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By Rigorous Resources for High School English
This 90-page EDITABLE unit has everything you'll need for profoundly stimulating lessons on Frederick Douglass's Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass! Invite your class to engage in student-driven discussions without compromising on intellectual rigor. The daily quizzes, discussion questions, exercises on literary devices, and writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and unlock profound interpretive insights!
Hold your students accountable for completing the nightly homework by beginning every class with a quick vocabulary and reading quiz. Challenge students to explicate textual details using a wide range of interpretive lenses: formalist, historicist, feminist, psychoanalytic, etc. Facilitate dynamic discussions that inspire students to arrive at a whole new depth of insight!!
Everything you’ll need to teach Douglass's memoir is included in this 90-page bundle:
• Unit & Pacing Guide: Suggestions for how to pace the reading homework and organize the classwork for Douglass's Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. (2 pages)
• Discussion Questions: Fifteen pages of higher-order discussion questions guaranteed to inspire profoundly thoughtful class discussions! This unit features double-sided handouts with 8-10 discussion questions for each section of Douglass's Narrative! The discussion questions are the beating heart of this curriculum. Every question is grounded in concrete textual details and challenges students to think critically about their significance. 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! (15 pages)
• Discussion Questions ANSWER KEYS: The answer keys to the discussion questions are informed by cutting-edge scholarship by professors who specialize in African-American literature and especially Frederick Douglass: Henry Louis Gates, Saidiya Hartman, Fred Moten, David Blight, etc. 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 supported by carefully selected textual evidence. (35 pages)
• Vocabulary Lists: Lists of 10-12 vocabulary words for every section of the book, complete with definitions and sample sentences with each word as used in Douglass's Narrative. A total of over 60 SAT-worthy words. (5 pages)
• Vocabulary & Reading Quizzes: 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 an additional 5 grades into your gradebook. Answer key included. (10 pages)
• Literary Devices Quiz: This quiz challenges students to identify the literary devices used in thirty quotations from Douglass's memoir_._ The literary devices include metaphor, simile, hyperbole, personification, apostrophe, allusion, 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 Douglass's memoir — so you can review the devices with students before they tackle the quiz. The quiz can be used either for assessment or as a fun refresher. Answer key included. (5 pages)
• Academic Scholarship: Excerpts from scholarly articles and monographs focused on specific scenes from Douglass's memoir. (1 page)
• Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on Douglass's powerful memoir. Let students choose amongst 5 thought-provoking sample topics — or invite them to develop an original topic of their own. Writing schedule included. Rubric included. (5 pages)
• Poetry Pairing: Seven thematically relevant poems by three twentieth-century African-American poets: Robert Hayden, Lucille Clifton, and Natasha Trethewey. (9 pages)
This unit is filled with dozens of visual images that shed light on important scenes from Douglass's memoir: illustrations from early editions of Douglass's memoir, documentary photographs of antebellum plantations, lyrics from the slave song that motivated Douglass to liberate himself, the masthead of Douglass's abolitionist newspaper, etc. But what really distinguishes this curriculum is how the discussion starters and writing prompts deepen students' thinking and help them arrive at profound interpretive insights!
This resource packet will come to you in two separate formats: Word docs *and* PDFs. Because the Word docs are editable, you'll be able to customize them 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 use the PDF version — 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 resource provides direct access to dozens of actual pages from the unit. 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.
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. 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 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 Octavia Butler's Kindred
Complete Unit on Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese
Kindred UNIT PLAN | Discussion Questions, Vocab Lists, Writing Prompts, & More | Octavia E. Butler
By Rigorous Resources for High School English
This 60-page EDITABLE unit has everything you'll need for profoundly stimulating lessons on Octavia Butler's Kindred!! Invite your class to engage in student-driven discussions without compromising on intellectual rigor. The daily quizzes, discussion prompts, and writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and unlock profound interpretive insights!
Hold your students accountable for completing the nightly homework by beginning every class with a quick vocabulary and reading quiz. Challenge students to explicate textual details using a wide range of interpretive lenses: formalist, historicist, feminist, psychoanalytic, etc. Facilitate dynamic discussions that inspire students to arrive at a whole new depth of insight!!
