“The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield Close Reading Analysis Worksheet

Item description

Help high school students improve fluency, stamina, text comprehension, and close reading analysis of the formal elements of fiction with this resource for teaching “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield. Additional materials are included to facilitate planning for unexpected teacher absences. Materials are delivered in Word Document and PDF formats. Included are the following:

• Public domain short story.
• Close reading analysis worksheet. By engaging with this exercise, students will articulate what is stated explicitly and implicitly; define complex words and phrases in context; analyze how complex characters think, interact, and behave; explore how a particular incident contributes to the development of a dynamic character; apply knowledge of literary devices including metaphor and dramatic irony; analyze the author’s craft to discern and articulate how she creates a dreamy atmosphere in the garden; compare two characters from different classes; explore shifts in tone; articulate the symbolism of a seemingly ordinary object; cite textual evidence in support of claims; and write ideas with clarity, accuracy, and precision. Questions are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats.
• Close reading analysis worksheet answer key.
• Low-prep lesson plan for unexpected absences. This comes pre-filled with learning targets and agenda items. Space is also designated for classroom teachers to identify the name(s) of their class(es), the hour(s) of their class(es), student leaders, and upcoming homework assignments and assessments.
• Bell ringer activity. Help a substitute teacher engage students (and find time to take attendance) with a thematically linked writing prompt.
• Miscellaneous performance tasks handout. Extend student thinking and learning in the event of unexpected absences with this item outlining creative tasks pertaining to the short story. For example, students may write poetry or journal entries from the perspective of a character; write a brief retelling of the narrative from a different character’s perspective; explore the thematic significance of stories; review the overall quality of the narrative with objectivity and supporting evidence; and more.

Materials are available for teaching a variety of texts such as:

• Animal Farm by George Orwell
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
• Feed by M.T. Anderson
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare
• The Adventures of Ulysses by Bernard Evslin
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
• The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells