$10 - $20 12th Grade English Language Arts Worksheets (by date, latest first)

This or That Bell Ringer | Back to School | Would You Rather Questions | Fun Bell Ringer Activity | Critical Thinking Prompts

About This Resource

★ Topic - Bell Ringers - This or That

★ PowerPoint Presentations | Worksheets | Task Cards

★ 150 pages

★ Suitable for Middle and High School Students

★ Print and Digital (PDF and Google Slides)

★ SEL-related resource

This resource includes:

★ 30 *This or That *PowerPoint Slides with Q’s

★ 30 *This or That *PowerPoint Slides without Q’s

★ 30 *This or That *Worksheets (with ONE Q.)

★ 30 *This or That *Worksheets (with THREE Q’s)

★ 30 *This or That *Task Cards (Colored)

★ 30 *This or That *Task Cards (BW)

★ 4 Google Slide Links

The "This or That" activity is an engaging and thought-provoking exercise where students are presented with two options and must choose one based on their personal preferences, experiences, and reasoning. These choices are highly relatable and designed to spark reflection, discussion, and critical thinking. This resource features 30 highly relatable "This or That" options!

Each This or That scenario challenges students to consider different perspectives, weigh pros and cons, and explain their reasoning in a fun and interactive way. The activity is versatile, making it perfect for bell ringers, warm-ups, classroom and/or SEL discussions, journal writing, debate starters, or even a fun brain break!

Students can participate in multiple ways:

⭐ Verbally (Pair/share, small group discussions, or whole-class conversations)

⭐ In Writing (Reflection worksheets with short or extended responses)

⭐ Digitally (Google Slides versions for online learning or interactive activities)

This resource comes in five flexible variations to suit your teaching needs:

✅ PowerPoint Presentation (No Questions) – A simple and visual This or That slideshow with engaging images, perfect for quick bell ringers or class discussions. (Digital version included!)

✅ PowerPoint Presentation (With Questions) – Includes two thought-provoking reflection questions for each This or That choice to deepen student engagement. (Digital version included!)

✅ Worksheet Version (One-Question Format) – Gives students space to write their choice and briefly explain their reasoning, great for independent work. (Digital version included!)

✅ Worksheet Version (Three-Question Format) – Includes three deeper reflection questions per scenario for students who want to explore their thinking more fully. (Digital version included!)

✅ Task Cards (Black & White for Small Groups or One-on-One) – Ideal for quick discussions, small group activities, stations, or partner work.

❤️ Social Emotional Learning❤️

This "This or That" activity supports Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) by encouraging students to practice self-awareness, decision-making, and perspective-taking. By reflecting on their choices, students develop a deeper understanding of their personal values, preferences, and emotions, while also considering different viewpoints. Engaging in discussions helps build communication skills, empathy, and social awareness, as students listen to and respect diverse opinions. Whether used for self-reflection or group dialogue, this activity fosters critical thinking, self-expression, and meaningful connections, making it a valuable tool for SEL development in the classroom.

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Created by © Queen's Educational Resources | All Rights Reserved

Your purchase includes one copy to be used in a single classroom. If you are looking for multiple copies, please be sure to purchase additional licenses.

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Please feel free to email me if you have any questions!

queenseducationalresources@gmail.com

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Guided Reading is a research-based instruction process whereby the teacher works with small grouping of students being equal in a particular reading achievement level. The teacher provides for each reader's development of effective reading competencies. However different than in the earlier days of reading groups, small and temporary groups are flexible and dynamic. The observance and evaluation of the progress of readers are done by teachers on a systematic basis. Thus, grouping and regrouping students is based on the strengths of students and the intense changing needs throughout their reading development.

In the 1960s in New Zealand, Guided Reading was developed. It was enhanced over the years after it arrived in the United States thanks to educators like Gay Su Pinnell and Lesley Fountas. In 1996, Fountas & Pinnell published their enormously influential book, Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children (Heinemann). This book changed how reading was taught, and it is still taught today to over a million teachers worldwide. The aim of Guided Reading lessons is to develop effective readers.

A set of 13 books is bundled together with all 13 worksheets of the Guided Reading series for grades KG-12. There are lesson plans and different activities for every grade, with the answers in the end section of the worksheet.

Mythical Beast Assignment Bundle: A 10-Part Series!

Spark your students’ curiosity with this bundle of 10 engaging reading assignments, each exploring a different mythical beast. Perfect for developing critical thinking and reading comprehension, this series is accessible and exciting for all learners.

Each assignment includes:

1. 4 Focused Paragraphs – Covering the origins, description, sightings, and scientific explanations of a mythical creature.
2. 4 Comprehensive Questions – Thoughtfully designed to reinforce understanding and encourage discussion.
3. Answer Key – Simplifies grading and provides clear explanations for each question.

This bundle of 10 assignments allows students to explore a variety of creatures, uncover cultural myths, and examine scientific theories behind legendary stories. Ideal for history, science, or language arts classes, these activities make learning fun and engaging.

Word search puzzles are incredibly helpful for learning new words. They're like fun games where you find words hidden in a grid of letters. When you do this, you remember the words better and also get better at spelling. It's like a puzzle adventure that helps you learn and remember words in a really enjoyable way!

What's included:

General topics:

• Summer Vocabulary
• Beach vocabulary
• Air transport Vocabulary
• Alphabet Vocabulary
• Autumn Vocabulary
• Body Parts Names
• Books Vocabulary
• Colors
• Community Vocabulary
• Family
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Jobs & Professions
• Kitchen Objects
• Classroom Objects
• Clothing Vocabulary

Seasonal:

• 4th of July Vocabulary
• Columbus Day Vocabulary
• Halloween Vocabulary
• Moon Landing Day Vocabulary
• Veterans Day Vocabulary

Astronomy:

• Moon Phases

Days & Months:

• Days of the week
• Months of The Year
• French Days of the Week
• Italian Days of The Week
• Spanish Days of The Week

Animals:

• Animals Names
• Farm Vocabulary
• Birds Names
• Domesticated Animals
• Herbivores Animals Names
• Omnivores Animals Names
• Carnivorous Animals Names
• Water & Land Animals Names
• Wild Animals Names
• Jungle Animals Names
• Mammals Animals Names

Looking for fun reading comprehension passages, questions and activities for ELA? Maybe you need high-interest close reading articles about trending topics, but wish you didn't have to write them? These activity packets will be game-changers in your classroom because they come with ready to go, no-prep, yet FUN lessons your students will actually want to do! Now, you can finally say goodbye to last-minute stressing trying to find fun substitute lesson plans!

With this no-prep emergency sub plan Pop Culture Bundle for High School ELA, your students will WANT to work and stay on task as they read about high-interest topics in pop culture, like Fortnite, Crocs, Takis, and Air Jordans.

Packed with engaging activities, these ready-to-use sets are ready for your sub tub, and designed to ease the burden of substitute teacher planning while keeping students engaged and motivated. Use them any time you don't feel like lesson planning!

You'll get stand-alone resources that are designed to offer a print-and-go sub-plan solution for ELA teachers who don't have time to prep their lessons. writers, These lesson sets will definitely engage even the most reluctant readers, while challenging your more advanced ones.

Students read an original pop culture article and you get lessons that include both reading comprehension and writing. Two fun puzzles are also included, as well as a design page that allows students to get creative and offers differentiation. The estimated Lexile measure of these sets range from 900 to 1200.

I always leave my sub binder on my desk for a sub, administrator, or colleague to grab in case of an emergency. I feel at ease knowing my students are engaged, productive, and learning even when I have to be out of the classroom.

What's included:

6-Page Sub Plan Sets (PDFs)

Each set includes...

• 1-page pop culture article
• Reading Comprehension - 7 multiple choice questions
• Critical Thinking - 5 short answer questions
• Crossword Puzzle
• Design Page
• Impossible MAZE

***CHECK OUT THE PREVIEWS FOR MORE DETAILS!***

Simply print and go! These packets can be used in a multitude of ways, and not solely for sub work. Keep them on hand to use later!

There is truly no preparation needed, which is why these sets are perfect to leave for:

• sub plans
• bell ringers
• homework
• test prep
• review
• assessment

Activity: Students can complete all six worksheets of each set as part of a sub packet, but if you don't see them for a full block then assign only one page each day you're out (you'll get even more bang for your buck!) This packet has so many uses beyond sub work - use it any time of year for a no-prep, yet FUN learning activity that kids will actually enjoy doing! All answer keys are included!

Grab this bundle along with the Game & Puzzle Activity Packet (25 pages) and save here!

✔️LIKE THESE SUB PLANS?? GET THEM ALL!

► Grab Set 1 which includes the following sets:

• Crocs
• Air Jordans
• Takis
• Fortnite

► Grab Set 2 which includes the following sets:

• TikTok
• MrBeast
• OpenAI
• Netflix

⭐⭐⭐ OR CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MONEY-SAVING BUNDLE AND GET ALL 8 SETS HERE FOR 20% OFF!!

Have a question?

