This editable 10-question close reading and annotating resource helps students derive deeper meaning from William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. This worksheet features an abridged excerpt from Act 2, Scene 6. By engaging in this exercise, students will read to apply literary devices (with an emphasis on foreshadowing), develop their vocabulary, identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly, make their engagement with the text visible, and analyze character motivations. Specifically, students will demonstrate a greater understanding of Friar Laurence’s concerns about Romeo and Juliet’s union. Materials are delivered in Word Document, Google Document, and PDF formats. An answer key with sample annotations is included. This resource aligns well to Adolescent Literacy Project teaching principles. I recommend using these worksheets as the basis for small-group discussions, letting students discuss, debate, and support their reasoning for answer choices. In the role of facilitator, I observe my students becoming more consistently engaged with the novel and taking greater ownership of their learning. In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read complex texts, this resource was designed to prepare students for ACT-style questioning. More specifically, this resource covers the following: Analyzing character and applying literary devices (foreshadowing): “So smile the heavens upon this holy act / That after-hours with sorrow chide us not.” Analyzing character and applying literary devices (foreshadowing): “Do thou but close our hands with holy words, / Then love-devouring death do what he dare-- / It is enough I may but call her mine.” Discerning meaning from what the text explicitly states: “These violent delights have violent ends / And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, / Which, as they kiss, consume.” Discerning meaning from what the text explicitly states: “The sweetest honey / Is loathsome in his own deliciousness / And in the taste confounds the appetite.” Discerning character motivations and applying literary devices (foreshadowing): “Therefore love moderately; long love doth so; / Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.” Discerning meaning from what the text explicitly states: “Let rich music’s tongue / Unfold the imagined happiness that both / Receive in either by this dear encounter.” Discerning meaning from what the text explicitly states: “But my true love is grown to such excess / I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth.” Analyzing character: “Come, come with me, and we will make short work; / For, by your leaves, you shall not stay alone / Till Holy Church incorporate two into one.”

This 33-slide PowerPoint presentation introduces your students to the key characters in The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. I created this PowerPoint as a means of previewing the novel with my high school students, offering them context on character traits, relationships, conflicts, and development over the course of the novel. The following are covered: Bilbo Baggins. ♦ Modest nature ♦ Appreciation for the simple things ♦ His reluctance and obligation to help ♦ His role along the journey ♦ His brushes with adversity ♦ His sense of justice ♦ His dynamic character ♦ And more Gandalf. ♦ His noteworthy character traits ♦ The mentor archetype ♦ And more Thorin Oakenshield. ♦ His leadership ♦ His bravery and his pretentiousness ♦ His family background ♦ His classification as a foil to Bilbo ♦ His fatal flaws Dwalin. ♦ General character details (e.g., family ties) Balin. ♦ General character details (e.g., his acceptance of Bilbo) Gloin. ♦ General character details (e.g., his skepticism of Bilbo) Oin. ♦ General character details (e.g., family ties) Dori. ♦ General character details (e.g., his strength) Nori. ♦ General character details (e.g., his appearance) Ori. ♦ General character details (e.g., his musical talent) Kili & Fili. ♦ General character details (e.g., their youth) Bombur. ♦ General character details (e.g., his laziness) Bifur. ♦ General character details (e.g., family ties) Bofur. ♦ General character details (e.g., family ties) Gollum. ♦ His home ♦ His miserable disposition ♦ His interests and talents ♦ His significant loss Smaug. ♦ His greediness ♦ His vengefulness ♦ His appearance ♦ His symbolism ♦ The cultural perspective on dragons Elrond. ♦ The Last Homely House ♦ His special, helpful traits ♦ His graciousness ♦ Foreshadowing Beorn. ♦ His personality traits ♦ His special skills ♦ His discomfort toward visitors ♦ His pursuit of justice ♦ His help given to the adventurers ♦ And more Bard of Esgaroth. ♦ His tremendous talent ♦ His honorable nature ♦ His leadership ♦ His response to tragedy ♦ His sense of fairness and justice The Elvenking. ♦ His suspicion of strangers ♦ His weakness ♦ His crucial role late in the novel