Everything you’ll need to teach the novel is included in this bundle:
• Unit & Pacing Guide: Suggestions for how to pace the reading homework and organize the classwork for Octavia Butler's Kindred. (2 pages)
• Author Introduction: A brief summary of the life of Octavia Butler and the research that she conducted before writing Kindred. (1 page)
• Discussion Questions: Sixteen 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 8 sections. The discussion questions are the beating heart of this curriculum. They challenge students to build interpretive arguments that require the support of carefully selected textual evidence — leading to keen interpretive insights! Guaranteed to build skills in close reading and critical reasoning! (16 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 your more reticent students to collect their thoughts. Or roll one out toward the end of a discussion to let students capture and refine their best ideas. (8 pages)
• Vocabulary Lists: Lists of 10-12 vocabulary words to accompany every nightly reading assignment. Every vocabulary word comes with a definition and a sample sentence with the word as used in Kindred. A total of over 100 words. (8 pages)
• Vocabulary & Reading Quizzes: 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 8 grades in your gradebook. Answer key provided. (16 pages)
• Writing Assignment: Challenge students to take their interpretations one step further by writing an analytical paper on Butler’s wonderfully complex novel. Let students choose amongst 5 profoundly thought-provoking sample topics — or invite them to develop an original topic of their own. (2 pages)
• Poetry Pairings: Seven thematically relevant poems by two exceptionally talented black women poets, Lucille Clifton and Natasha Trethewey. (7 pages)
This unit is filled with dozens of visual images that shed light on important scenes from Octavia Butler's novel: documentary photographs of antebellum plantations, excerpts from Butler's handwritten drafts and journals, paintings of biblical figures referenced in the novel, etc. But what really distinguishes this curriculum is how the discussion starters and writing prompts deepen students' thinking and help them arrive at profound interpretive insights!
This 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 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 PDFs, which are easy to navigate and quick to print!
Because I believe that teachers should be able to see what they'd be getting before they purchase, the preview for this resource provides direct access to dozens of actual pages from the unit. 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.
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. 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 Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye
Complete Unit on Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese
The Great Gatsby LITERARY DEVICES EXERCISES
By Rigorous Resources for High School English
NEW IN 2020: Rigorous! Engaging! Thought-provoking! This 20-page EDITABLE document invites your students to analyze the literary devices used in The Great Gatsby. This activity promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The worksheets on literary devices will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!
Here's what you'll find inside:
• 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. This worksheet can be used either as a fun exercise or as a quiz. This worksheet provides students with great practice at identifying the kinds of literary devices that frequently appear on the SAT, ACT, and AP Literature exams. Answer keys included. (15 pages)
• Sound Devices Worksheet: This worksheet challenges students to explain how a range of sound devices — such as alliteration, assonance, and onomatopoeia — contribute to the novel's meaning. Fitzgerald was a poetic writer whose ear was acutely attuned to the resonances of sound, and there are many passages in his novel where the sounds of the words help to create an aural ambiance. This worksheet can similarly be used either as a fun exercise or as a quiz. Answer key included. (2 pages)
• Figurative Language Glossary: This bundle also includes a glossary with definitions of the literary devices as well as examples of how they're used in Fitzgerald's novel. You'll want to distribute the glossary to students and give them a night to study it before rolling out the worksheets/quizzes. Fyi, there is no overlap between sentences from Fitzgerald's novel used as examples in the glossary and the sentences included in the worksheets. (1 page)
These worksheets will come to you in a 20-page EDITABLE Word document which you can customize to the needs of your students! The preview for this resource provides viewing access to the entire document. Click on the green “PREVIEW” button to see what you’ll get. . . .
Thank you for choosing “Rigorous Resources”!!
Happy teaching!
Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.
Note: These handouts on literary devices are also included in my Gatsby Mega-Bundle. The bundle contains everything you'll need to deliver amazing and comprehensive lessons on Fitzgerald's novel: over 40 slides and over 240 pages of content-rich handouts and activities. If you've already purchased the bundle, you don't need to purchase these handouts. Thanks!
Click to view the Gatsby Mega-Bundle
Click to view my TeachShare store
IMAGERY IN POETRY: Poems with Vivid Sensory Images | 3-Day Lesson | High School
By Rigorous Resources for High School English
This 40-page EDITABLE poetry unit promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The 10 poems in this unit all pivot on vivid and evocative SENSORY IMAGERY.
Because even our strongest students often have difficulty analyzing poetic imagery, I designed this unit to help students learn to "unpack" images and to explain how images deepen a poem's meaning. The literary devices quizzes, discussion prompts, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!!
Here are some highlights from this 40-page curriculum:
• Homework Packets with Poems: The two homework packets contain a total of 10 poems by award-winning poets such as Emily Dickinson, Robert Hayden, Mary Oliver, Gary Soto, Sharon Olds, Mark Doty, Yusef Komunyakaa, Tony Hoagland, and others. The poems in each homework packet derive their meaning from the deft use of sensory images. These carefully selected poems will set the stage for your class to have fascinating and profoundly productive discussions!! (10 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: Open each class with a quiz of 10 questions to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. The digital versions of the quizzes on Google Forms will grade every student's work and generate a list of their scores. Answer keys included. (4 pages).
• Discussion Questions: Lists of discussion questions for the first poems in each homework packet. The discussion questions will ensure that your class discussions get off to a productive start. 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. (8 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. (2 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. (3 pages)
This entire 40-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is 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 a PDF — which is easy to navigate and quick to print! Finally, as a free bonus, I'm including links to digital copies of every document in user-friendly platforms like Google Docs and Google Forms.
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.
Links to all of the poetry units in this collection:
Poetry Unit #1: Sensory Imagery in Poetry
Poetry Unit #2: Figurative Language in Poetry
Poetry Unit #3: Love Poems
Poetry Unit #4: Ethical Dilemmas in Poetry
Poetry Unit #5: Family Dynamics in Poetry
Figurative Language CENTERS: 8 Stations & 120 Quotations | Worksheets & Quizzes!
By Rigorous Resources for High School English
This FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE STATIONS activity is a fun and effective method for giving students practice at analyzing the most important types of figurative language. Students will develop the skills not only to identify types of figurative language but also to explain how figurative language contributes to the meaning of a literary text!
Students will learn about figurative language while gaining exposure to the most profound and thought-provoking quotations from the world's greatest writers! They'll be asked to analyze the figures of speech in over 120 inspiring quotations by a diverse range of important authors: Chinua Achebe, Louisa May Alcott, Maya Angelou, Jane Austen, James Baldwin, William Blake, Emily Dickinson, John Donne, Louise Erdrich, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Frost, Zora Neale Hurston, John Keats, Harper Lee, Toni Morrison, George Orwell, Zadie Smith, John Steinbeck, Henry David Thoreau, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Woolf, and many others.
This stations activity focuses on the 8 types of figurative language that are used most commonly in literature: metaphor, simile, metonymy, personification, apostrophe, paradox, oxymoron, and hyperbole.
Here's what you'll find inside this 40-page resource:
• Stations Worksheets (x8): This resource includes a total of 8 worksheets focused on 8 types of figurative language. Each worksheet challenges students to explain the meaning or effect created by the same figure of speech found across 6 quotations. The quotations include some of the most profound and thought-provoking lines from famous authors — a total of 48 quotations! (8 pages)
• Answer Keys to Stations Worksheets (x8): The answer keys explain how the figures of speech found across 48 quotations contribute to the meaning of the quotation. (8 pages)
• Station Placards (x8): The 8 placards can be folded and placed on the desks that correspond to the 8 stations. The placards add a splash of colorful decoration to this activity. (8 pages)
• Literary Devices Glossary: This 1-page glossary features the 8 types of figurative language that are used most frequently in literature. The glossary includes definitions of the 8 types of figurative language as well as one or two examples of how each figure of speech gets used in famous quotations. Students can use the glossary to study in preparation for the quizzes on figurative language. (1 page)
• Quiz: Metaphors & Similes: This quiz focuses only on metaphors and similes; it challenges students to identify the figures of speech used across 15 famous quotations. Answer key included. (2 pages)
• Quiz: All Types of Figurative Language (x2): These two quizzes focus on all 8 types of figurative language. The first quiz challenges students to identity the figures of speech used across 25 quotations. The second quiz is similar but features 20 longer quotations; it could be used as a make-up quiz or extra-credit quiz. Answer keys included. (8 pages)
• Quiz: Figurative Language in Music: This quiz focuses on the types of figurative language used in 10 famous song lyrics by musicians such as The Beatles, Paul Simon, Elton John, John Legend, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift. Answer key included. (2 pages)
Here are the types of figurative language featured across the 8 stations:
1. Metaphor
2. Simile
3. Metonymy
4. Personification
5. Apostrophe
6. Paradox
7. Oxymoron
8. Hyperbole
The entire 40-page resource 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 the skill levels of your particular students — year after year! If you don't have Microsoft Word, you'll still be able to access the entire resource as a PDF — which is easy to navigate and quick to print!