Please check out the Q&A section or message me and I'll get back to you within 24 hours.

Don't forget to leave me feedback! I love to hear what my buyers say, how the product worked for them, and any feedback I can use to improve my product! (It also earns you points towards future TeachShare Purchases)

**For personal and single classroom use only. If using with multiple classrooms, please purchase additional licenses at the discounted rate.**

★★I would love to have you as my newest follower!★★ Click here to follow.

Looking for fun reading comprehension passages, questions and activities for ELA? Maybe you need high-interest close reading articles about trending topics, but wish you didn't have to write them? These activity packets will be game-changers in your classroom because they come with ready to go, no-prep, yet FUN lessons your students will actually want to do! Now, you can finally say goodbye to last-minute stressing trying to find fun substitute lesson plans!

► It'll keep your fast finishers busy and coming back for more! It is a great no-prep resource that you can use any time of year for a fun, engaging activity that your students will LOVE!

►Check out the previews for a closer look!

This money-saving bundle includes 2 best-selling resources that will be game-changers in your classroom:

• Pop Culture High School Sub Plan Set of 4
• Game & Puzzle Activity Packet

WHAT'S INCLUDED…

✔ Pop Culture High School Sub Plan Set of 4

Each set includes...

► 1-page pop culture article

► Reading Comprehension - 7 multiple choice questions

► Critical Thinking - 5 short answer questions

► Crossword Puzzle

► Design Page

► Impossible MAZE

HIGH-INTEREST TOPICS FOR TEENS...

⭐️ Crocs

⭐️ Takis

⭐️ Fortnite

⭐️ Air Jordans

This Pop Culture Bundle for High School will make your students WANT to work and stay on task as they read about high-interest trending topics among teens.

Packed with engaging activities, these ready-to-use sets are ready for your sub tub, and designed to ease the burden of substitute teacher planning while keeping students engaged and motivated. Use them any time you don't feel like lesson planning!

You'll get stand-alone resources that are designed to offer a print-and-go sub-plan solution for ELA teachers who don't have time to prep their lessons. These lesson sets will definitely engage even the most reluctant readers, while challenging your more advanced ones.

Students read an original pop culture article and you get lessons that include both reading comprehension and writing. Two fun puzzles are also included, as well as a design page that allows students to get creative and offers differentiation. There's a little bit of everything!

HOW TO USE THESE SETS...

Students can complete all six worksheets of each set as part of a sub packet, but if you don't see them for a full block then assign only one page each day you're out (you'll get even more bang for your buck!) This packet has so many uses beyond sub work - use it any time of year for a no-prep, yet FUN learning activity that kids will enjoy doing! All answer keys are included!

The estimated Lexile measure of these sets range from 900 to 1200.

✔ Game & Puzzle Activity Packet

With this activity packet, your students will be on task and motivated while challenging themselves with 25 fun and challenging games and puzzles!

This resource requires NO PREP - simply print and staple each packet or use the activities separately. Either way, it's guaranteed to keep your kiddos busy and engaged. I often like to challenge the class with an activity from the pack and offer a small reward to whoever solves the puzzle first! Or send it home with students over winter or spring breaks! So fun!

Two cover options are included- color and black & white.

What's included in the Game & Puzzle Activity Packet:

• 12 Mazes - all on the difficult side with solutions
• 2 Challenging Word Searches -each with 25 words with answer keys
• 4 Word Escape Puzzles - 4 levels of increasing difficulty and answer keys (based off the popular app!)
• 3 Sudoku with solutions
• 1 Tic Tac Toe
• 1 Dots and Boxes
• 1 Make Your Own Word Search
• 1 Word Builder Activity

Stay strong teachers...you need a resource like this to make it to the finish line :)

► I made these creative activities because I needed fun independent work that I could use in my classroom that I knew students would actually LIKE doing!

► Simply print and go! These packets can be used in a multitude of ways! Keep them on hand to use later!

►There is truly no preparation needed, which is why these sets are perfect to leave for:

• fun lessons
• early finishers
• after testing
• group work
• sub plans
• bell ringers
• homework
• test prep
• review
• assessment

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR MORE EARLY FINISHERS…

You may be interested in the money-saving Monthly Early Finisher Packets Bundle. Each packet comes with 20 pages. This Growing Bundle will soon include all 12 months of the year!! Get it now for over 30% off because the current price will be going up soon as new months are added! Packets for each month will be posted before the 1st of the month!

Do your kiddos like puzzles?? You might also be interested in the End of Year Puzzle Bundle (18-page packet) which includes:

• 8 challenging mazes
• 4 difficult word searches, with 48 words each!
• 4 word escape puzzles with varying difficulty levels, based on the popular mobile app!

Have a question?

Please check out the Q&A section or message me and I'll get back to you within 24 hours.

Don't forget to leave me feedback! I love to hear what my buyers say, how the product worked for them, and any feedback I can use to improve my product! (It also earns you points towards future TeachShare Purchases)

**For personal and single classroom use only. If using with multiple classrooms, please purchase additional licenses at the discounted rate.**

★★I would love to have you as my newest follower!★★ Click here to follow.

Looking for fun reading comprehension passages, questions and activities for ELA? Maybe you need high-interest close reading articles about trending topics, but wish you didn't have to write them? These activity packets will be game-changers in your classroom because they come with ready to go, no-prep, yet FUN lessons your students will actually want to do! Now, you can finally say goodbye to last-minute stressing trying to find fun substitute lesson plans!

With this no-prep emergency sub plan Pop Culture Bundle for High School ELA (SET 2), your students will WANT to work and stay on task as they read about high-interest topics in pop culture, like TikTok, Mr Beast, Open AI, and Netflix

Packed with engaging activities, these ready-to-use sets are ready for your sub tub, and designed to ease the burden of substitute teacher planning while keeping students engaged and motivated. Use them any time you don't feel like lesson planning!

You'll get stand-alone resources that are designed to offer a print-and-go sub-plan solution for ELA teachers who don't have time to prep their lessons. writers, These lesson sets will definitely engage even the most reluctant readers, while challenging your more advanced ones.

Students read an original pop culture article and you get lessons that include both reading comprehension and writing. Two fun puzzles are also included, as well as a design page that allows students to get creative and offers differentiation. The estimated Lexile measure of these sets range from 900 to 1200.

I always leave my sub binder on my desk for a sub, administrator, or colleague to grab in case of an emergency. I feel at ease knowing my students are engaged, productive, and learning even when I have to be out of the classroom.

What's included:

6-Page Sub Plan Sets (PDFs) 4 INCLUDED!

Each set includes...

• 1-page pop culture article
• Reading Comprehension - 7 multiple choice questions
• Critical Thinking - 5 short answer questions
• Crossword Puzzle
• Design Page
• Impossible MAZE

***CHECK OUT THE PREVIEWS FOR MORE DETAILS!***

Simply print and go! These packets can be used in a multitude of ways, and not solely for sub work. Keep them on hand to use later!

There is truly no preparation needed, which is why these sets are perfect to leave for:

• sub plans
• bell ringers
• homework
• test prep
• review
• assessment

Activity: Students can complete all six worksheets of each set as part of a sub packet, but if you don't see them for a full block then assign only one page each day you're out (you'll get even more bang for your buck!) This packet has so many uses beyond sub work - use it any time of year for a no-prep, yet FUN learning activity that kids will actually enjoy doing! All answer keys are included!

✔️LIKE THESE SUB PLANS?? GET THEM ALL!

► Grab Set 1 which includes the following sets:

• Crocs
• Air Jordans
• Takis
• Fortnite

► Grab Set 2 which includes the following sets (CURRENTLY VIEWING)

• TikTok
• MrBeast
• OpenAI
• Netflix

⭐⭐⭐ OR CLICK HERE TO BUY THE MONEY-SAVING BUNDLE AND GET ALL 8 SETS HERE FOR 20% OFF!!

Have a question?

Please check out the Q&A section or message me and I'll get back to you within 24 hours.

Don't forget to leave me feedback! I love to hear what my buyers say, how the product worked for them, and any feedback I can use to improve my product! (It also earns you points towards future TeachShare Purchases)

**For personal and single classroom use only. If using with multiple classrooms, please purchase additional licenses at the discounted rate.**

★★I would love to have you as my newest follower!★★ Click here to follow.

Looking for fun reading comprehension passages, questions and activities for ELA? Maybe you need high-interest close reading articles about trending topics, but wish you didn't have to write them? These activity packets will be game-changers in your classroom because they come with ready to go, no-prep, yet FUN lessons your students will actually want to do! Now, you can finally say goodbye to last-minute stressing trying to find fun substitute lesson plans!

► It'll keep your fast finishers busy and coming back for more! It is a great no-prep resource that you can use any time of year for a fun, engaging activity that your students will LOVE!

►Check out the previews for a closer look!

This money-saving bundle includes 2 best-selling resources that will be game-changers in your classroom:

• Pop Culture High School Sub Plan Set of 4
• Game & Puzzle Activity Packet

WHAT'S INCLUDED…

✔ Pop Culture High School Sub Plan Set of 4

Each set includes...

