Bartleby, the Scrivener Differentiated Study Guide | Herman Melville | CCSS Aligned

Bring one of the most haunting workplace classics into your classroom without losing students to old-fashioned syntax and uneven reading stamina. This differentiated, standards-friendly unit for Herman Melville’s Bartleby, the Scrivener (1853) supports mixed reading levels while preserving the story’s quiet dread, dark humor, and its sharp critique of Wall Street dehumanization.

PROBLEM: This story can be difficult to teach as a whole-class text because the original language density slows pacing, and students often read at different levels—so teachers end up summarizing constantly or watering down the ambiguity that makes the narrator’s reliability, passive resistance, and conformity vs. free will worth discussing.

SOLUTION: This differentiated short story study for Bartleby, the Scrivener solves that problem by giving you the complete Original Text plus two aligned options—the Accessible Text (HILO) and the Leveled Text—so your class can move together while students read the version that best supports comprehension today. The adaptations keep the major plot events, key character choices, and core themes (including alienation, moral responsibility, and the dehumanizing machinery of modern work). The resource is structured as a 2-part reading (Part 1 + Part 2) to keep pacing manageable and discussions focused.

Perfect for: Grades 7–12 whole-class short story study, mixed reading levels, inclusive classrooms, intervention groups, multilingual learners, sub plans, and fast-prep lesson days. Some teachers also use it for older students when they want rigorous themes with a more accessible reading load.

Cross-version alignment: Every Discussion Question and every Multiple Choice Exit Quiz item is designed to be answerable from the Accessible Text (HILO), the Leveled Text, or the Original Text, while still mapping cleanly to the original story for extension reading and evidence practice.

Note: The preview files are from the free The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Differentiated Study Guide so you can get an idea for what this product includes. However, to be sure this will meet your classroom's needs, download the free study guide now and give it a test drive.

Quick 2 Day Guide for Teachers (Daily Schedule)

• Reading: Students read the assigned part as small groups or independent reading (Accessible, Leveled, or Original) based on student levels.
• Whole-class discussion: Bring everyone together for the Discussion Questions (works across all text versions).
• Assessment: Assign the shared 10-question Multiple Choice Exit Quiz as either a Google self-graded quiz or a printable quiz.
• Finishers/homework: Use the Vocabulary Words, Short Answer Questions, and Challenge Questions for early finishers—or assign as homework if time runs out.
• For short stories with 2 parts: Use Part 1 for Day 1 and Part 2 for Day 2.
• All components can be mixed and matched for flexible schedules and can be used in class or as homework.

This product includes a zip file consisting of:

NOTE: All files are editable and include (PDF, DOCX, PPTX, Google Docs/Slides/Forms)

Original Text: ~14,650 words | ~9.6 Flesch-Kincaid GL

• Lexile Range (est.): 980L–1280L | CEFR (est.): B2–C1
• Great for on-grade and advanced readers, close reading, narrator reliability analysis, and original-language evidence/quoting.

Leveled Text: ~10,400 words | ~4.8 Flesch-Kincaid GL

• Lexile Range (est.): 720L–920L | CEFR (est.): A2–B1
• Keeps the full arc and ethical tension while simplifying sentence structure and reducing vocabulary friction.

Accessible Text (HILO): ~5,100 words | ~3.9 Flesch-Kincaid GL

• Lexile Range (est.): 650L–860L | CEFR (est.): A2
• Shorter and written in simpler language to reduce cognitive load and support comprehension—without “babyish” presentation.
• *All three versions tell the same story, allowing students to participate in shared discussions even when reading different texts.

Student Final Worksheet/Quizzes (PPTX, Google Slides/Forms)

• 10 Vocabulary Words
• 10 Short Answer Recall/Comprehension
• 5 Challenge Questions (analysis, themes, craft)
• 2 Multiple Choice Exit Quiz (10 Questions, cross-version aligned) (1 for each part)

Teacher’s Guide & Answer Key

• 2 sets of Discussion Questions
• 2 self-graded Exit Quiz (10Qs)
• Answer keys for Vocabulary, Short Answer, and Challenge Questions

FREE BONUS ALERT: Access Code Included to read on the Leveled-Lit Classics Library Platform!

SAVE 40%: Top 10 Short Story Study Guide | 19th Century American Authors Bundle

Summary

A cautious Wall Street lawyer runs a quiet copying office and hires Bartleby, a pale scrivener who initially works intensely. Then, with unsettling calm, Bartleby begins refusing tasks with the repeated line, “I would prefer not to.” As Bartleby withdraws further—until he is effectively living in the office—the narrator swings between irritation, pity, and self-preservation. The problem follows them beyond the office’s blank walls to the Tombs prison, where Bartleby refuses food and dies, leaving the narrator haunted by what isolation and systems of work can do to a human being.

Searchable Teacher Keywords

• Bartleby, the Scrivener study guide (Herman Melville)
• Differentiated short story unit
• HILO (high-interest low-readability) text option
• Self-grading Google Forms exit quiz
• Narrator reliability and passive resistance analysis
• Text evidence and close reading

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the exit quiz available as a self-grading Google Form?

Yes. A printable version is included as well, so you can assign the same assessment digitally or on paper.

Will students on the Accessible Text still be able to do analysis?

Yes. The Accessible version preserves the core conflict and power, responsibility, and narrator reliability, so students can discuss theme and craft with simpler language.

What if I only have one class period?

Use the exit quiz as the check for understanding, then assign vocabulary + short answers as homework or for early finishers.

Common Core State Standards

• RL.8.1 / RL.9-10.1 / RL.CCR.1 — Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.8.2 / RL.9-10.2 / RL.CCR.2 — Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of a text; provide an objective summary of the text.
• RL.8.3 / RL.9-10.3 / RL.CCR.3 — Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
• RL.8.4 / RL.9-10.4 / RL.CCR.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of word choice on meaning and tone.
• RL.8.5 / RL.9-10.5 / RL.CCR.5 — Analyze how an author’s choices about structure and sequencing create effects such as mystery, tension, or surprise and contribute to meaning and style.
• RL.8.6 / RL.9-10.6 / RL.CCR.6 — Analyze how point of view and perspective shape what the reader knows and how the text creates effects such as suspense or irony.
• RL.8.10 / RL.9-10.10 / RL.CCR.10 — Read and comprehend literature at the appropriate grade-level text complexity band independently and proficiently.
• W.8.1 / W.9-10.1 / W.CCR.1 — Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
• W.8.2 / W.9-10.2 / W.CCR.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas clearly through selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
• W.8.9 / W.9-10.9 / W.CCR.9 — Draw evidence from literary texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
• SL.8.1 / SL.9-10.1 / SL.CCR.1 — Engage effectively in collaborative discussions, building on others’ ideas and expressing one’s own clearly.
• L.8.4 / L.9-10.4 / L.CCR.4 — Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases using context and a range of strategies.