"The Woman's Ghost Story" by Algernon Blackwood Quiz and Close Reading Bundle
Evaluate general reading comprehension, support critical thinking, and promote homework accountability with this bundle of formative assessments covering Algernon Blackwood's "The Woman's Ghost Story," a narrative of special appeal to high school students interested in Halloween, supernatural fiction, and the paranormal realm. A plot-based quiz, a close reading analysis worksheet, the public domain short story, and answer keys are included. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. (Alternatively, a Google Drive bundle option is available.) By engaging with these materials, students will perform the following tasks:
Identify what the text states explicitly and implicitly
Demonstrate knowledge of the conventions of Dark Romanticism
Consider the effects of the author's language and narrative techniques
Determine the purpose of a given passage
Discern tone in context
Examine how characters think, behave, interact, and develop
Apply knowledge of literary devices with an emphasis on simile, metaphor, imagery, hyperbole, foreshadowing, personification, epiphany, and more
Conduct brief online research on women's rights in the context of England in the early 1900s
Explore themes in context
Support claims and inferences with sound reasoning and relevant evidence
Write about Gothic fiction with clarity, accuracy, and precision
This resource may facilitate small-group discussions in which students decode language and pose/respond to questions relating to plot, broad topics, and character development. Using this resource for structured guidance, students will improve their ability to present information, conclusions, and supporting textual evidence clearly and convincingly.
Materials are available for teaching during the Halloween season:
Creative Writing Unit Plan for Gothic Fiction - Google and printable
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe (Volume 1) - Google and printable
The Works of Edgar Allan Poe (Volume 2) - Google and printable
The Works of H.P. Lovecraft (Volume 1) - Google and printable
The Works of H.P. Lovecraft (Volume 2) - Google and printable