Evaluate general reading comprehension and support the development of critical thinking and craft analysis skills with this bundle of formative assessments covering Act 1 of William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. A plot-based quiz, three close reading worksheets, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. By engaging with these materials, students will: Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly Consult reference materials in order to learn and verify word meanings Discern the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Describe tone in context Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Compare and contrast two characters (Cassius and Casca) Apply knowledge of literary devices including hyperbaton, metaphor, pun, simile, and situational irony 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

Evaluate general reading comprehension, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of activities for teaching the short story “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, a vocabulary application activity, a crossword puzzle, a word search game, the public domain narrative, and answer keys are provided. Materials are delivered in editable Word Document and printable PDF formats. 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 Determine the most proper application of words as they are used in sentences 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 Compare and contrast two characters (Aylmer and Aminadab) Apply knowledge of literary devices including foreshadowing, imagery, metaphor, oxymoron, paradox, and more 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, facilitate vocabulary development, and sharpen critical thinking and literary craft analysis skills with this bundle of activities for teaching the short story “Amigo Brothers” by Piri Thomas. 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. 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 Infer the intended effects of the author’s word choices and narrative techniques Explore how complex characters think, behave, interact, and develop Compare and contrast the story’s protagonists Apply knowledge of literary devices including eye dialect, metaphor, onomatopoeia, personification situational irony, and more 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