This editable close reading exercise features 9 text-dependent, higher-order questions, helping students improve reading comprehension of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (chapter 5). An answer key with detailed rationale for each correct option is included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and Google Document formats. This resource aligns well to Adolescent Literacy Project teaching principles. I recommend using these worksheets as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students pose and 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 – and teacher – comprehend their thinking. In the role of facilitator, I observe my students becoming more consistently engaged with the novel and taking greater ownership of their learning. In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read harder texts, this resource was designed to prepare students for ACT-style questioning. Questions pertain to the following: Inferring meaning and significance: “[Miss Maudie] called us by all our names, and when she grinned she revealed two minute gold prongs clipped to her eyeteeth. When I admired them and hoped I would have some eventually, she said ‘Look here.’ With a click of her tongue she thrust out her bridgework, a gesture of cordiality that cemented our friendship.” Interpreting idiomatic expressions: “was admitted to our confidence." Interpreting meaning: “Did you know some of ‘em came out of the woods one Saturday and passed by this place and told me me and my flowers were going to hell?” Interpreting idiomatic expressions: “had an acid tongue in her head.” Interpreting meaning: “There are just some kind of men who—who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.” Supporting a claim regarding the origin of Maudie’s interest in gardening using textual evidence: “Her father was a neighboring landowner. His name was Dr. Frank Buford. He was a medicine man, but he stayed poor because he was obsessed with his plants and the earth.” Applying literary terminology: hyperbole. Understanding vocabulary in context: inquisitive. Inferring a character’s intent: Atticus.

This close reading assessment features 12 text-dependent, high-order questions to promote improved reading comprehension and analysis of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (Act 3, Scene 1) with emphasis on the dramatic irony of Olivia and Viola’s encounter. By engaging in this exercise, students will analyze character motivations, examine word choice to discern meaning, draw logical inferences about the significance of given details, apply knowledge of literary devices (metaphor), and articulate ideas in writing with clarity and precision. An answer key with detailed rationale for each correct option is included, as are Word Document and PDF versions of the assessment. This resource aligns well to Academic Literacy Project teaching principles. These worksheets serve well as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode Shakespeare’s 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 – and teacher – comprehend their thinking. In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read and comprehend complex texts, this resource helps prepare students for ACT reading question types. Specifically, this close reading exercise includes inference questions, word meaning questions, main idea questions, “except” questions, and context questions. More specifically, questions pertain to the following: Analyzing character behaviors to draw logical inferences about character development and motivations Applying knowledge of figurative language and articulating rational interpretations Analyze complex vocabulary and phrasing in context to determine meaning and intended effect Analyze an excerpt to discern tone in context Isolating factual details from false statements Articulating rational thoughts with clarity and precision Demonstrating knowledge of the effect punctuation has in a passage

This close reading assessment features 12 text-dependent, high-order questions to promote improved reading comprehension and analysis of Dracula by Bram Stoker (chapter 1). An answer key is included, as are Word Document and PDF versions of the assessment. This resource aligns well to Academic Literacy Project teaching principles and 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 says both explicitly and implicitly Analyze the author’s craft to discern what writing in shorthand reveals about the narrator Contrast the descriptions of the East and West and articulate what these descriptions reveal about the narrator’s thinking Infer the literary purpose of the narrator’s incorporation of culinary details Infer the nature of the relationship between the narrator and Mina Identify the nationality of the narrator’s traveling party Analyze an excerpt to discern how the narrator feels toward superstitious thinking and whether his mindset will suit him well as the story progresses Discern the function of a given paragraph Apply knowledge of situational irony to Dracula’s letter to the narrator Articulate the significance of a passage with emphasis on how it contributes to character development Analyze how setting contributes to mood Apply knowledge of foreshadowing to the story Read a portion of Emily Gerard’s “Transylvanian Superstitions” to make sense of a character’s actions and thinking Cite textual evidence in support of claims Write with clarity and precision

Promote high school reading comprehension and textual analysis in classroom and distance learning contexts with this 36-question close reading assessment. A variety of question types are included to help prepare for standardized testing scenarios: vocabulary-in-context questions, main idea questions, detail questions, author’s craft questions, and more. A copy of “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen is included, along with a PDF version of the worksheet and its answer key. This resource aligns well to Academic Literacy Project teaching principles and 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.

