Literature Kits Grades 9-12 Series

Experience prejudice during the Great Depression in this classic example of modern American literature. Great for mature lower level readers, offering grade-appropriate vocabulary and comprehension activities. Students are asked to describe what they already know about life during the Great Depression. Describe the light and dark imagery surrounding the scene out front of the jail. Describe the editorial by Mr. Underwood, and explain why the characters compare his death to that of a songbird. Complete sentences from the story with their missing vocabulary words. Explore the choice of having Scout act as narrator in the story, and what advantages and disadvantages come with first person point of view. Analyze the character of Atticus by using a T-Chart for match characteristics with proof from the text. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: To Kill a Mockingbird is a Pulitzer Prize-winning story about a young girl and her family living in Maycomb, Alabama during the Depression. Six-year-old Scout Finch lives with her older brother Jem, and lawyer father Atticus. Scout and Jem befriend a boy named Dill who stays with his aunt each summer. The three children become fascinated with their neighbor, Boo Radley, who stays hidden in his home. One summer, Atticus is appointed by the court to defend a black man named Tom Robinson, who is accused of raping a young white woman. Atticus receives much disapproval from the townspeople, which leads to Scout, Jem and Dill saving their father and Tom from an angry mob.

Take the journey to California with the Joad family, in hopes of a better life during the Great Depression. Study questions can be used as discussion starters, as well as a way to monitor student reading. Identify industries other than farming that may be affected negatively by drought. Students put themselves into the story and imagine traveling along with the Joads, and what it would be like to live in the encampments. Create a handbill advertising the many jobs, good wages, and great living conditions being offered out west. Match vocabulary words from the text to their meanings. Determine the parallels between the expositional and narrative chapters in the book, and identify plot elements for each in a Structure Graphic Organizer. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Grapes of Wrath is a Pulitzer Prize-winning story about an impoverished family making their way to California in hopes of a better future. Set in the Great Depression, the Joad family travel from Oklahoma to California after their farm is destroyed in the Dust Bowl. Along the way, the family meets others on their way to California. While talking to those coming back from California, the Joad's are forced to confront the possibility that their lives may not be bettered by going to California. Aware that nothing remains for them in Oklahoma, the family continue on. Reaching California, the family is met with hard labor, unions, protests, and finally murder.

Witness the cruelty experienced by African-American women during the 1930s, their struggle, perseverance and self-discovery. An easy-to-follow format helps guide students to comprehend what they've read. Students begin by establishing how the format of the novel will affect the tone of the story. Describe the evidence Carrie and Kate provide that points to Annie Julia being a terrible wife. Then, find evidence that points to Celie being an exceptional wife. Discuss the differences in gender relationships from the novel to today. Write a police report detailing the events that took place between Sofia and the Mayor. Complete a chart highlighting how religion has directly affected the outcomes of important events in the novel. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Color Purple is the Pulitzer Prize-winning story about female African-Americans in 1930s southern United States. The story follows Celie, a young girl who begins writing letters to God after her father's abuse. She is forced into a marriage with Mr. Johnson after her father impregnates her twice, presumably killing both children. Celie continues living a life of obedience when she is exposed to Sofia's defiance of Mr. Johnson and his son's attempts to submit her. This results in Sofia moving out and taking her children with her. Meanwhile, Celie grows close to her husband's ill mistress, becoming confused over her feelings for the woman. The story progresses with Celie learning the truth about herself and her troubled past.

Students get wrapped up in a tale of betrayal and revenge, leading up to a tragic end. Our easy-to-use resource makes the study of this play more enjoyable for struggling readers. Become familiar with Shakespearean language by understanding the meaning of key vocabulary words. Determine whether statements about Hamlet's interaction with the ghost are true or false. Explain what conclusion Polonius made from Ophelia's report, and what course of action he decided on. Describe what Hamlet sees that convinces him of his uncle's guilt. Students write their own interpretation of Hamlet's famous "To Be or Not To Be" soliloquy. Track Hamlet's state of mind as he descends into madness. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Hamlet is the classic tale of a king who is murdered by his brother and assumes the crown, and his son who seeks revenge. Hamlet is visited by the ghost of his father, who informs him that his brother Claudius murdered him and married his wife. He tells Hamlet that he must get his revenge by murdering his uncle and taking the throne. Hamlet's strange behavior begins to raise questions from those around him. Not yet convinced of the ghost's claims, Hamlet attempts to prove Claudius' guilt with a play that re-enacts the King's death. Satisfied, Hamlet attempts to receive his revenge. Claudius realizes Hamlet knows the truth and attempts to have him killed. The story climaxes with a tragic end.