► 1-page pop culture article

► Reading Comprehension - 7 multiple choice questions

► Critical Thinking - 5 short answer questions

► Crossword Puzzle

► Design Page

► Impossible MAZE

HIGH-INTEREST TOPICS FOR TEENS...

⭐️ Netflix

⭐️ MrBeast

⭐️ TikTok

⭐️ OpenAI

This Pop Culture Bundle for High School will make your students WANT to work and stay on task as they read about high-interest trending topics among teens.

Packed with engaging activities, these ready-to-use sets are ready for your sub tub, and designed to ease the burden of substitute teacher planning while keeping students engaged and motivated. Use them any time you don't feel like lesson planning!

You'll get stand-alone resources that are designed to offer a print-and-go sub-plan solution for ELA teachers who don't have time to prep their lessons. These lesson sets will definitely engage even the most reluctant readers, while challenging your more advanced ones.

Students read an original pop culture article and you get lessons that include both reading comprehension and writing. Two fun puzzles are also included, as well as a design page that allows students to get creative and offers differentiation. There's a little bit of everything!

HOW TO USE THESE SETS...

Students can complete all six worksheets of each set as part of a sub packet, but if you don't see them for a full block then assign only one page each day you're out (you'll get even more bang for your buck!) This packet has so many uses beyond sub work - use it any time of year for a no-prep, yet FUN learning activity that kids will enjoy doing! All answer keys are included!

The estimated Lexile measure of these sets range from 900 to 1200.

✔ Game & Puzzle Activity Packet

With this activity packet, your students will be on task and motivated while challenging themselves with 25 fun and challenging games and puzzles!

This resource requires NO PREP - simply print and staple each packet or use the activities separately. Either way, it's guaranteed to keep your kiddos busy and engaged. I often like to challenge the class with an activity from the pack and offer a small reward to whoever solves the puzzle first! Or send it home with students over winter or spring breaks! So fun!

Two cover options are included- color and black & white.

What's included in the Game & Puzzle Activity Packet:

• 12 Mazes - all on the difficult side with solutions
• 2 Challenging Word Searches -each with 25 words with answer keys
• 4 Word Escape Puzzles - 4 levels of increasing difficulty and answer keys (based off the popular app!)
• 3 Sudoku with solutions
• 1 Tic Tac Toe
• 1 Dots and Boxes
• 1 Make Your Own Word Search
• 1 Word Builder Activity

Stay strong teachers...you need a resource like this to make it to the finish line :)

► I made these creative activities because I needed fun independent work that I could use in my classroom that I knew students would actually LIKE doing!

► Simply print and go! These packets can be used in a multitude of ways! Keep them on hand to use later!

►There is truly no preparation needed, which is why these sets are perfect to leave for:

• fun lessons
• early finishers
• after testing
• group work
• sub plans
• bell ringers
• homework
• test prep
• review
• assessment

IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR MORE EARLY FINISHERS…

You may be interested in the money-saving Monthly Early Finisher Packets Bundle. Each packet comes with 20 pages. This Growing Bundle will soon include all 12 months of the year!! Get it now for over 30% off because the current price will be going up soon as new months are added! Packets for each month will be posted before the 1st of the month!

Do your kiddos like puzzles?? You might also be interested in the End of Year Puzzle Bundle (18-page packet) which includes:

• 8 challenging mazes
• 4 difficult word searches, with 48 words each!
• 4 word escape puzzles with varying difficulty levels, based on the popular mobile app!

Have a question?

Please check out the Q&A section or message me and I'll get back to you within 24 hours.

Don't forget to leave me feedback! I love to hear what my buyers say, how the product worked for them, and any feedback I can use to improve my product! (It also earns you points towards future TeachShare Purchases)

**For personal and single classroom use only. If using with multiple classrooms, please purchase additional licenses at the discounted rate.**

★★I would love to have you as my newest follower!★★ Click here to follow.

Empower your students to celebrate, analyze, and understand the rich tapestry of Black History with this captivating bundle of 18 ready-to-use reading comprehension worksheets! Dive deep into pivotal moments, inspiring figures, and ongoing struggles, igniting critical thinking and fostering social awareness.
Uncover a wealth of diverse topics:

• Ancient African Civilizations: Explore the grandeur of Mali, Songhai, and Kush, discovering advanced societies and cultural achievements.

• The Transatlantic Slave Trade: Confront the atrocities of the slave trade, analyzing its impact and the unwavering spirit of resistance.

• Maroons and Underground Railroad: Celebrate the courageous journeys of freedom seekers and the legacy of resilience.

• Civil Rights and Social Justice:

  • The Abolitionist Movement: Meet Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and other heroes who fought for freedom.
  • Reconstruction and Jim Crow: Analyze the complex landscape of post-Civil War America and the persistent fight for equality.
  • The Civil Rights Movement: Witness the courage and leadership of Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and countless others who pushed for change.
  • The Black Panther Party: Understand the movement's call for self-defense and social justice.
  • The Black Lives Matter Movement: Engage with current struggles for racial justice and police reform.

• Politics and Leadership:

  • Black Political Figures: Honor the achievements of Barack Obama, Shirley Chisholm, John Lewis, and many more.
  • Black Women in Politics: Recognize the crucial role of Black women in shaping political agendas.
  • Black Representation in Government: Discuss the importance of diversifying government at all levels.

• Arts and Culture:

  • Harlem Renaissance: Immerse yourself in the vibrant literary, artistic, and musical explosion of the 1920s and 30s.
  • Jazz and Gospel Music: Appreciate the unique contributions of Black musicians to American music.
  • Black Literature: Delve into the powerful works of Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and others.
  • Visual Arts and Photography: Explore the expressions of Black artists and photographers throughout history.

• Science and Technology:

  • Black Scientists and Inventors: Celebrate the groundbreaking achievements of Katherine Johnson, George Washington Carver, and many more.
  • The Tuskegee Syphilis Study: Examine the unethical medical experiment and its lasting impact.
  • Representation in STEM Fields: Discuss the ongoing challenges faced by Black individuals in science and technology.

Each engaging worksheet features:

• Vivid Narratives: Captivating texts bring history to life, making complex topics accessible and relatable.
• Primary Sources: Analyze firsthand accounts, documents, and images to develop critical thinking skills and historical understanding.
• Interactive Activities: Multiple-choice, true/false, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer questions reinforce key concepts and promote active learning.
• Thought-Provoking Discussions: Guide students to connect historical events to present-day issues and engage in meaningful dialogue.
• Clear Answer Keys: Save valuable time with comprehensive answer keys for easy assessment and feedback.

Ideal for:

• Middle and high school social studies, language arts, or humanities classes.
• Teachers seeking resources for Black History Month, thematic units, or promoting critical thinking and social justice education.
• Anyone passionate about Black history and its enduring impact on American society.

Unlock the power of Black history in your classroom with this comprehensive and engaging resource! Order your bundle today and ignite a passion for learning, understanding, and social change!

Review: This comprehensive bundle covers a wide range of topics in Black history, offering a well-rounded and inclusive perspective. The inclusion of primary sources, diverse figures, and contemporary movements keeps the content relevant and engaging for students. Each worksheet uses a variety of assessment formats to cater to different learning styles and ensure thorough understanding.

Learning Objectives:

• Students will analyze key events, figures, and movements in Black history across different periods and contexts.
• Students will develop critical thinking skills through analyzing primary sources, identifying bias, and formulating questions for further inquiry.
• Students will connect historical events to present-day issues and understand the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality.
• Students will engage in discussions and reflection activities that promote empathy, understanding, and a commitment to social change.
• Students will improve their reading comprehension skills and vocabulary development through exposure to diverse historical texts.

Common Core State Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7: Analyze various accounts of a single historical event or issue, recognizing and clarifying differences in points of view.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.8: Distinguish between primary and secondary sources, and determine the difference between fact and opinion.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.9: Analyze and evaluate the usefulness of different resources for researching a topic.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.10: Integrate information from diverse sources, including primary and secondary sources, print and digital sources, and visual sources, in order to write about a topic.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6-8.4: Present claims and findings clearly and concisely using relevant evidence.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6-8.1: Engage effectively in a variety of collaborative discussions, building on the contributions of others and expressing ideas clearly and concisely.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6-8.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6-8.7: Conduct short research projects that answer a question, drawing on information from several credible sources and integrating information into a well-organized presentation.

UPDATED FOR THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR: Finally, a poetry unit designed for high-school English that teenagers genuinely love!! Your students' skills in close reading and literary analysis of poems will skyrocket....

The 3-week unit features 60+ canonical poems written by a diverse spectrum of English-speaking poets. The poems and accompanying lesson plans are organized into 12 thematic packets which can be used in sequence over two weeks. That's over 200 pages worth of editable poetry resources!

This unit promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The discussion questions, quick writes, literary device quizzes, and analytical writing assignments will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!!