This editable close reading exercise features 9 text-dependent, higher-order questions, helping students improve reading comprehension of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (chapter 28). Furthermore, this resource prepares students for ACT reading test question types (vocabulary-in-context questions, author’s voice and method questions, main idea questions, and detail questions). An answer key is included, as are Word Document and PDF versions of the assessment. This resource aligns well to Academic Literacy Project teaching principles, for it 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 – and teacher – comprehend their thinking. By completing this activity, secondary students will demonstrate the following: An ability to apply and articulate knowledge of literary devices to the text with an emphasis on how and why the author employs hyperbole An ability to analyze context clues and draw logical inferences about characterization/character motivations An ability to define complex words by taking into consideration denotative definitions, connotative definitions, and context clues within the text An ability to understand and analyze the author’s craft to determine a character’s intent An ability to discern and articulate the tone of a given passage

This editable assessment measures general comprehension and holds students accountable for the assigned reading of Feed by M.T. Anderson (pages 122-164). Featuring 12 constructed response questions, the quiz is delivered in Word Document format. An answer key is included. Although labeled a quiz, this material doubles as a guided reading worksheet to encourage more active engagement with the text. Questions pertain to the following details: The imagery concerning Titus’s nightmare The Coca Cola promotion The girls’ poor treatment of Violet Titus’s accusation against Violet A malfunctioning feed A visit to the sea Quendy’s conflict with Calista Artificial lesions Link’s background A dramatic incident involving Violet The feed’s chilling suggestions to Titus

This is a 9-question reading comprehension assessment on Aldous Huxley's novel. The format is short answer. The corresponding answer key is included. Questions pertain to the following key details: • Setting • Humankind's inability to do something it once could • The Bokanovsky Process • The concept of social stability • Podsnap's Technique • The conditioning of fetuses from lower social castes • The conditioning of fetuses destined for tropical climates • Immunizing fetuses • The Nurseries

This is a 13-question reading comprehension assessment on Aldous Huxley's novel. The format is multiple choice. The corresponding answer key is included. Questions pertain to the following key details: • The conditioning process of babies • The evolution of language • Hypnopaedia and its function • Elementary Class Consciousness • Common element in games in the World State • The sexualization of children • Mustapha Mond • The representation of the new era • Soma • Monogamy and society's elites • Lenina's comments on sleep and the World State • Judging which character appears most uncomfortable in this society

This editable assessment measures general comprehension and holds students accountable for the assigned reading of Aesop’s fable “The Fox and the Crow.” Delivered in Word Document format, this quiz includes an answer key. Learning targets addressed include: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the appropriate definition of fable. Students will demonstrate basic comprehension of the text. Students will demonstrate knowledge of literary terminology by applying the concept to the text. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the text’s theme by paraphrasing a logical message they discern.

This editable close reading exercise features 11 text-dependent, higher-order questions, helping students improve reading comprehension of Shakespeare’s Othello (Act 2, Scene 1) with emphasis on Iago’s intensifying desire for vengeance against Othello and his emerging plan to achieve his goal. By engaging in this exercise, students will analyze character motivations and development, discern meaning from Shakespearean text, locate textual evidence in support of answers, and make active reading visible. An answer key with detailed rationale for each correct option is included, as are Word Document, Google Document, and PDF versions of the assessment. This resource aligns well to Adolescent Literacy Project teaching principles. I recommend using these worksheets as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode Shakespeare’s 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 – and teacher – comprehend their thinking. In the role of facilitator, I observe my students becoming more consistently engaged with the novel and taking greater ownership of their learning. In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read and comprehend complex texts, this resource was designed to prepare students for ACT-style questioning. More specifically, questions pertain to the following: Analyzing text for tone. Analyzing characterization: Iago’s motivation for revenge. Analyzing text for meaning: “howbeit I endure him not.” Analyzing text for meaning: “that judgment cannot cure.” Analyzing characterization: how Shakespeare’s language shapes Iago. Analyzing text for meaning: “abuse him to the Moor.” Analyzing text for support of claims. Applying knowledge of literary devices: simile and its effect on the reader.

