Help high school students go beyond general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking skills with this close reading worksheet covering Washington Irving’s short story “The Devil and Tom Walker.” An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable 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.
By engaging with this close reading activity, students will:
- Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
- Consult reference materials to navigate nuances in words with similar meanings
- Explore cause-and-effect relationships
- Examine 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
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Bundle of Short Story Close Reading Worksheets
This bundle of 20 assessments promotes analytical thinking, measures and extends reading comprehension, and offers flexibility of choice to differentiate and satisfy the academic needs of students of varying proficiency levels in classroom and distance learning settings. Included are close reading activities, answer keys, and copies of public domain texts. Short story selections include the following: "Desiree's Baby" by Kate Chopin * "Shooting an Elephant" by George Orwell * "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe * "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving * "The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield * "The New Dress" by Virginia Woolf * "The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane * "The Open Window" by Saki * "The Oval Portrait" by Edgar Allan Poe * "A White Heron" by Sarah Orne Jewett * "After Twenty Years" by O. Henry * "The Businessman" by Edgar Allan Poe * "The Legend of the Christmas Rose" by Selma Lagerlof * "The Old Tombstone" by Hans Christian Andersen * "The Wind Blows" by Katherine Mansfield * "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen * "The Stolen Farthings" by the Brothers Grimm * "Slave on the Block" by Langston Hughes "The Wives of the Dead" by Nathaniel Hawthorne * "The Sparrow and His Four Children" by the Brothers Grimm * (* denotes a public domain text) By completing these analysis exercises, students will demonstrate the following high-order skills: * An ability to apply knowledge of more complex literary devices to the texts including foreshadowing, situational irony, dramatic irony, hyperbole, personification, metaphor, symbolism, theme, and more * An ability to analyze context clues and draw logical inferences about character motivations and other elements of plot * An ability to discern and articulate details that illustrate contrasts between characters * An ability to define complex words by taking into consideration denotative definitions, connotative definitions, and context clues * An ability to find and articulate relevant textual details in support of claims * An ability to discern mood and tone in context * An ability to discern author’s intent * An ability to conduct brief research and articulate historical and autobiographical parallels * An ability to analyze text structures * An ability to analyze text to determine the function of an excerpt * An ability to analyze a text for how it conforms to the conventions of a particular genre * An ability to establish formal tone, paying attention to conventions of written English * An ability to take leadership in class discussions, addressing nuances in the author’s craft to help peers understand literature from different perspectives
$40.00
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"The Devil and Tom Walker" Quiz, Close Reading, and Vocabulary Games Bundle
Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking skills with this bundle of materials for teaching the short story "The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable 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. 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 * Discern the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences * Explore cause-and-effect relationships * Examine 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
$7.50
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