Comparing Story Themes
Aligned to RL.4.9 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Stories from all over the world often teach similar lessons or follow similar patterns. Two tales can share a theme, like 'kindness is rewarded,' even when the characters and places are completely different. Compare them by matching their big ideas.
Worked examples
Example 1
One folktale rewards a girl who shares her bread with a stranger, and a myth from another land rewards a boy who helps an old traveler. Different stories, but both share the theme that kindness comes back to you.
Example 2
A story from Japan and one from Ireland can both use a foolish wish that comes true badly — the same warning told in two places.
Example 3
When two cultures tell the same kind of story, it usually means both were trying to teach the same lesson to their children.
Practice questions
- Name two stories you know that teach a similar lesson.
- Describe a pattern, like 'the youngest child saves the day,' that shows up in more than one tale.
- Explain one way two stories with the same theme still tell it differently.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Comparar Temas de Historias
Las historias de todo el mundo suelen enseñar lecciones parecidas o seguir patrones parecidos. Dos cuentos pueden compartir un tema, como 'la bondad se recompensa,' aunque los personajes y los lugares sean completamente distintos. Compáralos uniendo sus ideas principales.
Ejemplo 1: Un cuento popular premia a una niña que comparte su pan con un desconocido, y un mito de otra tierra premia a un niño que ayuda a un viajero anciano. Historias distintas, pero ambas comparten el tema de que la bondad regresa a ti.
Ejemplo 2: Un cuento de Japón y uno de Irlanda pueden usar los dos un deseo tonto que se cumple mal — la misma advertencia contada en dos lugares.
Ejemplo 3: Cuando dos culturas cuentan el mismo tipo de historia, normalmente significa que las dos querían enseñar la misma lección a sus hijos.
More Reading: Literature lessons
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