Compare & Contrast
Complete unit · Grades 3–5 · 46-page PDF
5 lessons · 10 leveled passages · pre- and post-assessment
Tell how two versions of a tale, or two texts on one topic, are alike and different, treating clue words as clues, not rules.
View the full unit from Milestone Teachers
What's inside
- Teacher guide: unit at a glance, measured levels, grouping
- Pre- and post-assessment in parallel forms + class tracker
- Illustrated anchor chart: compare = alike, contrast = different
- 5 lesson plans in gradual release (I do, we do, you do)
- 2 retold fairy tales + 8 original passages, levels printed
- Venn sort, story-element chart, two-text organizer
- 24 task cards + exit tickets for Lessons 1-4
- 3 small-group reteach cards and every answer key
Lessons at a glance
| When | Focus | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| Before | Pre-assessment, Form A (about 15 minutes) | 4-5 |
| Lesson 1 | Two versions of one tale I can compare two versions of a tale: tell how they are alike and how they are different, with a detail from each tale. | 7-13 |
| Lesson 2 | Story elements, not small details I can compare two stories about the same characters by their setting, problem, solution and lesson, not by small details such as colors. | 14-18 |
| Lesson 3 | Clue words are clues, not rules I can use clue words to find likenesses and differences, and check what each sentence really says when a clue word misleads or is missing. | 19-22 |
| Lesson 4 | Two texts on one topic I can tell which important points two texts share and which only one gives, then use both texts to write about the topic. | 23-27 |
| Lesson 5 | Show what you know: one topic, three levels I can compare two animals on my own, with a passage at my level. | 28-32 |
| Review | 24 task cards + recording sheet (centers or small groups) | 33-36 |
| After | Post-assessment, Form B; compare on the tracker | 37-38 |
| Any day | Reteach cards for small groups | 39-40 |
Passages and levels
| Passage | Used in | Level | Grade (FK) | Words |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Gingerbread Boy | Lesson 1 (guided) | Level A | 2.7 | 179 |
| The Runaway Pancake | Lesson 1 (on your own) | Level B | 4.1 | 250 |
| The Snow Fort | Lesson 2 | Level A | 2.8 | 195 |
| The Sand Castle | Lesson 2 | Level B | 3.8 | 234 |
| Seals and Sea Lions | Lesson 3 (guided) | Level A | 2.7 | 167 |
| Text 1: Pandas and Bamboo | Lesson 4 | Level B | 4.4 | 206 |
| Text 2: A Panda Cub Grows Up | Lesson 4 | Level C | 5.2 | 258 |
| Frogs and Toads | Lesson 5 | Level A | 2.9 | 183 |
| Frogs and Toads | Lesson 5 | Level B | 3.8 | 223 |
| Frogs and Toads | Lesson 5 | Level C | 5.2 | 256 |
Standards
Common Core codes and wording as printed in the unit.
- RL.3.9 Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series)
- RL.4.9 Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.
- RL.5.9 Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.
- RI.3.9 Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
- RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
- RI.5.9 Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
Ontario Language (2023): direct matches
- C3.3 (Grade 3). Grade 3 wording: analyze various texts...by identifying main and supporting ideas, sequencing information, and comparing and contrasting elements