this resource, students will focus on significant details in order to develop a deeper understanding of the novel and its craft, thus helping them contribute more meaningfully during class discussions. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. By engaging with this resource, students will… Analyze the effect of the author’s word choices, including figurative language, on the reader Determine tone in context Define unfamiliar and challenging vocabulary in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, develop, and interact Apply knowledge of literary devices to the novel Read closely to isolate logical inferences from less compelling or illogical inferences Write about literature with clarity, accuracy, and precision Support claims with relevant textual evidence and/or reasoned thinking

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 Chinua Achebe’s short story “Dead Men’s Path.” 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 both explicitly and implicitly Determine the narrative’s dominant conflict Analyze how complex characters interact and develop Explore character motivations Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing and situational irony Determine the function of a particular passage Make an inference about the author’s point of view Articulate the intended effect of the author’s diction in context Cite textual evidence in support of claims Write with clarity, accuracy, and precision