This editable 12-question close reading exercise helps students derive deeper meaning from the eleventh chapter of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. By engaging in this activity, students will draw rational inferences about characters, apply literary devices with an emphasis on situational irony, define complex vocabulary in context, and more. One abridged passage is featured: one focusing on Mrs. Dubose’s treatment of the kids, Jem’s retaliation, and Jem’s subsequent internal conflict. An answer key with detailed rationale for each correct choice is included. Questions pertain to the following: Clarifying meaning: “What has this world come to when a Finch goes against his own raising?” Clarifying meaning: “Jem was scarlet.” Clarifying meaning: “We were followed by a philippic on our family’s moral degeneration, the major premise of which was that half the Finches were in the asylum anyway…” Clarifying meaning: “self-conscious rectitude.” Clarifying meaning: “as a matter of course.” Defining vocabulary in context: interdict. Applying literary devices: situational irony and the relationship between Jessie and Mrs. Dubose. Clarifying meaning: “By some voo-doo system Calpurnia seemed to know all about it.” Clarifying meaning: “a less than satisfactory source of palliation.” Analyzing the greater significance of details: “He sat by the windows, hunched down in a rocking chair, scowling, waiting. Daylight faded.” Analyzing character and citing textual evidence in support of a claim: Jem’s feelings of guilt. This resource aligns well to Adolescent Literacy Project teaching principles. I recommend using these worksheets as the basis for small-group discussions, letting students discuss, debate, and support their reasoning for answer choices. In the role of facilitator, I observe my students becoming more consistently engaged with the novel and taking greater ownership of their learning. In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read harder texts, this resource may prepare students for ACT-style questioning.

This editable close reading exercise features 8 text-dependent, higher-order questions, helping students improve reading comprehension of Shakespeare’s Othello (Act 2, Scene 3) with emphasis on Iago’s manipulation of Roderigo, Cassio, and other Cypriots to advance his goals. By engaging in this exercise, students will analyze character motivations and development, analyze the craft of Shakespeare’s language for meaning, apply knowledge of literary devices such as metaphor, discern meaning from Shakespearean text, and make active reading visible. An answer key with detailed rationale for each correct option is included, as are Word Document, Google Document, and PDF versions of the assessment. This resource aligns well to Adolescent Literacy Project teaching principles. I recommend using these worksheets as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode Shakespeare’s 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 – and teacher – comprehend their thinking. In the role of facilitator, I observe my students becoming more consistently engaged with the novel and taking greater ownership of their learning. In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read and comprehend complex texts, this resource was designed to prepare students for ACT-style questioning. More specifically, questions pertain to the following: Analyzing text for meaning: Othello’s plan to make Cassio “full of quarrel and offense.” Defining complex vocabulary in context: caroused. Analyzing the effect of archaic vocabulary in context: potations. Analyzing archaic phrasing for meaning: pottle-deep. Analyzing complex phrasing for meaning: noble swelling spirits. Analyzing character motivations: “Have I tonight flustered with flowing cups.” Analyzing character motivations: “Now ’mongst this flock of drunkards / Am I to put our Cassio in some action / That may offend the isle.” Applying knowledge of literary devices (metaphor) and make inferences about characterization: “My boat sails freely, both with wind and steam.”