Here are some highlights from this editable 200-page curriculum:

• Homework Packets with Poems (5-6 Poems per Packet): The 12 homework packets contain a total of 71 poems by a diverse range of award-winning poets such as William Shakespeare, John Keats, Christina Rossetti, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, Robert Hayden, Theodore Roethke, Maya Angelou, Audre Lorde, Mary Oliver, Gary Soto, Li-Young Lee, Ada Limón, Elizabeth Acevedo, and others. The poems are collected into ten reading packets that focus on prominent literary devices and themes: 1) poems using sensory imagery, 2) poems using figurative language, 3) love poems, 4) poems on ethical dilemmas, 5) poems on complex parent-child dynamics, and 6) poems on cultural identity. Because teenagers have a lot to say about these themes, the poems will set the stage for your class to have fascinating and profoundly productive discussions!! (75 pages)

• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, stanzas, and syntactic devices. Many teachers already have a glossary of literary devices, but I'm providing this in case you need one. (2 pages)

• Literary Devices Quizzes: A total of ten quizzes, each with 10 questions about a wide range of literary devices: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. Open each class with a quiz to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices used in the poems from the homework packets. Answer keys included. (24 pages).

• Discussion Questions: This bundle features a list of discussion questions for the first poem in each of the homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that every class discussion starts on a productive foot. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions lend themselves to a range of different pedagogical uses: 1) to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, 2) to prompt in-class writing, 3) to assign written reflections for homework, etc. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster deep thinking! Answer keys included. (60 pages)

• Quick Writes: The quick writes give students an opportunity to capture and refine the best ideas generated in the discussion. Quick writes can also help reticent students to gather their thoughts so they'll feel ready and eager to contribute. (24 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on a poem of their choice. The assignment sheet contains detailed instructions for how to generate a formalist analysis of a poem (analyzing how the poem's formal features contribute to its meaning). This kind of formalist analysis is exactly what students are asked to generate on the AP Literature exam! Sample paper included. (15 pages)

This entire resource packet will come to you in two separate formats: Word docs *and* PDFs. Because the Word docs are fully editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access all of the materials as PDF documents — which are easy to navigate and quick to print!

My store is called “Rigorous Resources” because all of the resources contain rigorous content that will motivate students to engage in thought-provoking and productive discussions. Thank you for choosing Rigorous Resources.

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

Should you prefer to purchase the poetry units individually, here are links to the five poetry units:

Poetry Unit #1: Sensory Imagery in Poetry

Poetry Unit #2: Figurative Language in Poetry

Poetry Unit #3: Love Poems

Poetry Unit #4: Poems on Ethical Dilemmas

Poetry Unit #5: Poems on Family Relationships

Poetry Unit #6: Poems on Cultural Identity

Store: https://www.TeachShare.com/Store/Rigorous-Resources

These student workbooks feature everything you'll need to deliver profoundly engaging lessons on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. These workbooks, with their colorful design and rigorous content, are guaranteed to have your students falling in love with Shakespeare's tragic tale of star-crossed lovers!

Every page of these teacher-friendly workbooks is fully editable. So you'll be able to customize the materials to match the skill levels of your students — year after year. Recover weeks of prep time while amplifying student engagement with these rigorous and colorful literature workbooks!

Best of all, every page of this workbook comes with a detailed and insightful answer key! The answer keys are brimming with interpretative expertise from leading Shakespeare scholars who teach at universities like Harvard and Cambridge. You'll have every student reading like a professor!

Here's what you'll find in this editable 100+ page teaching resource:

• Pacing Guide: The pacing guide features brief summaries of every scene in the play. It also provides suggestions about which scenes to assign for homework so that students' nightly workload will be manageable while every class session will be maximally productive. The pacing guide also includes a sample homework posting which teachers can copy and paste into their school's learning management system. (3 pages)

• STUDENT WORKBOOKS on Romeo and Juliet: The 50-page workbook features highly engaging worksheets on every scene in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Each worksheet is divided into sections which invite students to engage with the text in a variety of different ways:

• The Passage Analysis section invite students to analyze one or two key passages from each scene.
• The Evidence Hunt challenges students to answer an interpretive question by finding the best textual evidence to support their answer.
• The Comparing Quotations section invites students to make connections between quotations from different scenes in the play.
• The Discussion Question section features three higher-order questions designed to foster lively discussions and interpretive debates among students.
• The Quick Writes challenge students to compose short arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights!

The workbook is guaranteed to foster skills in close reading, thoughtful analysis, and lively discussion. It will have your students feeling genuinely excited to study Shakespeare every day! (50 pages)

• WORKBOOK ANSWER KEY: The 50-page answer key to the workbook provides detailed answers to the passage analysis, evidence hunt, and comparing quotations sections. The answer key is informed by the best books and articles written by leading Shakespeare scholars: Marjorie Garber (Harvard), Stephen Greenblatt (Harvard), Emma Smith (Oxford), Coppélia Kahn (Brown), Catherine Belsey (Cambridge), Susan Snyder (Swarthmore), David Bevington (Chicago), Dympna Callaghan (Syracuse), and many others. (50 pages)

These workbooks and answer keys will come to you in two separate formats: Word Docs *and* PDFs. Because the Word docs are fully editable, you'll be able to customize them to match the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access PDF versions — which are easy to navigate and quick to print.

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for top-quality resources on William Shakespeare. Wishing you an amazing experience with teaching Romeo and Juliet. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I love hearing from fellow teachers who share a passion for great literature! 

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Remember to “follow” my store to receive email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Feel free to check out these complete units on Shakespeare's masterpieces:

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Romeo and Juliet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Julius Caesar

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Macbeth

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Othello

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Hamlet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Much Ado About Nothing

INTRO TO SHAKESPEARE: Biography, Globe Theater, Language, & Meter

This 135-page EDITABLE unit has everything you'll need for profoundly stimulating lessons on Willa Cather's My Ántonia!! Invite your class to engage in student-driven discussions without compromising on intellectual rigor. The pre-reading handouts, discussion questions, daily quizzes, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!!

Hold your students accountable for completing the nightly homework by beginning every class with a quick vocabulary and reading quiz. Facilitate dynamic discussions that motivate students to become attached to the thrill generating shared knowledge. Challenge students to explicate textual details using a wide range of interpretive lenses: historicist, psychoanalytic, feminist, etc. Inspire students to arrive at a whole new depth of insight!!

Here are some highlights from the 135-page editable curriculum:

• Portrait of the Author: Willa Cather: This pre-reading handout will provoke students to make connections between Cather's life and central themes in My Ántonia — without spoiling any of the plot details. Includes a follow-up quiz with answer key. (4 pages)

• Discussion Question Handouts: Thirty-five of higher-order discussion questions guaranteed to inspire profoundly thoughtful class discussions! This unit features double-sided handouts with with 8-10 discussion for each of the novel's 12 sections. The discussion questions are the beating heart of these lesson plans. They challenge students to build interpretive arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights! (35 pages)

• Vocabulary Lists: Lists of 10-12 vocabulary words for every section of the novel, complete with definitions and sample sentences with the words as used in My Ántonia. A total of over 120 SAT-worthy words. (12 pages)

• Vocabulary & Reading Quizzes: Quizzes with 10 questions per reading assignment. Build students’ vocabularies while holding them accountable for the nightly reading homework. Each quiz contains 7 questions on vocabulary words plus another 3 questions on reading comprehension. Grading these quizzes is simple and quick. They’re an easy way to log 12 grades into your gradebook. Answer keys included. (24 pages)

• Literary Devices Quiz: This quiz challenges students to identify the literary devices used in fifteen quotations from My Ántonia. The literary devices include metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, allusion, onomatopoeia, and more. This bundle also features a glossary with definitions of the literary devices as well as examples of how each device is used in Cather's novel — so you can review the devices with students before they tackle the worksheet. The worksheet can be used either as a quiz or as a fun refresher. Answer key included. (3 pages)

• Quotation Race: Students work in pairs to identify the speakers of 50 key quotations from My Ántonia. Introduce this fun activity when you need to mix things up, or to refresh students' memories in preparation for the AP exam. Answer key included. (6 pages)

• FRQ3 Practice Essay: Designed for AP Lit teachers, this in-class practice essay will allow students to rehearse the "FRQ3" essay from the AP Literature and Composition Exam. The assignment asks students to write a 40-minute in-class essay in response to one amongst three recent Q3 prompts that featured My Antonia as one of the recommended works of literary merit. (5 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on Willa Cather's wonderfully complex novel. Let students choose from one of eight profoundly thought-provoking sample topics — or invite them to develop a similar topic of their own. Rubric included. (4 pages)

My store is called “Rigorous Resources” because the units feature content-rich lessons guaranteed to boost your students' close-reading and critical-thinking skills. This unit filled with dozens of historically relevant visual images: documentary photographs of dugouts and sod houses from the 1870s and 1880s, portraits of Red Cloud and other historical figures, paintings by the prairie-born painter Harvey Dunn, and much more. But what really distinguishes this unit is how the pre-reading handouts, discussion questions, exercises on literary devices, and writing assignment are all designed to help student arrive at an abundance of interpretive insights!