I'm eager to do everything I can to ensure that you have an amazing experience with figurative language! If you have any questions along the way, please don't hesitate to get in touch!
Thank you for stopping by Rigorous Resources!
Happy teaching!
Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.
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!
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE in POETRY: Analyze Poems w/ Metaphors, Similes, Symbols, etc
By Rigorous Resources for High School English
This 50-page EDITABLE poetry unit promises to elicit dynamic engagement from all students without compromising on intellectual rigor. The 12 poems in this unit pivot on the use of FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE: metaphor, simile, personification, hyperbole, etc.
Teach your students how to analyze figurative language through a series of engaging lessons on poems that students are guaranteed to love. The literary device quizzes, discussion prompts, and analytical writing assignment will challenge your students to dig beneath the surface of the text and generate profound interpretive insights!
Here are some highlights from this 50-page curriculum:
• Homework Packets with Poems: The two homework packets contain a total of 12 poems by award-winning poets such as Emily Dickinson, Langston Hughes, Elizabeth Bishop, Richard Wilbur, Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou, Julia Alvarez, Mark Doty, Sharon Olds, and others. The poems in each homework packet derive their meaning from the deft use of sensory images. These carefully selected poems will set the stage for your class to have fascinating and profoundly productive discussions!! (12 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: Open each class with a quiz of 10 questions to assess whether your students can accurately identify the literary devices found in poems from the packet: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. The digital versions of the quizzes on Google Forms will grade every student's work and generate a list of their scores. Answer keys included. (4 pages).
• Discussion Questions: This bundle features a list of discussion questions for two poems in each of two homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that your class discussions get off to a productive start. 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. (16 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. (4 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. (3 pages)
This entire 50-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is 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 a PDF — which is easy to navigate and quick to print! Finally, as a free bonus, I'm including links to digital copies of every document in user-friendly platforms like Google Docs and Google Forms.
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.
Links to all of the poetry units in this collection:
Poetry Unit #1: Sensory Imagery in Poetry
Poetry Unit #2: Figurative Language in Poetry
Poetry Unit #3: Love Poems
Poetry Unit #4: Ethical Dilemmas in Poetry
Poetry Unit #5: Family Dynamics in Poetry
By Rigorous Resources for High School English
This 180-page EDITABLE unit has everything you'll need to deliver profoundly engaging lessons on William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. 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 top-quality lessons while inspiring students to fall in love with Shakespeare's Hamlet!!
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!
Here's what you'll find in this editable 180-page complete 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 Hamlet: The 50-page workbook features rigorous & highly engaging worksheets on every scene in Hamlet. Each worksheet is divided into sections which invite students to engage with the text in a variety of different ways:
The worksheets are guaranteed to foster skills in close reading, thoughtful analysis, and lively discussion. They will have your students feeling genuinely excited to study Shakespeare every day! (50 pages)
• Workbook ANSWER KEYS: 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: Stephen Greenblatt (Harvard), Marjorie Garber (Harvard), Philip Fisher (Harvard), Coppélia Kahn (Brown), Dympna Callaghan (Syracuse), A. C. Bradley (Oxford), Frank Kermode (Cambridge), Michael Neill (Auckland), and many others. (50 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 Hamlet. 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 Hamlet. Let students choose from one of 5 thought-provoking sample topics — or invite them to develop a topic of their own. Writing schedule, outline template, and rubric included. (8 pages)
• Pacing Guide: The pacing guide provides suggestions about which scenes to assign for homework to make sure the nightly workload is manageable while each class session is maximally productive. (2 pages)
This unit is hot off the presses! It was created in 2024 and is informed by the most recent academic scholarship on Hamlet. While the colorful worksheets will make it highly engaging for all students, the unit was also designed to have more than enough rigor for Honors, IB, and AP Literature courses. What a great time to revitalize your approach to this complex play!