Experience the hardships and tribulations of a Chinese family living in poverty prior to World War II. Our resource acts as a great supplement to the novel in order to help students comprehend it deeper. Set the tone by brainstorming the traditional ways people celebrate the birth of babies. Analyze the actions of Wang Lung's uncle to describe his true character. Identify what is being described from the metaphors and similes in the text. Understand key vocabulary words prior to reading with fill-in-the-blank paragraphs. Research the meaning of each form of literary irony, then identify the type of irony used in the novel. Write a sensory poem to express the many representations of the land to Wang Lung. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Good Earth is a Pulitzer Prize-winning story about family life in a Chinese village before World War II. Wang Lung and his new wife O-Lan buy land from the Hwang family in the hopes of starting a modest farm. During this time, O-Lan gives birth to three sons and three daughters. The first daughter becomes mentally handicapped due to severe malnutrition and famine, causing O-Lan to kill the second daughter and sell the third to a merchant. Famine and drought force the family to leave for a large city in the South to find work. Arriving in the city, Wang Lung finds a job pulling a rickshaw, while his family turns to begging. Things get better when armies approach the city and a food riot erupts. Wang Lung receives enough money to return home and have a prosperous life.

Students become captivated with the idea of survival in a post-apocalyptic world. Incorporate probing questions and informative vocabulary to create a thorough and useful experience for students. Identify the meaning of words found in the reading. Gain a raw understanding of the father-son dynamic by exploring the father's sacrifice for his son. Make predictions of the disaster that destroyed the world based on clues left by the author. Students imagine a nuclear winter is approaching and must make a plan to stock up their own bunker for survival. Discuss deviations from "proper" grammar, syntax, spelling, and punctuation used in the novel. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Road is a Pulitzer Prize winning story about a father and son's journey through post apocalyptic America. After an unspecified disaster destroys most life on Earth, a father and son must travel across a desolate landscape in hopes of making it to the coast. Along their way, they are faced with starvation, thieves, and cannibals. The landscape is without vegetation and living animals, and is covered with ash. The sky is dark, the wind is cold, and snow falls gray. Armed only with a revolver and two rounds to protect them, the father and son set out on the road. They finally reach the sea, but the father falls ill and must prepare the son for the time when he will not be around to protect him.

Witness the downfall of humanity and loss of innocence when a group of young boys descend into savagery. Challenging questions require students to really think deeper about the content of the book. Identify any part of today's society that might be considered 'island-like', and determine what this says about human nature. Put events in order as they happened when the boys are first stranded and must figure out how to survive. Complete sentences from the novel with their missing vocabulary words. Give meaning to the author's use of 'mankind's essential illness', and describe how this has affected the boys on the island. Map out Ralph's mindset by identifying some of the things that he reflects on. Create a shipwreck plan with a group that will get food, water, shelter, and possible rescue. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Lord of the Flies, written by Nobel Prize-winner William Golding, is a story about a group of boys stranded on a deserted island, who must establish order amongst themselves. Shortly after crashing onto a deserted island, a group of pre-adolescent boys form a community, electing Ralph to be their leader. As his first act, Ralph proclaims the boys will have fun and keep the signal fire going. All is well until thirst for power draws one boy to form his own tribe of "savages". Armed with the fear of a fictitious beast, this group of boys descend into further savagery with sacrifice and death. The story reaches its climax as the beast is revealed to be within each boy's heart, and Ralph is forced to flee for his survival.

Students become inspired by this tale of struggle and perseverance against nature. Creative ideas are offered to enhance learning in the classroom. Students create a link between the idea of luck and the society in which Santiago lives. Put events between Manolin and Santiago in the order that they happen after Santiago's fight with the marlin. Explore the character of Santiago by indicating what he said that suggested big fish were nearby, and what this says about his experience. Become familiar with vocabulary words by using them to complete unfinished sentences. Compare this story with that of Moby Dick, imagining how the tone of the story would change if Santiago were more like Captain Ahab. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Old Man and the Sea is a Pulitzer Prize winning story about an old fisherman and his battle with a giant marlin. Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, has gone 84 days without catching a single fish. Hoping to end his unlucky streak, Santiago decides to sail out deep into the Gulf to fish. A few hours pass until a large marlin takes his bait. The marlin proves a worthy match for Santiago, as he struggles to keep the fish on the line. Two days and two nights pass, but the battle rages on. Santiago begins to feel appreciation for the fish, believing that no one will be worthy of eating him. On the third day, and with two exhausted parties, the battle is won. The Old Man and the Sea is a classic tale of one man's struggle with nature.