This editable close reading exercise features 13 text-dependent, higher-order questions, helping students improve comprehension of Shakespeare’s Othello (Act 3, Scene 3) with emphasis on Iago’s as an antagonist, attempting to persuade Othello that his wife is unfaithful. By engaging in this exercise, students will analyze character motivations, discern tone in context, analyze the craft of Shakespeare’s language for meaning, use textual evidence to support claims, and make active reading visible. An answer key with detailed rationale for each correct option is included, as are Word Document, Google Document, and PDF versions of the assessment. This resource aligns well to Adolescent Literacy Project teaching principles. I recommend using these worksheets as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode Shakespeare’s 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 – and teacher – comprehend their thinking. In the role of facilitator, I observe my students becoming more consistently engaged with the novel and taking greater ownership of their learning. In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read and comprehend complex texts, this resource was designed to prepare students for ACT-style questioning. This resource aligns to the following Common Core Standards: RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.2, RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.4, RL.9-10.5, RL.9-10.10, RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.2, RL.11-12.3, RL.11-12.4, RL.11-12.5, RL.11-12.10, W.9-10.4, W.9-10.9, W.9-10.9a, W.9-10.10, W.11-12.4, W.11-12.9, W.11-12.10, SL.9-10.1, SL.9-10.1a, SL.9-10.1b, SL.9-10.1c, SL.9-10.1d, SL.9-10.3, SL.9-10.4, SL.9-10.6, SL.11-12.1, SL.11-12.1a, SL.11-12.1b, SL.11-12.1c, SL.11-12.1d, SL.11-12.3, SL.11-12.4, SL.11-12.6, L.9-10.3, L.9-10.4, L.9-10.4a, L.9-10.4c, L.9-10.4d, L.9-10.5, L.9-10.5a, L.9-10.5b, L.9-10.6, L.11-12.3, L.11-12.4, L.11-12.4a, L.11-12.4c, L.11-12.5, L.11-12.5a, L.11-12.5b, L.11-12.6, CCRA.R.1, CCRA.R.2, CCRA.R.3, CCRA.R.4, CCRA.R.5, CCRA.R.10, CCRA.W.4, CCRA.W.9, CCRA.W.10, CCRA.SL.1, CCRA.SL.3, CCRA.SL.4, CCRA.SL.6, CCRA.L.3, CCRA.L.4, CCRA.L.5, CCRA.L.6, L.11-12.4d. Questions on this close reading assessment pertain to the following:

This close reading resource promotes thoughtful, critical analysis of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, helping students focus on significant details to develop a deeper understanding of the text and contribute more meaningfully to class discussion. Featuring nine multiple choice questions, this resource also includes an answer key with detailed rationale for each correct option. When you purchase this item, you will receive three versions: a Word version, a Rich Text Format version, and a PDF version. By engaging in this exercise, students will… Define unfamiliar or challenging vocabulary terms in context. Determine the tone of a particular passage. Determine the author’s intent and its effect on readers. Read actively and closely to accurately determine what the text states explicitly and less directly. Apply literary devices (foreshadowing). Isolate accurate statements about the text from inaccurate statements. Questions pertain to the following: Defining unfamiliar or challenging vocabulary in context (profusely). Determining the author’s tone in the opening passage. Defining unfamiliar or challenging vocabulary in context (soberly). Determining the author’s intent when she begins to write about the lottery process commencing. Defining unfamiliar or challenging vocabulary in context (stoutly). Reading actively to identify the origins of the community’s annual lottery process. Applying literary devices (foreshadowing). Accurately characterizing Old Man Warner. Isolating accurate statements from inaccurate statements in regard to the story’s resolution. This resource aligns well to Adolescent Literacy Project teaching principles. I recommend using these worksheets as the basis for small-group discussions, letting students discuss, debate, and support their reasoning for answer choices. In the role of facilitator, I observe my students becoming more consistently engaged with the novel and taking greater ownership of their learning. In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read harder texts, this resource was designed to prepare students for ACT-style questioning.

