Lord of the Flies - Literature Kit Gr. 9-12


Book Description

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.




Nineteen Eighty-Four - Literature Kit Gr. 9-12


Book Description

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, additional crossword, word search, comprehension quiz and answer key are also included. 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.




Animal Farm - Literature Kit Gr. 9-12


Book Description

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.




The Crucible - Literature Kit Gr. 9-12


Book Description

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.




The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Literature Kit Gr. 9-12


Book Description

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.




Lord of the Flies


Book Description

A plane crashes on a desert island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. By day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast. As the boys' delicate sense of order fades, so their childish dreams are transformed into something more primitive, and their behaviour starts to take on a murderous, savage significance. First published in 1954, Lord of the Flies is one of the most celebrated and widely read of modern classics. Now fully revised and updated, this educational edition includes chapter summaries, comprehension questions, discussion points, classroom activities, a biographical profile of Golding, historical context relevant to the novel and an essay on Lord of the Flies by William Golding entitled 'Fable'. Aimed at Key Stage 3 and 4 students, it also includes a section on literary theory for advanced or A-level students. The educational edition encourages original and independent thinking while guiding the student through the text - ideal for use in the classroom and at home.




Julius Caesar - Literature Kit Gr. 9-12


Book Description

Travel to ancient Rome to experience power, corruption and greed among the ruling class. This resource helps to focus and guide classroom discussions. Imagine alternatives to dealing with disagreeing parties in a peaceful manner. Put yourself in the mind of Brutus to determine how he convinces himself to betray his friend. Answer questions about the events that take place surrounding Caesar’s death. Look inward to identify your own values and what you would do to see them realized. Keep track of your dreams in order to decipher their meanings. Complete a timeline of the real Julius Caesar and his accomplishments. 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: Julius Caesar imagines the true events surrounding the titular character’s downfall. Beware the Ides of March! A warning given to Caesar, but not followed. Caesar has risen to power. Rome is prospering. However, some of the other senators are not happy. They believe Caesar is drunk with power. They believe Rome would be better with someone else in charge. Their greed leads to the formation of a plot to overthrow Caesar. Led by Cassius, the conspirators know they need Brutus on their side. With manipulation they succeed, and the horrible deed is done. What happens after this betrayal is a struggle for power between two sides. One side that of the conspirators. The other of Marc Antony and Octavius, who have managed to turn the Romans against Brutus and the others. This struggle culminates into a war, where only one ruler will rise to control Rome.




The Road - Literature Kit Gr. 9-12


Book Description

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.




Angela's Ashes - Literature Kit Gr. 9-12


Book Description

Follow the true experiences of Frank McCourt as he struggles to support his family during his youth. Help students enjoy the novel with different activities to help comprehend the difficult vocabulary words. Students are asked to predict what will happen in the novel prior to reading it, by exploring the literary device: foreshadowing. Answer true or false questions about the family's move to Ireland. Describe the valuable lesson Mr. Halloran teaches Frank and the boys. Recall the moment Frank experienced pure joy. Describe Frank's relationship with his father and religion, and explain how this changes throughout the novel. Deconstruct a character by identifying whether Frank is a good or bad person and providing proof from the text to support this claim. 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: Angela's Ashes is a Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir about the author's own childhood and young adulthood. Frank— the eldest son of Malachy and Angela McCourt—vividly describes the hardships endured by his family. First living in Brooklyn, the family moves back to Ireland after the death of Frank's sister, Margaret. There, the family lives in poverty, as Frank's father spends all the welfare money, leaving little for food and clothes. Frank's father finally gets work in England, but neglects to send money home to his struggling family, leaving Frank to support them. The story continues with Frank searching tirelessly for a job, settling in at the post office. Eventually, Frank is able to earn enough money to return to America, hoping to start a new life.




The Color Purple - Literature Kit Gr. 9-12


Book Description

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.