What do a wizard, a tribute, and a time-traveling tortoise have in common?
Turns out—quite a lot.
When students learn to compare texts in different genres, they discover how authors tackle universal themes (like friendship, survival, or identity) in wildly different ways. This lesson helps students analyze how genres shape storytelling—and lets them explore it through novels, poems, commercials, and more.
Be sure to grab the handout—it includes all the printables, examples, and links you’ll need.
Comparing Texts in Different Genres
✨Hook: Sort That Story!
Start by passing out excerpt cards from popular novels across a range of genres. Some of the featured titles include:
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (fantasy)
The Hunger Games (sci-fi)
The Diary of a Young Girl (historical fiction)
Holes (adventure)
The Outsiders (realistic fiction)
The Road Not Taken (poetry)
Ask students to group the cards by theme, not genre—this creates great conversation. Can a fantasy story and a poem both explore courage? Absolutely.
Then, reflect as a class: How do authors tackle the same themes using different tools from their genre toolbox?
Video Lesson: What’s a Genre Got to Do With It?
Your students will watch a short video covering…
genre definitions and examples how genre influences tone, structure, and storytelling how to use a Venn diagram to compare texts
The handout includes a printable or digital genre organizer for students to fill out while watching.
✨Practice Activity: Comparing Texts in Different Genres
To keep things interesting (and relevant), students will watch three short videos—each a different genre:
- Commercial – 2023 Kia Sportage X-Pro
- Documentary – Saving Leatherback Turtles (BBC Earth)
- Animated Short – Turtle Journey: The Crisis in Our Oceans
Afterward, they’ll complete a chart comparing the films on:
genre
theme
characters
setting
message
Discussion questions guide students to think critically about how each video delivers its message—and which one was most effective. The chart has questions such as:
- How does each video approach the theme and topic?
- What message does each video convey?
- What are some similarities and differences between the videos?
- Which video did you find most effective in conveying its message? Why?
✨Extension Activity: Myth, History, and Poetry Walk into a Classroom…
Now let’s get literary.
Students will read different versions of the same topic told through multiple genres:
The Attack of Polybotes (Greek myth)
Odysseus and the Cyclops (epic poem)
Greeks at Thermopylae (historical nonfiction)
They’ll use a T-chart to compare and contrast how each version handles the story—and then share in small groups.
✨Closing Activity: Presenting the Genre Mash-Up
For a creative (and standards-based!) final project, students will research sea turtles and create a multimedia presentation using at least two genres:
🎵 a poem or song
🖼️ a comic or poster
📽️ a slideshow or video
Each student must reflect on their genre choices and how they impacted the message. Then it’s time to present and give feedback!
One last thing…
Teaching students to compare texts across genres helps them become stronger readers—and deeper thinkers. Plus, it’s a blast to see how stories shift and shine in different formats.
👉 Grab the handout here to bring this lesson to your classroom!
See all the posts in this series.