This editable close reading exercise features 7 text-dependent, higher-order questions, helping students improve comprehension of Shakespeare’s Othello (Act 3, Scene 1) with emphasis on Emilia’s interaction with Cassio. By engaging in this exercise, students will analyze character motivations, discern tone in context, analyze the craft of Shakespeare’s language for meaning, use textual evidence to support claims, and make active reading visible. An answer key with detailed rationale for each correct option is included, as are Word Document, Google Document, and PDF versions of the assessment. This resource aligns well to Adolescent Literacy Project teaching principles. I recommend using these worksheets as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode Shakespeare’s 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 – and teacher – comprehend their thinking. In the role of facilitator, I observe my students becoming more consistently engaged with the novel and taking greater ownership of their learning. In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read and comprehend complex texts, this resource was designed to prepare students for ACT-style questioning. More specifically, questions pertain to the following: Analyzing text for meaning: “She speaks for you stoutly”; “in wholesome wisdom.” Defining complex vocabulary in context: affinity. Discerning tone in context: “Yet I beseech you…” Making claims and supporting them with textual evidence: Othello’s character motivations.

This editable close reading exercise features 9 text-dependent, higher-order questions, helping students improve reading comprehension of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird (chapter 1). An answer key is included. The materials are delivered in Word Document and Google Document formats. This resource aligns well to Adolescent Literacy Project teaching principles. I recommend using these worksheets as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students pose and 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 – and teacher – comprehend their thinking. In the role of facilitator, I observe my students becoming more consistently engaged with the novel and taking greater ownership of their learning. In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read harder texts, this resource was designed to prepare students for ACT-style questioning. Questions pertain to the following: Simon Finch’s history and how he “regarded with impotent fury the disturbance between the North and the South” Atticus Finch’s history and how he broke “the tradition of living on the land” Atticus Finch’s first two clients and their ignorance The Haverfords’ having “dispatching Maycomb’s leading blacksmith in a misunderstanding arising from the alleged wrongful detention of a mare” The narrator’s intent when describing Calpurnia’s hand as “wide as a bed slat and twice as hard” An interpretation of the following phrase: “inhabited by an unknown entity the mere description of whom was enough to make us behave for days on end” Defining and interpreting vocabulary and phrasing in context (‘predilection’ and ‘a neighborhood scold’) Atticus’s use of metaphor to communicate how there are several ways to break a person down to the point of isolation from the outside world

This editable close reading exercise features 7 text-dependent, higher-order questions, helping students improve reading comprehension of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet (Act 2 Prologue & Act 2, Scene 1). By engaging in this exercise, students will read to identify what the text says explicitly and implicitly, apply literary devices, and interpret figurative expressions. An answer key is included. The resource is delivered in Word Document format and aligns well to Adolescent Literacy Project teaching principles. I recommend using these worksheets as the basis for small-group discussions. Through these discussions, students decode Shakespeare’s 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 – and teacher – comprehend their thinking. In the role of facilitator, I observe my students becoming more consistently engaged with the novel and taking greater ownership of their learning. In addition to helping students gain deeper understanding of the material and greater confidence in their ability to read harder texts, this resource was designed to prepare students for ACT-style questioning. More specifically, this item covers the following: Citing textual evidence in support of a claim: “Now Romeo is beloved, and loves again.” Citing textual evidence in support of a claim: “Now old desire doth in his deathbed lie.” Discerning meaning: “Being held a foe, [Romeo] may not have access to breathe such vows as lovers use to swear…” Discerning meaning: “But passion lends them power, time means, to meet, / Temp’ring extremities with extreme sweet.” Analyzing author’s choices: the use of metaphor to indicate how incomplete Romeo would feel without Juliet nearby. Applying literary devices: dramatic irony. Drawing rational inferences: Mercutio and Benvolio’s sincere concern for the well-being of their friend.

This editable 13-question assessment measures general comprehension and holds students accountable for the assigned reading of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet (Act 1). An answer key is included, as are Word Document, Google Document, and PDF versions of the quiz. Specifically, this quiz covers the following key plot details and concepts: The purpose of a chorus A character known as a peace-maker The reason for street-fighting in Verona Prince Escalus’s declaration Romeo’s cause for sadness Lord Capulet’s attitude toward marrying off Juliet Benvolio’s encouragement (to Romeo) Juliet’s attitude toward marriage Mercutio’s treatment of Romeo A foreshadowing fear Tybalt’s temperament Lord Capulet’s reaction to Romeo’s presence at the party The revelation of Juliet’s true identity