The entire 180-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Microsoft Word *and* PDF. Because the Word docs are fully editable, you'll be able to customize them 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 entire 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. Inspire students to arrive at a whole new depth of insight while falling in love with Shakespeare!
Happy teaching!
Adam Jernigan, Ph.D.
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
Sonnets: Poem Analysis, Quizzes, Writing | Shakespeare to the Harlem Renaissance
By Rigorous Resources for High School English
This 45-page EDITABLE unit tracks the development of the sonnet from Shakespeare's day through by Harlem Renaissance. How are traditional sonnets written by English poets like Shakespeare and Keats similar to and/or different from modern sonnets written by Harlem Renaissance poets like Claude McKay and Countee Cullen? This unit invites students to compare traditional sonnets focused on love with modern sonnets focused on socioeconomic equality....
The twelve poems are divided into two reading packets, with the first packet focusing on early sonnets about romantic love, and the second packet focusing on modern sonnets about the black experience. Each reading packets is followed by a classwork packet that contains a quiz on literary devices, discussion questions for two poems, and quick writes. Finally, a third packet features a writing assignment, sample student paper, and glossary of literary devices.
Here's a detailed account of what you'll find in this 45-page curriculum:
• Homework Packets with Poems: The two homework packets contain a total of 12 love poems by award-winning poets such as William Shakespeare, Christina Rossetti, John Keats, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Claude McKay, Countee Cullen, Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, and others. While the first packet focuses on traditional love poetry, the second packet focuses on modern love poetry. Thus, the two packets will set you up to facilitate fascinating discussions about how the sonnet has been put to different uses over the centuries! (12 pages)
• Literary Devices Glossary: A glossary with definitions and examples of the various types of figurative language, imagery, sound devices, 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: Open each class with a quiz of 10 questions to assess whether students can accurately identify the literary devices found in poems from the packet: metaphor, personification, symbolism, imagery, alliteration, etc. Answer keys included. (4 pages).
• Discussion Questions: This unit features a list of discussion questions for two poems in each of the two homework packets. The discussion questions will ensure that each class discussion is focused and productive. 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. (16 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. (4 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. (3 pages)
This entire 45-page unit will come to you in two separate formats: Word *and* PDF. Because the Word doc is 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 a PDF — which is 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.
HIGH SCHOOL POETRY UNIT | 3 Weeks of Lesson Plans | 60+ Poems in 12 Packets!
By Rigorous Resources for High School English
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.
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
FRENCH | NOVEL STUDY/ÉTUDE DE ROMAN | N'IMPORTE QUEL ROMAN | CHOICE BOARD |
By French Made Fun!
Cette ressource propose 11 projets (chacun avec sa propre rubrique) pour une évaluation formative après la lecture d'un roman. Je les utilise avec mes élèves après un club de lecture ou après une lecture indépendante de leur choix.
Vous pouvez choisir de faire travailler tous les élèves sur le même projet, ou leur donner un élément de choix et leur faire choisir leur propre activité, en fonction de leurs intérêts, de leurs forces et de leurs objectifs.
Ces projets offrent aux élèves des occasions de faire preuve de créativité, d'ingéniosité et d'explorer leurs romans sous un angle différent.
Les options de projet dans cette ressource incluent :
FULL YEAR/ANNÉE COMPLÈTE BUNDLE 6E ANNÉE | ALL SUBJECTS | 130+ DOCUMENTS
By French Made Fun!
Welcome to the Mega Massive Grade 6 Bundle—your ultimate resource for an entire year's worth of curriculum! This extraordinary bundle includes 131 documents and a staggering 4,000+ pages of content, covering every aspect of Grade 6 Math, French Language Arts, Science, "Transdisciplinary" Units, Cross-Curricular Units, and Project-Based Learning.
Here's what you'll find packed into this 131 document crypt:
Language Arts:
Math:
Project-Based Learning:
Why You'll Love It:
Get the Mega Massive Grade 6 Bundle today and transform your classroom with this all-encompassing resource, designed to make planning easier and teaching more effective!
** Buying these individually would cost you WELL over $530 USD (that's like OVER $725 CAD). So save yourself time and money and get ready for the next school year! **
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You can earn TeachShare CREDITS by leaving feedback on any of the products you purchase. You can do so by going to MY PURCHASES your page and clicking on the "Provide Feedback" button. You will earn 1 TeachShare Credit for every dollar you spend!
