"A Night Divided" Word Study

About this resource

What's inside this resource

Vocabulary study and figurative-language analysis are paired across an 86-page resource built around Jennifer A. Nielsen's novel A Night Divided, organized into three chapter ranges (1-15, 16-33, and 34-47). Each chapter range includes a vocabulary word list (with and without definitions), two practice activities such as matching words to definitions or synonyms, a crossword puzzle, and two quizzes in varying formats (matching, fill-in-the-blank, or multiple choice). A separate 30-page figurative-language section provides notes handouts on simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and idiom, then has students identify figurative language in passages quoted directly from the novel and explain its type, meaning, and the author's purpose for using it. Answer keys are included for every vocabulary and figurative-language activity in the PDF.

Product description

From the author

Vocabulary knowledge is a direct link to reading comprehension. This vocabulary study provides vocabulary activities for words that appear in the novel "A Night Divided" by Jennifer A. Nielsen. Printable PDF and Google Slides & Forms (digital) versions are included!

⭐️This resource includes:⭐️

Printable PDF and Google Slides & Forms (digital) versions are included!

Chapters 1 - 15

◾Vocabulary Word Lists WITH Definitions: Students can use this word list as a study sheet to learn the pre-defined words.
◾Vocabulary Word Lists WITHOUT Definitions: Assign this word list for students to define the words on their own. This can be done either as a pre-reading activity or as they read the novel using context clues.
◾Vocabulary Study Activities: Match the word to the definition; Use context clues in quotes from the story to determine word meanings, then draw pictures to represent each word; Crossword Puzzle.
◾Vocabulary Quizzes: Quiz #1 - Match the word to the correct definition; Quiz #2 - Select the correct definition for each word.

Chapters 16 – 33

◾Vocabulary Word Lists WITH Definitions: Students can use this word list as a study sheet to learn the pre-defined words.
◾Vocabulary Word Lists WITHOUT Definitions: Assign this word list to students so they can define the words on their own. This can be done either as a pre-reading activity or as they read the novel, using the context clues.
◾Vocabulary Study Activities: Match the words to the synonyms & write a paragraph with 5 vocabulary words; Determine which word doesn’t relate to the others and then explain how the remaining words are related; Crossword Puzzle
◾Vocabulary Quizzes: Quiz #1 – Complete the sentence with the correct vocabulary word; Quiz #2 - Match the word to the correct definition.

Chapters 34 – 47

◾Vocabulary Word Lists WITH Definitions: Students can use this word list as a study sheet to learn the pre-defined words.
◾Vocabulary Word Lists WITHOUT Definitions: Assign this word list for students to define the words on their own. This can be done either as a pre-reading activity or as they read the novel using the context clues.
◾Vocabulary Study Activities: Tasks vary for each word (e.g. antonyms, synonyms, complete the sentences, name something, etc.); Crossword Puzzle; Match the word to the definition.
◾Vocabulary Quizzes: Quiz #1 - Select the correct definition for each word; Quiz #2 - Complete the sentence with the correct vocabulary word.
ANSWER KEYS for ALL Vocabulary Practice Activities and Quizzes

💡Examples of the vocabulary activities included are listed below.

◾define the word
◾antonyms / synonyms
◾fill in the blank sentences
◾categorize words that are similar
◾write sentences using the word
◾Crossword puzzles
◾multiple choice - choose the correct definition

Figurative Language Study (30 pages total)

◾Figurative Language Notes Handouts (Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Hyperbole, Idiom)
◾Figuring Out Figurative Language Activities - Students will identify figurative language in passages taken from the novel, A Night Divided. Then, students will determine the type, meaning, and author’s purpose for including the figurative language identified in each passage. This activity can be divided up by splitting the class into groups and having each group work on different pages for a section of chapters. It could also be divided up and assigned as a bell ringer, warm-up activity, or exit ticket. (ANSWER KEYS INCLUDED)

What's included

3 vocabulary word lists, each provided with and without definitions, for Chapters 1-15, 16-33, and 34-47
6 vocabulary practice activities (2 per chapter range: matching, context-clue, synonym, categorization, or sentence-completion tasks that vary by chapter range)
3 vocabulary crossword puzzles, one per chapter range
6 vocabulary quizzes (2 per chapter range, in matching, multiple-choice, or fill-in-the-blank formats)
5 figurative-language notes handouts covering simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and idiom
5 figurative-language passage-analysis activities (one per chapter grouping across the novel) where students identify the device, its meaning, and the author's purpose
Answer keys for all vocabulary activities, quizzes, and figurative-language activities

Resource types: Worksheets & Printables, Novel Studies, Teacher Tools, Assessments, Worksheets

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Define and use vocabulary words drawn directly from the text of A Night Divided, using context clues where definitions are not provided.
Identify similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, and idioms in quoted passages from the novel.
Explain the meaning of an identified figurative-language device and analyze the author's purpose for using it in a specific passage.
Demonstrate vocabulary mastery through matching, multiple-choice, and fill-in-the-blank quiz formats.

Teaching tips

Assign the word list without definitions before students read the relevant chapters, then use the word list with definitions afterward as a self-check study sheet.
Split the class into groups and assign each group a different chapter range's figurative-language pages so the full novel gets covered without every student analyzing every passage.
Use the vocabulary quizzes as a quick formative check after each chapter range before moving on to the next word list.
Have students complete the crossword puzzle as a low-stakes review activity once they've already worked through the matching and context-clue tasks for that chapter range.

Skills covered

Vocabulary acquisition — students learn 40+ words drawn directly from the novel's text across three chapter-range word lists.
Context-clue reasoning — students define words without provided definitions by using surrounding sentence context, as the 'Word List WITHOUT Definitions' pages require.
Figurative language identification — students underline and classify simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole in quoted novel passages.
Author's-purpose analysis — students explain why the author used a specific figurative device in each identified passage.
Vocabulary application — students complete crossword puzzles and multiple quiz formats that require recalling and applying word meanings rather than just recognizing them.

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

How does the figurative-language section connect to the specific text of the novel?

Each figurative-language activity quotes an actual passage from A Night Divided (with page citation) and has students identify the device used, explain its meaning, and analyze why the author chose it, rather than working with generic example sentences.

How do the two vocabulary quizzes differ within a single chapter range?

The two quizzes for a given chapter range use different formats from each other; for example, in the Chapters 16-33 set, Quiz #1 has students complete sentences with the correct vocabulary word while Quiz #2 has them match each word to its definition.

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Curriculum

Standards, concepts & topics

Standards

CCSS.L.6.5 — Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context. b. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., cause/effect, part/whole, item/category) to better understand each of the words. c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., stingy, scrimping, economical, unwasteful, thrifty)
CCSS.RL.6.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
CCSS.L.6.4 — Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., audience, auditory, audible). c. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech. d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).