Delve deep into a world of socioeconomic differences and the tragic outcome of this conflict. A variety of activities keep students on their toes and practicing reading skills. Explore the themes of prejudice and social conventions and the part they play in a community. Explain Johnny's transformation through the eyes of Ponyboy. Answer multiple choice questions about Johnny and Ponyboy's time in the church. Match difficult vocabulary words to their meanings. Imagine interviewing Ponyboy about his actions while saving the trapped kids in the burning church. Explain how Cherry describes the duality of Bob. Imagine an alternate version of the story from the point of view of the Socs in which it was one of the Greasers who were killed in the fight. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Outsiders is the classic coming-of-age story about two social groups in 1960s Oklahoma. The Greasers and the Socs are rival social groups, who engage in petty fights around town. Ponyboy and his friends are Greasers and get jumped by the Socs regularly. One night, after leaving a local drive-in, Ponyboy and his friend Johnny get jumped from a group of Socs who have a score to settle. Things go too far and one of the Socs gets killed. Ponyboy and Johnny now find themselves running from the police. After a week hiding out, the pair decide to return and face the consequences of their actions. Things go from bad to worse as the story faces its climax with a final rumble between the Greasers and the Socs.

Travel down the Mississippi on an adventure that deals with themes of freedom, society and social prejudices. Before reading and after reading questions, along with suggested writing activities, help to fully engage students in the book. Students brainstorm the differences and similarities between Huck and Jim before predicting the outcome of their interaction. Explain how Huck tries to help the gang on the shipwreck. Put events from the story in order as they happened when Huck meets King and Duke. Find the synonym of the vocabulary words found in the text. Students reflect on the relationship between Huck and Jim as it progresses through the novel. Compare the friendships between Jim, Huck and Tom in a three-circle Venn Diagram. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, is the classic story of a young boy who travels down the Mississippi on a raft with a runaway slave. The story begins with Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, who have each earned themselves $6,000. Feeling restless, Huck yearns for the freedom he once had before finding himself under the care of the Widow Douglas. He is then taken away by his estranged father, who sets his sights on Huck's newfound fortune. Huck soon runs away, setting off down the Mississippi River, where he befriends a runaway slave named Jim. During their journey, they encounter many characters and hardships that threaten their freedom.

Experience the rise and fall of mankind through a series of events that ultimately lead to a tragic end. Encourage students to make connections between the novel and real life through discussion questions and writing prompts. Students brainstorm the different themes that may be presented prior to reading the novel. Use evidence from the text to explain how Nick describes Myrtle's sister. Complete sentences from the story with their missing vocabulary words. Research the real-life scandal of the 1919 World Series touched on in the novel, and explain the social and cultural impacts this event had in the United States. Pick up Nick's story five years after the events in the novel and discuss where Nick would be and what he would be doing. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is a story about a man prospering from the Jazz Age, and his inevitable downfall. Told through the eyes of Nick Carraway, we are introduced to his mysterious neighbor—Jay Gatsby—who spends every evening throwing lavish parties. One such night, Nick is extended an invitation. There, we learn of Gatsby's intention of using Nick to facilitate a reunion between Gatsby and his lost love, Daisy Buchanan. Daisy, who lives across the lake in the house with the green light at the end of the dock, also happens to be Nick's cousin. Daisy and Gatsby's reunion leads to a tragic love affair that changes the lives of each character forever.

Discover the power of identity in a dystopian place where individuality is targeted and destroyed. Bring this novel to life for students with informative vocabulary and engaging chapter assessments. We let the student better understand the mindset of Tris by sharing a time when being selfless instead of selfish was a choice. Recognize the correct order of events as they happen in the story. Predict how Tris will do during the testing based on her performance in the novel. Role-play as the Erudite leader trying to find who is Divergent by using knowledge of the different factions. Create a board game illustrating the setting of the paintball and capture the flag section of the book. Complete a chart highlighting the different strengths and weaknesses for all of the factions. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Divergent is a story about a dystopian society where members fall within a particular faction and one girl who falls among many. Beatrice Prior was born in the Abnegation faction. This faction believes in selflessness among everything else. But Beatrice never felt that she fit in. During testing, Beatrice discovers that she exhibits tendencies from three different factions: Abnegation, Erudite and Dauntless. This is unheard of and she is warned never to reveal that she is Divergent. At the choosing ceremony, Beatrice decides to become Dauntless, and changes her name to Tris. During the initiation process into this new faction, Tris learns more about herself and what it means to be Divergent, including the dangers that come with it. She soon discovers a plot hatched by the Erudite that threatens the very fabric of their peaceful society.

Get drawn into a dystopian world to witness the struggle between one's self and their society. Students imagine what themes might be present in a dystopian future as perceived during the early 1950s. Predict what will happen to the woman whose books were hidden in the attic. Complete a paragraph from the novel with their missing vocabulary words. Answer multiple choice questions about the character Faber. Students reflect on the women's discussion of the two presidential candidates, and whether a person's name and appearance plays any factor in today's politics. Depict an alternate reality where Beatty and Montag join forces concerning their interest with books and the information they contain. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Fahrenheit 451, written by Ray Bradbury, is the story of a man's struggle with his society and himself. The story begins with Guy Montag, a "fireman" charged with the job of burning books that have become outlawed. In this society, books have been deemed to have no value with new media and sports accommodating short attention spans. His struggle begins when he meets his neighbor Clarisse McClellan, a free-thinker that begins to open his mind. From there, he soon finds himself stealing the books he was tasked to destroy. Montag's struggle culminates in an attempt to discover the value of books himself, putting him in the very same danger as those he once persecuted.

Enter a world filled with witches, prophecies, ambition and betrayal. Fresh and practical, our resource includes assessment rubric and writing prompts to inspire student comprehension. Speculate the advantages and disadvantages to knowing the future in advance. Put the events from the play in the order that they happen as Macbeth contemplates killing the King. Students write their own scene in which Macduff confronts Macbeth directly with his suspicions about the murder of the king. Understand the meaning of key vocabulary words by using them in a sentence. Explain what is Macbeth's greatest worry, now that he is King. Students write an Epilogue where Hecate meets up with the Weird Sisters to discuss the events that ended the play. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Macbeth is the classic tale of a husband and wife's ambition and their eventual downfall. On their way home from a battle, Macbeth and Banquo are told of their destiny by three witches. Banquo is told he will father a line of kings, while Macbeth is told he will be crowned King. After informing his wife of the witches' prophecy, Lady Macbeth helps to put events into motion that will put Macbeth on the throne. While trying to keep their fate intact, the pair are met with many challenges that all seem to hold true to the witches' prophecy. Macbeth is thrown into a series of murderous plots, while his wife's ambition pulls her over the edge. Murder, greed, and the supernatural propel the story forward to an exciting conclusion.

Visit a dystopian society to see what an alternate 1984 could have looked like. The variety of engaging activities can easily be broken up for students over several weeks to coordinate with assigned reading. Use what you know about Winston’s memory of his mother to describe what family relationships are like in Oceania. Predict what will happen to Winston based on what you know of the world he lives in and the consequences of his actions. Identify statements about Winston and Julia’s first meeting as true or false. Use what you have already read about room 101 and predict how Winston will react to his experiences there. Describe what the word “betrayal” means to you, and how it relates to the events in the novel. List events from the book that connect to the plot’s major themes. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, our worksheets incorporate a variety of scaffolding strategies along with additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key. About the Novel: Nineteen Eighty-Four is the year of an alternate dystopian era in which there are three ruling nations: Oceania, Eastasia and Eurasia. The former are partnered together in a war against the latter, and that’s how it’s always been. Or has it? Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth office. His job is to alter the history books so they line up with whatever the Party wants its citizens to believe. Everything is controlled by the Party, including language. Those that dare to have free thought are dealt with severely. Winston begins to question the Party and how things are run. He starts to rebel by purchasing a diary to write his thoughts in, beginning a relationship with a mysterious dark-haired woman, and seek out the Brotherhood who would like to see the Party taken down. But with the unseen eye of the Party leader Big Brother always watching, it’s only a matter of time before Winston is caught.

Step back in time to 1692 in Salem, Massachusetts and experience the corruption and ignorance of the Salem witch trials. Our resource is easily customizable, allowing educators to pick and choose elements to meet their needs. Focus on vocabulary comprehension by matching words from the text to their definitions. Test student understanding of the play by asking students to fill in the dialog with the missing words from the scene. Expand critical thinking skills with short-answer opinion questions. Supplement an existing unit with in-depth writing tasks, such as evaluating Reverend Hale's waning confidence in witchcraft that takes place throughout the play. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: The Crucible is the award-winning play written by Arthur Miller about the Salem witch trials of 1692. One night in Salem Massachusetts, a group of girls are caught dancing in the woods by Reverend Parris. His own daughter falls into a coma soon after, and the town is ablaze with talks of witchcraft. The Reverend sends for Reverend Hale to examine the girl for witchcraft. Hale concludes that the town of Salem is in fact engulfed in witchcraft as one by one the girls accuse other townspeople of communing with the devil. A trial ensues causing those accused to either deny these allegations, or confess, thus accusing someone else. This cycle finally culminates in the death of several innocent townsfolk. The Crucible is a historical dramatization of true events that show reputation is more important than admitting ignorance.