The entire 135-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word Doc *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is fully editable, you'll be able to CUSTOMIZE the materials to suit your teaching style and/or the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access the entire unit as a PDF — which is easy to navigate and quick to print!

As someone who great up in the midwest, I love teaching Cather's masterpiece about life on the Nebraska prairie. And I also love hearing from teachers who share a passion for great literature. If you have any questions while teaching this novel, please don't hesitate to reach out via email. Wishing you an amazing experience with My Ántonia!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for resources on American literature. Every unit was designed by a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago with a research specialization in American literature. Feel free to check out these complete units on canonical texts by diverse American authors:

Complete Unit on Tommy Orange's There There

Complete Unit on Arthur Miller's The Crucible

Complete Unit on Frederick Douglass's Narrative

Complete Unit on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Complete Unit on Nella Larsen's Passing

Complete Unit on Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

Complete Unit on J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

Complete Unit on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun

Complete Unit on Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye

Complete Unit on Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese

These student workbooks have everything you need to deliver profoundly engaging lessons on William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. With their colorful design and rigorous content, the workbooks are guaranteed to amplify student engagement and ensure that every class session is highly productive.

Moreover, every page in these workbooks is fully editable! You'll be able to customize the materials to match the skill levels of your students — year after year. Recover weeks of prep time while amplifying student engagement with these rigorous and colorful literature workbooks!

Best of all, every page of this workbook comes with a detailed answer key! The answer keys are brimming with interpretive insights from Shakespeare scholars who teach at universities like Harvard and Oxford. You'll have every student reading like a professor!

Here's what you'll find in this editable 100-page teaching resource:

• Pacing Guide: The pacing guide provides suggestions about which scenes to assign for homework so that students' nightly workload will be manageable while every class session will be maximally productive. The pacing guide also includes a sample homework posting which teachers can copy and paste into their school's learning management system. (2 pages)

• STUDENT WORKBOOKS on Julius Caesar: The 50-page workbook features highly engaging worksheets on every scene in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Each worksheet is divided into sections which invite students to engage with the text in a variety of different ways:

• The Passage Analysis section invite students to analyze one or two key passages from each scene.
• The Evidence Hunt challenges students to answer an interpretive question by finding the best textual evidence to support their answer.
• The Comparing Quotations section invites students to make connections between quotations from different scenes in the play.
• The Discussion Question section features three higher-order questions designed to foster lively discussions and interpretive debates among students.
• The Quick Writes challenge students to compose short arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights!

The workbook is guaranteed to foster skills in close reading, thoughtful analysis, and lively discussion. It will have your students feeling genuinely excited to study Shakespeare every day! (50 pages)

• WORKBOOK ANSWER KEY: The 50-page answer key to the workbook provides detailed answers to the passage analysis, evidence hunt, and comparing quotations sections. The answer key is informed by the best books and articles written by leading Shakespeare scholars: Marjorie Garber (Harvard), Stephen Greenblatt (Harvard), Coppélia Kahn (Brown), Gayle Greene (Scripps), R. A. Foakes (UCLA), Emma Smith (Oxford), Dieter Mehl (Bonn), and others. (50 pages)

These workbooks and answer keys will come to you in two separate formats: Word Docs *and* PDFs. Because the Word docs are fully editable, you'll be able to customize them to match the skill levels of your students — year after year. If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access PDF versions — which are easy to navigate and quick to print.

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for top-quality resources on William Shakespeare. Wishing you an amazing experience with teaching Julius Caesar. If you have any questions along the way, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I love hearing from fellow teachers who share a passion for great literature! 

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Remember to “follow” my store to receive email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Feel free to check out these complete units on Shakespeare's masterpieces:

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Romeo and Juliet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Julius Caesar

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Macbeth

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Othello

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Hamlet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Much Ado About Nothing

INTRO TO SHAKESPEARE: Biography, Globe Theater, Language, & Meter

This 180-page EDITABLE unit has everything you'll need to deliver profoundly engaging lessons on William Shakespeare’s Othello. The colorful workbooks will enable you to capture and hold the attention of modern-day students. The higher-order questions will help you pivot from reading comprehension to interpretive analysis and critical thinking. Deliver the best lessons while inspiring students to fall in love with Shakespeare's Othello!!

Every page in this teacher-friendly unit is fully editable! So you'll be able to customize the materials to suit the skill levels of your students — year after year! The unit also includes an answer key filled with insights from Shakespeare scholars at universities like Harvard and Cambridge. Your students will be reading like a professor!

Trifles light as air are to the jealous confirmations strong as proofs of holy writ.... Shakespeare's Othello is finally being appreciated as one of his most virtuosic and masterful accomplishments. The play amounts to a fascinating study of interracial love and same-sex friendship, ethical action and eloquent speech, jealousy and self-doubt, cynical manipulation and courageous advocacy.

In addition to focusing on the themes mentioned above, this curriculum brings an anti-racist lens to the study of Othello. Although the play was written over 400 years ago, Shakespeare's Othello can help students achieve a deeper understand of how race and gender operate in today’s world. This unit provides an opportunity to discuss modern concepts such as “intersectionality,” “stereotype threat,” and “code switching.”

This unit ranks among the very best that I've ever created, and I couldn't be more excited to share it with you!!

Here’s what you’ll find in this editable 180-page unit:

• Introduction to Shakespeare’s World: The 30-page introduction includes five handouts covering topics like Shakespeare’s biography, the language of Renaissance England, the construction of the Globe Theater, how to recognize iambic pentameter, and more. Every handout is followed by a comprehension check, practice exercise, or quiz. You could spend up to a week with the introductory handouts — or skip them altogether. Answer keys included. (30 pages)

• STUDENT WORKBOOKS on Othello: The 60-page workbook features colorful and highly engaging worksheets on every scene in Othello. Each worksheet is divided into sections which invite students to engage with the text in a variety of different ways:

• The Passage Analysis section invite students to analyze one or two key passages from each scene.
• The Evidence Hunt challenges students to answer an interpretive question by finding the best textual evidence to support their answer.
• The Comparing Quotations section invites students to make connections between quotations from different scenes in the play.
• The Discussion Question section features three higher-order questions designed to foster lively discussions and interpretive debates among students.
• The Quick Writes challenge students to compose short arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights!

• Workbook Answer Key: The 60-page answer key to the workbook provides detailed answers to the passage analysis, evidence hunt, and comparing quotations sections. The answer key is informed by the best books and articles written by leading Shakespeare scholars: Marjorie Garber (Harvard), Stephen Greenblatt (Harvard), Coppélia Kahn (Brown), Eamon Grennan (Vassar), Dympna Callaghan (Syracuse), Susan Snyder (Swarthmore), Janet Adelman (Berkeley), Emma Smith (Oxford), Farah Karim-Cooper (Kings College London), Michael Neill (Auckland), and others. (60 pages)

• Figurative Language Quiz: The quiz challenges students to identify 8 types of figurative language — metaphor, simile, metonymy, paradox, oxymoron, personification, apostrophe, and hyperbole — used across 25 quotations from Othello. Also included is a glossary with definitions of the types of figurative language as well as examples of how they’re used in the early scenes of Shakespeare’s play — so you can begin reviewing the types of figurative language with students before they tackle the quiz. Answer key included. (5 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on Shakespeare’s Othello. Let students choose from one of 5 thought-provoking sample topics — or invite them to develop a topic of their own. Includes a writing schedule, outline template, and grading rubric. For teachers of AP Literature, this unit also features FRQ3 prompts focused on Othello. (8 pages) 

This unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word docs *and* PDFs. Because the Word docs are fully editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access the complete unit in PDF format — which is easy to navigate and quick to print.

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for top-quality units on canonical literary texts by diverse authors. Wishing you an amazing experience with teaching Shakespeare's Othello. If you have any questions along the way, please don't hesitate to get in touch at the email address below. I love hearing from fellow teachers who share a passion for great literature! 

Happy teaching,

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Remember to "follow" my store to get email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Feel free to check out these complete units on Shakespeare's masterpieces:

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Romeo and Juliet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Julius Caesar

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Macbeth

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Othello

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Hamlet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Much Ado About Nothing

INTRO TO SHAKESPEARE: Biography, Globe Theater, Language, & Meter

These student workbooks feature everything you'll need to deliver profoundly engaging lessons on William Shakespeare's Macbeth. With their colorful design and rigorous content, the workbooks are guaranteed to amplify student engagement and ensure that every class session is highly productive. Moreover, every page in these workbooks is fully editable! You'll be able to customize the materials to match the skill levels of your students — year after year. Recover weeks of prep time while amplifying student engagement with these rigorous and colorful literature workbooks!

Best of all, every page of this workbook comes with a detailed answer key! The answer keys are brimming with interpretive insights from Shakespeare scholars who teach at universities like Harvard and Cambridge. You'll have every student reading like a professor!

