Comparing story elements in the same genre is an important reading comprehension skill that can turn your students into literary detectives. You know that moment when a student confidently announces, “This book is just like the last one!” but then can’t explain why? That’s where this lesson comes in.
Teaching students to compare and contrast stories helps them understand how different authors tackle similar themes, build characters, and develop plots. It also helps them level up their reading comprehension, so they can go beyond surface-level observations and start making meaningful connections between texts.
In this lesson, students will practice RL.5.9, which focuses on comparing stories within the same genre. And because we all know worksheets alone won’t cut it, this lesson includes engaging activities—like watching animated shorts (because visuals make everything better) and creating an art project using watercolor paints and paper (because creativity makes learning stick).
What’s Inside:
- a hands-on approach to teaching story comparison
- interactive activities that keep students engaged
- printables & digital resources to make prep easy
Get the full lesson plan here, including all the materials you’ll need! Because if there’s one thing teachers love, it’s a lesson plan that’s already done for them.
Comparing Stories in the Same Genre
Comparing Stories: Essential Questions
To learn more about this subject, we will investigate some key questions:
- How do stories in the same genre use similar or different elements to tell their stories?
- What common themes and topics appear in stories of the same genre, and how do they differ?
- How do stories in the same genre influence our expectations, predictions, and connections to themes and topics?
- How can we compare and contrast stories in the same genre using graphic organizers, charts, or other tools?
- How can we appreciate and evaluate the creativity and quality of stories in the same genre?
Hook Activity: Predicting Themes
The lesson begins with watercolor images to spark students’ curiosity. Students will guess the theme connecting these images and discuss their observations, emotions, and interpretations. This visual exploration will lay the foundation for understanding time, family, and life themes.
Activity #1: Organizer – Comparing and Contrasting Stories
Next, students will watch a lesson video as they complete an organizer reviewing the lesson vocabulary. The video covers definitions, examples, and graphic organizers such as Venn diagrams and T-charts. The video lesson provides the foundation information students need to understand before comparing and contrasting stories.
Activity #2: Analyzing Animated Shorts
Students will watch two animated shorts to apply their newfound knowledge: “Life & Butterflies” and “Snowball.” As they watch each film, students will take notes on a summarizing T-chart, noting key details and the overall theme. After each film, they will answer questions on the T-chart to compare and contrast the storytelling techniques, characters, settings, and themes from each short. This activity will encourage students to engage with the texts actively and develop their analytical skills.
Video Lesson
Life and Butterflies Animated Short
Snowball Animated Short
Activity #3: Creative Expression
To conclude the lesson, students will complete a hands-on art activity that combines creativity with the identified themes. Using watercolor paints and paper, students will create vibrant and colorful backgrounds. Over these backgrounds, they will write famous quotes related to the themes of time, family, and life, using contrasting markers or ink pens. This activity will allow students to express their understanding of the themes while engaging in a visual and reflective exercise.
To start the lesson, I give each student cards with excerpts from well-known novels in different genres. Some of the novels I use are:
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (fantasy)
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (science fiction)
- The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (historical fiction)
- Holes by Gary Louis Sachar (adventure)
- The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (realistic fiction )
- The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost (poetry)
Conclusion:
Through this lesson, students practice comparing stories in the same genre and their approaches to similar themes and topics. Students have gained a deeper appreciation for storytelling techniques and the power of themes in shaping narratives by analyzing animated shorts, completing graphic organizers, and engaging in creative expression. They have honed their critical thinking skills, expanded their vocabulary, and developed a more vital understanding of genre elements. This is a great opening lesson for studying the teaching standard RL.5.9.
See all three posts in this series.