Learn about life during the Great Depression while learning about friendship, survival and prejudice. Our versatile resource allows large group interaction or independent work as an assessment. Become familiar with tricky words from the novel prior to reading by using them in a sentence. We include examples from the text that show characters exploiting the weaknesses of others. Draw a picture of George's ideal piece of land as he describes it to Lennie and Candy. Imagine the story taking place today, and rewrite the beginning to reflect this change. List the essential themes of the novel on a bindle organizer. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. About the Novel: Of Mice and Men is the controversial novella by John Steinbeck that follows two migrant workers as they look for work during the Great Depression. Located in California, ranch workers George Milton and Lennie Small move on to look for work. George is lean and intelligent, while Lennie is large and strong. The pair share a dream of one day owning their own land. Lennie's part of the dream is to be able to touch soft rabbits, as he likes to touch soft things. George and Lennie find themselves on a ranch with Candy, an old-aged ranch hand and Slim. Candy offers to give $350 for George and Lennie to buy their land if Candy can live with them. Unfortunate events at the ranch make sure that dream never takes place.

Experience the corruption of power and downfall of rebellion with this allegorical story of the Russian Revolution. This resource is great to use as a stand-alone resource, as well as a starting point for bigger activities. Predict whether old Major’s words will inspire any action from the animals. Explain how life for the animals changed immediately following the rebellion. Answer multiple choice questions that reference life on the farm under the leadership of the pigs. Get into the minds of the animals who continue to confess in the face of executions to determine their motivations. Research the concepts of propaganda and historical revisionism and how they connect to Napoleon’s actions in the novel. Discuss some of the instances of foreshadowing that can be found within the novel and how they influenced perceptions going forward. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, our worksheets incorporate a variety of scaffolding strategies along with additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key. About the Novel: Animal Farm is an allegorical satire that recalls the Russian Revolution, in which the unhappy animals of Manor Farm rise up against humanity. In Willingdon, England, Mr Jones runs the neglected Manor Farm. His animals are not happy with their living conditions. One night, old Major calls on the other animals to overthrow the humans. He teaches them a revolutionary song called ‘Beasts of England’. When he dies, conditions on the farm continue to deteriorate, to the point where the animals decide to rise up. They chase the humans off the farm and rename it Animal Farm. Two pigs, named Snowball and Napoleon take control and immediately adopt a set of seven commandments they call Animalism. The farm runs smoothly until bit by bit these commandments are broken by the pigs. Through propaganda, the pigs continue to keep control over the farm, even when the other animals start to question their actions. The story continues down a rabbit hole that inevitably shows the pigs are no different than the humans.

Look past someone’s race and background to discover their value. This resource meets the high school reading skills and serves as enrichment activities. Find reason behind Mr. Dodge’s treatment of Junior. Guess what advice Rowdy may have to offer about Junior’s relationship with Penelope. Students elaborate on Junior’s struggles playing basketball against Wellpinit High School. Identify key events surrounding Junior’s experiences with death and loss. Create a word cloud to depict important moments in the story. Recall the many themes that are central to the plot on a theme tree graphic organizer. Aligned to your State Standards and written to Bloom's Taxonomy, our worksheets incorporate a variety of scaffolding strategies along with additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key. About the Novel: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian follows Arnold Spirit Jr. as he balances life within two worlds. Arnold lives on the Spokane Reservation with his family, where everyone calls him Junior. Life on the Reservation is constrained. People don’t leave the Reservation. They live their entire lives there and amount to working at the casino. Junior is different. He is smart and has dreams. He decides to go to high school in a nearby town that will grant him bigger opportunities. There, everyone calls him Arnold. On the Reservation, everyone hates him for abandoning them. He is commonly referred to as a traitor. At his new school, everyone hates him for being different. Junior feels stuck between two worlds, not really belonging to either one of them. As the story unfolds, Junior struggles with being an adolescent, on top of trying to fit in. These struggles eventually lead him to discovering who he is and where he truly belongs.