Here's what you'll find in this editable 100+ page teaching resource:

• Pacing Guide: The pacing guide features brief summaries of every scene in the play. It also provides suggestions about which scenes to assign for homework so that students' nightly workload will be manageable while every class session will be maximally productive. The pacing guide also includes a sample homework posting which teachers can copy and paste into their school's learning management system. (2 pages)

• STUDENT WORKBOOKS on Macbeth: The 50-page workbook features highly engaging worksheets on every scene in Shakespeare's Macbeth. Each worksheet is divided into sections which invite students to engage with the text in a variety of different ways:

• The Passage Analysis section invite students to analyze one or two key passages from each scene.
• The Evidence Hunt challenges students to answer an interpretive question by finding the best textual evidence to support their answer.
• The Comparing Quotations section invites students to make connections between quotations from different scenes in the play.
• The Discussion Question section features three higher-order questions designed to foster lively discussions and interpretive debates among students.
• The Quick Writes challenge students to compose short arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights!

The workbook is guaranteed to foster skills in close reading, thoughtful analysis, and lively discussion. It will have your students feeling genuinely excited to study Shakespeare every day! (50 pages)

• WORKBOOK ANSWER KEY: The 50-page answer key to the workbook provides detailed answers to the passage analysis, evidence hunt, and comparing quotations sections. The answer key is informed by the best books and articles written by leading Shakespeare scholars: Marjorie Garber (Harvard), Stephen Greenblatt (Harvard), Emma Smith (Oxford), Coppélia Kahn (Brown), Catherine Belsey (Cambridge), Susan Snyder (Swarthmore), David Bevington (UChicago), Dympna Callaghan (Syracuse), and many others. (50 pages)

These workbooks and answer keys will come to you in two separate formats: Word Docs *and* PDFs. Because the Word docs are fully editable, you'll be able to customize them to match the skill levels of your students — year after year. If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access PDF versions — which are easy to navigate and quick to print.

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for top-quality resources on William Shakespeare. Wishing you an amazing experience with teaching the "Scottish play." If you have any questions along the way, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I love hearing from fellow teachers who share a passion for great literature! 

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Remember to “follow” my store to receive email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Feel free to check out these complete units on Shakespeare's masterpieces:

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Romeo and Juliet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Julius Caesar

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Macbeth

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Othello

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Hamlet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Much Ado About Nothing

INTRO TO SHAKESPEARE: Biography, Globe Theater, Language, & Meter

These student workbooks feature everything you'll need to deliver profoundly engaging lessons on William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. These workbooks, with their colorful design and rigorous content, are guaranteed to have your students falling in love with Shakespeare's tragic tale of star-crossed lovers!

Every page of these teacher-friendly workbooks is fully editable. So you'll be able to customize the materials to match the skill levels of your students — year after year. Recover weeks of prep time while amplifying student engagement with these rigorous and colorful literature workbooks!

Best of all, every page of this workbook comes with a detailed and insightful answer key! The answer keys are brimming with interpretative expertise from leading Shakespeare scholars who teach at universities like Harvard, Yale, and Oxford. You'll have every student reading like a professor!

Here's what you'll find in this editable 100+ page teaching resource:

• Pacing Guide: The pacing guide features brief summaries of every scene in the play. It also provides suggestions about which scenes to assign for homework so that students' nightly workload will be manageable while every class session will be maximally productive. The pacing guide also includes a sample homework posting which teachers can copy and paste into their school's learning management system. (3 pages)

• STUDENT WORKBOOKS on Much Ado About Nothing: The 50-page workbook features highly engaging worksheets on every scene in Shakespeare's Much Ado. Each worksheet is divided into sections which invite students to engage with the text in a variety of different ways:

• The Passage Analysis section invite students to analyze one or two key passages from each scene.
• The Evidence Hunt challenges students to answer an interpretive question by finding the best textual evidence to support their answer.
• The Comparing Quotations section invites students to make connections between quotations from different scenes in the play.
• The Discussion Question section features three higher-order questions designed to foster lively discussions and interpretive debates among students.
• The Quick Writes challenge students to compose short arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights!

The workbook is guaranteed to foster skills in close reading, thoughtful analysis, and lively discussion. It will have your students feeling genuinely excited to study Shakespeare every day! (50 pages)

• WORKBOOK ANSWER KEY: The 50-page answer key to the workbook provides detailed answers to the passage analysis, evidence hunt, and comparing quotations sections. The answer key is informed by the best books and articles written by leading Shakespeare scholars: Marjorie Garber (Harvard), Stephen Greenblatt (Harvard), René Girard (Stanford), Harry Berger (Yale), Carol Cook (Vassar), Dympna Callaghan (Syracuse), Emma Smith (Oxford), Farah Karim-Cooper (King’s College London), Indira Ghose (Fribourg), and others. (50 pages)

These workbooks and answer keys will come to you in two separate formats: Word Docs *and* PDFs. Because the Word docs are fully editable, you'll be able to customize them to match the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access PDF versions — which are easy to navigate and quick to print.

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for top-quality resources on William Shakespeare. Wishing you an amazing experience with teaching Much Ado. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I love hearing from fellow teachers who share a passion for great literature! 

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Remember to “follow” my store to receive email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Feel free to check out these complete units on Shakespeare's masterpieces:

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Romeo and Juliet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Julius Caesar

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Macbeth

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Othello

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Hamlet

COMPLETE UNIT with Workbooks on Much Ado About Nothing

INTRO TO SHAKESPEARE: Biography, Globe Theater, Language, & Meter

Looking for the "green light" in a sea of Gatsby resources? Look no further, old sport! This 240-page MEGA-BUNDLE on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The pre-reading slideshow, symbolic settings exercise, color symbolism activity, higher-order discussion questions, figurative language exercises, creative writing assignment, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights. The unit was designed to have more than enough rigor for Honors, IB, and AP courses!

Everything you’ll need to teach Fitzgerald’s masterpiece is included in this bundle. The abundance of materials will give you tons of options to play with, making the experience of teaching Gatsby not just easy but invigorating! Every page is fully EDITABLE so that you'll be able to customize the materials to suit your teaching style and/or the skill levels of your students — year after year!

Here are some highlights from this editable 240-PAGE curriculum:

• Slideshow on F. Scott Fitzgerald & the “Roaring Twenties”: Introduce the novel with a slideshow about the life of F. Scott Fitzgerald and the cultural climate in which he was writing The Great Gatsby. Students learn about Fitzgerald’s humble upbringing in Minnesota, his exposure to wealthy socialites at Princeton, his courtship of a debutante named Zelda, his codification of the “flapper,” and his experiences at lavish parties in Gatsby-esque mansions on Long Island. What's more, students learn about how American life in the 1920s was radically transformed by the proliferation of automobiles (like the “death car” that kills Myrtle), billboard advertisements (like “the eyes of T. J. Eckleburg”), and electric lights (like the “green light” at the end of Daisy’s dock). And they learn about how modern life in New York City was depicted by artists like Georgia O’Keefe, Alfred Stieglitz, Joseph Stella, and others. Lecture included. (40 slides + 8 page lecture)

• Soundtrack for The Great Gatsby: A playlist on Spotify featuring the “jazz age” songs played at Gatsby's parties. Expose students to the upbeat ambiance of the Roaring Twenties by playing the songs that Fitzgerald embedded into his book. How is the novel’s content enhanced by songs like “Ain’t We Got Fun” and “The Sheik of Araby”?

• Discussion Question Handouts (x9): Over thirty pages of higher-order chapter questions guaranteed to inspire profoundly thoughtful class discussions! This unit features double-sided handouts with 8-10 discussion questions for each of 9 chapters. The discussion questions are the beating heart of these lesson plans. They challenge students to build interpretive arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights! Guaranteed to foster deep thinking and dynamic discussions! (32 pages)

• Discussion Question ANSWER KEYS (x9): While every part of this unit has an answer key, the answer keys for the discussion questions feature an extremely high level of detail. Every answer is grounded in concrete textual evidence that gets submitted to careful analysis. The keys have been informed by the best scholarly articles and books on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. (90 pages)

• Character Analysis Worksheets (x18): Studying Fitzgerald’s nuanced construction of his characters is crucial for understanding his character-driven novel. This bundle contains 18 worksheets with carefully selected passages that challenge students to explain what textual details reveal about the main characters. Two worksheets per chapter provides choice for teachers and/or students! Builds skills in close reading! (18 pages)

• Social Class Worksheets (x3): These 3 worksheets help students not only to understand the social hierarchy and but to decode the signs of social status in The Great Gatsby. What are the differences between “West Egg” and “East Egg”? Between “New Money” and “Old Money”? These handouts demonstrate how Fitzgerald's depiction of social class was informed by his careful reading of sociologist Thorstein Veblen’s Theory of the Leisure Class (1899). Answer keys included. (5 pages)

• Color Symbolism Worksheets (x4): Each student chooses one of four colors from Fitzgerald's novel — green, yellow, white, and blue — and then explains its symbolic significance by analyzing 6-8 quotations. Students come to appreciate the dual meanings of each color: for example, while green symbolizes hope and wonder, it also represents envy. Answer keys included. (8 pages)