For goodness sakes, don't forget to have fun!
Mme Kaitlyn
Elections Day & Voting Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions with Answers
By The Teaching Resources Company
This product is designed to teach students about the election process in the United States. The first several pages present information about the purpose of voting and explain important developments in the history of voting. The middle pages teach students about the Electoral College and the election of a U.S. President, senators, representatives, judges, and local officials. The remaining pages deal with campaigns and require students to create campaign materials and compose a speech in support of a candidate. Last Page presents a crossword puzzle which provides a comprehensive review of election
terms.
After students complete the activities in this product, you may wish to invite community leaders,such as judges, city council members, or election officials to speak to your class. Students can then use the information they have learned about elections to compose questions for the speakers and engage them in discussion.
What is included :
Answers key
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Early Native Americans Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions With Answers
By The Teaching Resources Company
Our Early Native Americans Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions provide a rich learning experience by exploring tribes like the Pueblo People, A California Tribe, The Yuma, and Sailor Native Americans. These passages solve the problem of engaging students in history while enhancing their comprehension skills, offering an in-depth look at indigenous cultures through targeted questions that promote critical thinking and understanding.
What is included :
- Passages & Questions
Answers Key
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Sight Word Cloze Sentences | First Grade High Frequency Words
By The Teaching Resources Company
Cloze sentences provide young learners an opportunity to use words in context and to gain a better understanding of sentence sense. Use the cloze sentences on the following pages for children to practice selecting the correct word from the word boxes to complete each sentence.
To extend the activity, have children create their own sentences with a missing word. The sentences can also be copied on a separate sheet of paper, cut apart, and reconstructed for sentence sense practice.
If your class enjoyed this Sight Word Cloze Sentences then have a look at some more resources to :
Sight Word Scrambled Sentences | First Grade Sight Word Activities
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4th Grade Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions With Answers Bundle
By The Teaching Resources Company
Our Reading Comprehension Passages and Questions with Answers Bundle solve the challenge of engaging students across a wide range of topics while improving their reading and critical thinking skills. Covering diverse subjects such as Legends, Fairy Tales, Early Native Americans, Fables and Tall Tales, Poetry, Animals, Oceanography, Space Travel, The Five Senses, and Meteorology, this resource provides captivating content that makes learning fun and effective. Perfect for both classroom instruction and independent study, it promotes comprehension and deeper understanding across multiple subjects.
This bundle consists of the following packets:
4th Grade Short Stories Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions With Answers
Early Native Americans Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions With Answers
Fables and Tall Tales Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions With Answers
4th Grade Legends Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions With Answers
4th Grade Poetry Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions With Answers
4th Grade Oceanography Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions With Answers
4th Grade Space Travel Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions With Answers
4th Grade Animals Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions With Answers
4th Grade Meteorology Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions With Answers
4th Grade The Five Senses Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions With Answer
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Sight Word Scrambled Sentences&Cloze Sentences|First Grade Sight Word Activities
By The Teaching Resources Company
Once children can recognize and understand individual sight words in print, they are ready to use them to build sentences. This is the exciting next step in the reading process and, for many children, the moment when they say, “I’m really reading!” The following scrambled sentences build upon sight word knowledge and are designed to help children learn—and demonstrate—sentence sense by putting individual words into the correct order so each sentence makes sense. The sight words used in these sentences follow the order in which they have been introduced. The sentences can be used in a number of ways, depending on each child’s developmental level. First, encourage the child to look for helpful sentence-sense clues, such as a capitalized word that would indicate the beginning of the sentence and a word with punctuation that would indicate the end of the sentence. Then, have the child say all the words aloud, starting with the capitalized word and ending with the punctuated word. Ask the child if what he or she said aloud makes sense, and, if necessary, encourage him or her to rearrange the “middle” words around while saying them aloud until they are in the correct order. Then, have the child write the unscrambled sentence on the line provided. You may want to encourage the child to write the sentence’s sight words in different-colored crayons or markers, or to use the sight word flash cards to find the matching words used in the sentence. You may also want to have the child write the unscrambled sentence on a separate sheet of paper and cut it apart into individual words. Then, using the child’s hand-written unscrambled sentence in the worksheet as a model, have him or her reassemble the cut-apart words into the sentence. This activity works well as a self- checking review. Or have the child distribute the cut-apart words to other children, who can then reassemble them in the correct order. An activity of this type can also be used with sentences that the children dictate or write themselves on a separate sheet of paper. Extending this activity to sentences that children compose themselves increases their level of engagement and provides an opportunity for individualizing their learning.
