Comparing Characters & Settings
Aligned to RL.5.3 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Compare means telling how two things are alike; contrast means telling how they differ. Use exact details from the story as proof.
Worked examples
Example 1
Two sisters both love art, but one paints calm landscapes while the other draws wild monsters — same passion, very different styles.
Example 2
The same character acts differently in two settings: bold on his own street, silent at his new school. The setting is revealing something about him.
Example 3
Comparing a character at the start and the end of a book is usually the fastest way to find what the book is about.
Practice questions
- Pick two characters and list one way they are alike.
- List one way two settings differ, with a detail.
- Explain how a difference between two events changes the story.
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 Personajes y Lugares
Comparar es decir en qué se parecen dos cosas; contrastar es decir en qué se diferencian. Usa detalles exactos de la historia como prueba.
Ejemplo 1: Dos hermanas aman el arte, pero una pinta paisajes tranquilos y la otra dibuja monstruos salvajes — la misma pasión, estilos muy distintos.
Ejemplo 2: El mismo personaje actúa distinto en dos lugares: atrevido en su propia calle, callado en su escuela nueva. El lugar está revelando algo sobre él.
Ejemplo 3: Comparar a un personaje al principio y al final de un libro suele ser la forma más rápida de hallar de qué trata el libro.
More Reading: Literature lessons
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