• Figurative Language Quizzes (x3): Each quiz challenges students to identify the types of figurative language — metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, paradox, etc. — used in 25 quotations from The Great Gatsby. The quizzes cover the figurative language used in chapters 1-3, chapters 4-6, and chapters 7-9 — so you can roll out each quiz after your class finishes three chapters and see whether they're improving. Also included is a glossary with definitions of the types of figurative language as well as examples of how they're used in the first chapter Fitzgerald's novel — so you can begin reviewing the types of figurative language with students before they tackle the quizzes. Answer keys included. (15 pages)

• Sound Devices Exercise: This exercise invites students to explain how Fitzgerald's use of sound devices — such as alliteration, assonance, consonance, and onomatopoeia — contributes to the novel's meaning. Also included is a glossary with definitions of these sound devices. Answer keys included. (3 pages)

• Quotation Race (x2): Students work in pairs to identify the speakers of 25 quotations. One handout features 15 quotes from the main characters, while a second handout features 10 more challenging quotes from various secondary characters. Introduce this fun activity when you need to mix things up — or to review for the AP Exam! Answer keys included. (4 pages)

• Vocabulary Lists (x9): Lists of 10-12 vocabulary words for every chapter, complete with a definition and a sample sentence with the word as used in The Great Gatsby. A total of over 100 SAT-worthy words. (9 pages)

• Vocabulary & Reading Quizzes (x9): Quizzes with 10 questions per chapter. Build students’ vocabularies while holding them accountable for the nightly reading homework. Each quiz contains 7 questions on vocabulary words plus another 3 questions on reading comprehension. Grading these quizzes is simple and quick. They’re an easy way to log up to 9 grades in your gradebook. Answer keys included. (9 pages)

• Creative Writing Assignment: Invite students to write in Fitzgerald’s virtuosic prose style while filling in a missing scene from the novel. What did Gatsby write in his letter to Daisy? What was said when Gatsby and Daisy finally reunited at Nick’s house? This assignment can be given mid-unit after students finish reading Chapter Six. Answer key included. (2 page)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on Fitzgerald’s wonderfully complex novel. Let students choose from one of five profoundly thought-provoking sample topics — or invite them to develop an original topic of their own. Rubric included. (4 pages)

• Q3 Practice Essay: Designed for AP Lit teachers, this in-class essay assignment will enable students to practice the "Q3" essay from the AP Literature and Composition Exam. Included are three recent Q3 prompts that feature The Great Gatsby as one of the recommended works of literary merit. The assignment asks students to respond to one prompt by composing a well-written essay in 40 minutes. (5 pages)

• Poetry Pairings (x5): Wrap things up with four poems that tackle many of the themes addressed in Fitzgerald's novel: the dignity of work, the signifiers of class status, etc. A fifth poem about teenage romance features a subtle allusion to the green light from The Great Gatsby. This fifth poem is followed by a page of discussion questions as well as a 3-page teacher’s guide with detailed answers to each of the questions. I use this poem year after year to teach students how to analyze imagery — and students delight in the "a-ha" moment when they catch the allusion to the light at the end of Daisy's dock! (14 pages)

This unit is filled with dozens of visual images that shed light on important scenes from Fitzgerald’s novel: newspaper headlines, documentary photographs, paintings by modernist artists, magazine covers, portraits of Scott and Zelda. But what really distinguishes this curriculum is how the discussion questions, close-reading exercises, and writing assignments are all designed to deepen students' thinking and help them arrive at profound interpretive insights!

This unit includes 240 pages and 40 slides of content-rich lessons. The entire unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word docs *and* PDFs. Because the Word docs are fully editable, you'll be able to customize every page to suit your teaching style and/or the needs of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access the entire unit as PDF files, which are easy to navigate and quick to print. The pre-reading slideshow will come to you in both PowerPoint and PDF formats.

Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for resources on American literature. Every unit was created by a Ph.D. who specializes in American literature. Feel free to check out these units on canonical texts by diverse American authors:

Complete Unit on Tommy Orange's There There

Complete Unit on Arthur Miller's The Crucible

Complete Unit on Frederick Douglass's Narrative

Complete Unit on Nella Larsen's Passing

Complete Unit on Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

Complete Unit on J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

Complete Unit on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun

Complete Unit on Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye

This 170-page EDITABLE curriculum has everything you'll need for profoundly stimulating lessons on Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye! Invite your class to engage in student-driven discussions without compromising on intellectual rigor. The pre-reading handouts, discussion questions, daily quizzes, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!

Hold your students accountable for completing the nightly homework by beginning every class with a quick vocabulary and reading quiz. Facilitate dynamic discussions that motivate students to become attached to the thrill generating shared knowledge. Challenge students to explicate textual details using a wide range of interpretive lenses: historicist, psychoanalytic, feminist, etc. Inspire students to arrive at a whole new depth of insight!

Here are some highlights from the 170-page editable curriculum:

• Discussion Question Handouts (x9): Thirty-five pages of higher-order questions guaranteed to inspire profoundly thoughtful class discussions! This unit features double-sided handouts with 8-10 questions for each of the novel's 9 sections. The discussion questions are the beating heart of these lesson plans. They challenge students to build interpretive arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights! Guaranteed to foster deep thinking and dynamic discussions! (35 pages)

• Discussion Question Answer Keys (x9): The answer keys are informed by scholarly articles and books written by professors who specialize in African-American literature and the novels of Toni Morrison: Alice Walker, Susan Willis, Michael Awkward, Madhu Dubey, and others. Every answer is grounded in concrete textual evidence that gets submitted to careful analysis. While every section in this unit comes with an answer key, the keys for the discussion questions are distinguished by an extremely high level of detail. (35 pages)

• Vocabulary Lists: Lists of 12 vocabulary words for every reading assignment, complete with definitions and sample sentences with the words as used in The Bluest Eye. A total of over 100 words. (9 pages)

• Vocabulary & Reading Quizzes: Daily quizzes with 10 questions on the nightly reading homework plus another 8 questions on the vocabulary words. If you choose not to have your students study vocabulary, you can still use the portion of the quiz devoted to reading comprehension. Grading these quizzes is simple and quick. They’re an easy way to log 12 grades into your gradebook. Answer keys included. (36 pages)

• Literary Devices Quiz: This quiz challenges students to identify the literary devices used in fifteen quotations from The Bluest Eye. The literary devices include metaphor, simile, personification, symbolism, foreshadowing, allusion, onomatopoeia, and more. This bundle also features a glossary with definitions of the literary devices as well as examples of how each device is used in Morrison's novel — so you can review the devices with students before they tackle the worksheet. The worksheet can be used either as a quiz or as a fun refresher. Answer key included. (3 pages)

• Quotation Race: Students work in pairs to identify the speakers of 30 key quotations from The Bluest Eye. Introduce this fun activity when you need to mix things up, or to refresh students' memories in preparation for the AP exam. Answer key included. (4 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on Toni Morrison's wonderfully complex novel. Let students choose from one of four thought-provoking sample topics — or invite them to develop a similar topic of their own. Rubric included. (4 pages)

• Poetry Pairing: Deepen your engagement with the themes in The Bluest Eye by reading and discussing several poems that touch upon similar themes. Included are a cluster of complex poems by African-American poets Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks. Discussion questions and answer keys are included. (30 pages)

This entire 170-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word doc *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is fully editable, you'll be able to CUSTOMIZE the materials to suit your teaching style and/or the skill levels of your students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access the entire unit as a PDF — which is easy to navigate and quick to print!

If you have any questions while teaching The Bluest Eye, please don't hesitate to get in touch. I love hearing from teachers who share a passion for great literature. Wishing you an amazing experience with Morrison's powerful novel!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for resources on American literature. Every unit was created by a Ph.D. in English with a research specialization in American literature. Feel free to check out these complete units on canonical texts by diverse American authors:

Complete Unit on Tommy Orange's There There

Complete Unit on Arthur Miller's The Crucible

Complete Unit on Frederick Douglass's Narrative

Complete Unit on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Complete Unit on Nella Larsen's Passing

Complete Unit on Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

Complete Unit on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun

Complete Unit on Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese

This 200-page EDITABLE curriculum has everything you'll need to deliver profoundly stimulating lessons on Tommy Orange's There There! Invite your class to engage in student-driven discussions without compromising on intellectual rigor. The discussion questions, daily quizzes, literary device exercise, creative writing assignment, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!

Hold your students accountable for completing the nightly homework by beginning every class with a quick vocabulary and reading quiz. Facilitate dynamic discussions that motivate students to become attached to the thrill generating shared knowledge. Challenge students to explicate textual details using a wide range of interpretive lenses: formalist, psychoanalytic, feminist, etc. Inspire students to arrive at a whole new depth of insight!