Cloze sentences provide young learners an opportunity to use words in context and to gain a better understanding of sentence sense. Use the cloze sentences on the following pages for children to practice selecting the correct word from the word boxes to complete each sentence.
To extend the activity, have children create their own sentences with a missing word. The sentences can also be copied on a separate sheet of paper, cut apart, and reconstructed for sentence sense practice.
⭐️ 15 worksheets focus on a different sight word.
⭐️ Format PDF : 15 Pages
⭐️ Size : 8.5 x 11 In
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Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions 3rd & 4th Grade | Winter Worksheets
By TaughtOught Homeschooling
Are you looking for non-prep reading comprehension activities? This ten-page reading passage resource is perfect for engaging students in bite-sized worksheets while strengthening their fluency, reading comprehension, and identifying text evidence. Students who need to practice reading comprehension skills will get loads of practice finding text evidence to answer comprehension questions - all while learning new and interesting fun facts, stories, and legends about winter!
NOTE: Please see the product image for the table of contents of all the included topics.
This resource includes:
✏ 10 pages of non-fiction reading passages with comprehension questions
✏ !0 answer key cards for easy reference
✏ Non-fiction topics about winter that all kids will love!
✏ No prep! Simply print and distribute.
✏ GET THE 4-SEASON BUNDLE
❤️ Please review all the previews and product images to view a sample of the included pages.
If you liked this product, you might also like my other Reading Comprehension Products!
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❤️ Teacher Bethanie @TaughtOught Homeschooling
Terms of Use
This product is for single classroom use only and does not give permission to use commercially in any capacity. A more details TOU is included in this package.
Reading Comprehension Passages & Questions 3rd & 4th Grade | Four Seasons BUNDLE
By TaughtOught Homeschooling
This bundle of reading comprehension passages with interesting questions covers all the cool things about the four seasons. Did you know that snow can be pink? Or that ice cream was invented 500 years ago and was only available to the rich and privileged? Grab this bundle of 40 winter, summer, spring, and autumn season-themed reading comprehension worksheets to learn more!
This resource includes:
✏ 10 winter-themed worksheets
✏ 10 spring-themed worksheets
✏ 10 summer-themed worksheets
✏ 10 fall-themed worksheets
✏ All answer key cards
✏ No prep! Simply print and distribute
If you liked this product, CLICK to check out my other Reading Comprehension products!
Please download the preview to view a sample of the included pages.
I’m so glad you stopped by my store and checked out this resource! Follow my store to be updated about new products and sales. Don’t forget to leave feedback to earn credits toward future purchases by heading to MY PURCHASES in your TeachShare account.
Connect with me!
Follow my store for resource updates and sales!
Send me an email at bethanierosesmith@gmail.com.
❤️ Teacher Bethanie @TaughtOught Homeschooling
Hispanic Heritage Month ROBERTO GOMEZ BOLANOS Biography Reading Activities
By Lia
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with this engaging resource!
Chespirito: The King of Comedy - Reading Comprehension & Activities
Laugh and learn with this hilarious resource!
Discover the funny world of Roberto Gomez Bolaños, better known as Chespirito! This resource is perfect for bringing joy to 1st- 3rd graders.
This resource includes:
Perfect for:
You may like to explore our HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH Resources.
I hope my products bring value to you and that your kids find joy in them as well :)❤️
Hispanic Heritage Month SELENA QUINTANILLA Biography Reading Worksheets
By Lia
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with this engaging resource!
Selena Quintanilla: The Queen of Tejano Music - Reading Comprehension & Activities
Discover the magic of Selena with this inspiring resource!
Learn about the life and music of Selena Quintanilla, the beloved "Queen of Tejano Music"! This resource is perfect for introducing young learners to the vibrant world of Latin music and culture.
This resource includes:
Perfect for:
You may like to explore our HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH Resources.
I hope my products bring value to you and that your kids find joy in them as well :)❤️