Here are some highlights from the 200-page editable curriculum:

• Discussion Question Handouts: Thirty pages of higher-order discussion questions guaranteed to inspire profoundly thoughtful class discussions! This unit features double-sided handouts with 8-10 questions for each of the novel's 12 sections. The discussion questions are the beating heart of these lesson plans. Every discussion question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to arrive at lucid interpretive insights! The questions could be used to focus students’ thinking prior to beginning a discussion, to foster in-class writing such as stop-and-jots, or to assign written reflections for homework. Guaranteed to elicit student engagement and foster profound discussions! (30 pages)

• Discussion Question Answer Keys: The answer keys to the discussion questions are informed by the best scholarly articles on Tommy Orange's There There. Of course, there is rarely a single "correct" answer for any question; rather, the discussions questions are made up of higher-order questions designed to foster lively exchanges and interpretive debates among students. They challenge students to build interpretive arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence. (75 pages)

• Quick Writes: A "quick write" can be used at any time in a class to get students to pause and reflect on the text in writing. Introduce a quick write before you begin a discussion to allow students to collect their thoughts. Or use one at the end of class to let students capture and refine their best ideas. (12 pages)

• Vocabulary Lists: Lists of 10 vocabulary words for each of the novel's 12 sections, complete with definitions and sample sentences with the words as used in There There. A total of 120 SAT-worthy words. (12 pages)

• Reading & Vocabulary Quizzes: Daily quizzes with 10 questions on the nightly reading homework plus another 10 questions on the vocabulary words. If you choose not to have your students study vocabulary, you can still use the portion of the quiz devoted to reading comprehension. Grading these quizzes is simple and quick. They’re an easy way to log 12 to 24 grades into your gradebook. Answer keys included. (48 pages)

• Figurative Language Quiz: This quiz challenges students to identify the types of figurative language used in thirty quotations from There There. The literary devices include metaphor, simile, symbolism, paradox, allusion, and foreshadowing. This bundle also features a glossary with definitions of each type of figurative language as well as examples of how each type is used in Tommy Orange's novel — so you can review them with students before they tackle the quiz. The quiz can be used either as a graded assessment or as a fun refresher worksheet. Answer key included. (5 pages)

• Q3 Practice Essay: Designed for teachers of AP Literature, this in-class practice essay will allow students to rehearse the "Q3" essay from the AP Literature and Composition Exam. The assignment asks students to write a 40-minute in-class essay in response to one amongst three recent Q3 prompts for which There There would work great as a work of literary merit. (5 pages)

• Creative Writing Assignment: Invite students to emulate the structure of There There by collaborating in small groups to write a "polyphonic" text. A “polyphonic” text is a multi-voiced literary text that consists of a series of chapters written in the voices of different narrators. Students work in groups to write personal narratives centered around a shared interest, experience, or identity. Student writing sample and rubric included. (3 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on Tommy Orange's There There. Let students choose from one of 5 thought-provoking sample topics — or invite them to develop a similar topic of their own. Rubric included. (4 pages)

This resource packet will come to you in two different formats: Word docs *and* PDFs. Because the Word docs are editable, you'll be able to customize the materials to suit your teaching style and/or your students' skill levels — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access the entire unit as PDF files, which are easy to navigate and quick to print!

Because I believe that teachers should be able to see exactly what they'd be getting before they purchase, the preview for this resource provides direct access to over 20 pages from the resource packet. Click on the green “preview” button to see exactly what you’ll get....

Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. I begin my 11th-grade course in American literature by teaching There There — and it has been my students' favorite book for the past five years in a row! The current school year is an especially good time to teach this novel because Tommy Orange just finished a sequel which was published in March 2024. If you're considering teaching this thematically powerful and aesthetically beautiful novel, my enthusiastic advice is to do it!

P.P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!

Rigorous Resources is your one-stop shop for resources on American literature. Every unit was designed by a Ph.D. in English with a research specialization in American literature. Feel free to check out these complete units on canonical texts by diverse American authors:

Complete Unit on Arthur Miller's The Crucible

Complete Unit on Frederick Douglass's Narrative

Complete Unit on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby

Complete Unit on Nella Larsen's Passing

Complete Unit on Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God

Complete Unit on Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun

Complete Unit on Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye

Complete Unit on Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese

This 100-page EDITABLE curriculum has everything you'll need for profoundly stimulating lessons on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Invite your class to engage in student-driven discussions without compromising on intellectual rigor. The pre-reading handouts, discussion questions, daily quizzes, and analytical writing assignments will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!

This unit was designed to have more than enough rigor for Honors, IB, and AP courses. Hold your students accountable for completing the nightly homework by beginning every class with a quick vocab and reading quiz. Facilitate dynamic discussions that motivate students to become attached to the thrill generating shared knowledge. Challenge students to explicate textual details using a wide range of interpretive lenses: historicist, psychoanalytic, feminist, etc. Inspire students to arrive at a whole new depth of analysis!

Here are some highlights from the curriculum:

• Biographical Sketch of Mary Shelley (Pre-Reading Handout): Mary Shelley's mother was the most important feminist political philosopher of the 18th century: Mary Wollstonecraft. But when Wollstonecraft gave birth to Mary Shelley, she became infected with sepsis and died shortly thereafter. Is it any accident that Mary Shelley would write a novel about a protagonist who is repulsed by his own offspring? To what extent did Shelley perceive herself as a kind of monster? These and many other questions get students thinking about the relation between Mary Shelley's turbulent life and her literary masterpiece. (2 pages)

• Themes in Frankenstein (Pre-Reading Handout): Because the full title of Shelley's novel is Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, this handout introduces students to the Prometheus myth and challenges students to ponder how Shelley might have sought to update or rewrite the myth for the modern era. What happens when humans develop technologies — like Prometheus's act of stealing fire — that should remain the rightful provenance of nature? Should characters like Prometheus and Frankenstein be admired as rebellious heroes? Or should they be despised as an arrogant overreachers? Get students thinking before they even crack the cover of Shelley's novel! (2 pages)

• Discussion Question Handouts: Thirty pages of higher-order discussion questions guaranteed to inspire profoundly thoughtful class discussions! This unit features double-sided handouts with 8-10 questions for each of the novel's 10 sections. The discussion questions are the beating heart of these lesson plans. They challenge students to build interpretive arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights! (30 pages)

• Vocabulary Lists: Lists of 10 vocabulary words for every reading assignment, complete with definitions and sample sentences with the words as used in Frankenstein. A total of 100 words. (10 pages)

• Vocabulary & Reading Quizzes: Quizzes with 10 questions per reading assignment. Build students’ vocabularies while holding them accountable for the nightly reading homework. Each quiz contains roughly 7 questions on vocabulary words plus another 3 questions on reading comprehension. Grading these quizzes is simple and quick. They’re an easy way to log 10 more grades in your gradebook. Answer keys included. (20 pages)

• Literary Devices Worksheet: This worksheet challenges students to identify the literary devices used in fifteen quotations from Frankenstein. The literary devices include metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, oxymoron, allusion, onomatopoeia, and more. This bundle also features a glossary with definitions of the literary devices as well as examples of how each device is used in Shelley's novel — so you can review the devices with students before they tackle the worksheet. The worksheet can be used either as a quiz or as a fun refresher. Answer key included. (3 pages)

• Quotation Race: Students work in pairs to identify the speakers of 25 key quotations from Frankenstein. Introduce this fun activity when you need to mix things up, or to refresh students' memories in preparation for the AP exam. Answer key included. (4 pages)

• Q3 Practice Essay: Designed for AP Lit teachers, this in-class practice essay will allow students to rehearse the "Q3" essay from the AP Literature and Composition Exam. The assignment asks students to choose from among three recent Q3 prompts that featured Frankenstein as one of the recommended works of literary merit. (5 pages)

• Analytical Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on Mary Shelley's wonderfully complex novel. Let students choose from one of eight profoundly thought-provoking sample topics — or invite them to develop a similar topic of their own. Rubric included. (5 pages)

My store is called “Rigorous Resources” because all of the units feature rigorous, content-rich lessons guaranteed to boost your students' close-reading and critical-thinking skills. At the same time, these lessons are filled with dozens of historically relevant visual images — facsimiles of Shelley's handwritten manuscript drafts, woodcuts and illustrations from early editions of the novel, newspaper clippings from the Enlightenment period, portraits of Mary and Percy Shelley — that shed light on the sources and scenes of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. But what really distinguishes this unit is how the pre-reading handouts, discussion questions, and writing assignment enable student arrive at an abundance of interpretive insights!!

This 100-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Microsoft Word *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is editable, you'll be able to CUSTOMIZE the materials to suit your teaching style and/or your students' skill levels — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access the full unit in PDF format — which is easy to navigate and quick to print!

Finally, I believe that teachers should be able to see what they'll be getting before they purchase. So the preview for this resources on Frankenstein provides direct access to over 25 actual pages from the bundle. Click on the green “preview” button to see exactly what you’ll get....

Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!

Happy teaching!

Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.

adamjernigan@gmail.com

P.S. Don't forget to click “follow” for email updates on new products by Rigorous Resources. New products will be 50% OFF for the first 24 hours!