LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Goal 3

The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.

Objective 3.02

Identify and discuss similarities and differences in events, characters, concepts and ideas within and across selections and support them by referencing the text.

Resources aligned to this objective

Pigs and wolf on a map!
The students will construct a Double Bubble Map (Venn Diagram) to compare and contrast two versions of a familiar fairytale.
Format: lesson plan (grade 2–4 English Language Arts)
By Cherry Randall.
Motor car and galimoto: An intercultural lesson in pragmatism, creativity, and perseverance
In this lesson for grade three, students read the book Galimoto, about a young boy in Malawi, Africa, and his quest to gather wire in order to make a toy car. Students discuss the literary elements of the book, study the language used, and complete their own quests to gather wire and create their own galimotos.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Visual Arts Education, English Language Arts, and Social Studies)
By Edie McDowell.
Little and big houses
Using the book Little House on the Prairie and international keypals, students will learn about similarities and differences among children at different times and in different places.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Social Studies)
By Karen Ester.
Comparing and contrasting Little Red Riding Hood stories
This lesson will introduce the Venn diagram to students. They will read two versions of the story "Little Red Riding Hood" and list details from each in separate diagrams.
Format: lesson plan (grade 3 English Language Arts)
By Amber Miller.

Resources on the web

Question and answer books—From genre study to report writing
Students explore question and answer books in this lesson to determine how the format and content of this genre is different from narrative texts. After the teacher finishes a read-aloud of two question and answer books that are different in content, students... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provided by: ReadWriteThink
Paul Revere: American patriot
In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students explore the life and legend of Paul Revere. Revere, an American patriot during the Revolutionary War period, is immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem featuring his daring ride to warn countrymen “the... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 English Language Arts)
Provided by: ReadWriteThink
Mapping characters across book series
In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students are introduced to a character from a literature series. The class critically looks at the character and his or her development over the course of the story. Students read critically to learn about the character's... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provided by: ReadWriteThink
The magical world of Russian fairy tales
This EDSITEment lesson focuses on several imaginative and exciting Russian fairy tales. Students review some of the common fairy tale elements that are present within these stories, which also may remind them of more familiar European fairy tales. Students... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provided by: EDSITEment
Looking for the history in historical fiction: An epidemic for reading
This lesson from ReadWriteThink helps students better understand the genre of historical fiction and its uses in understanding history. Students read historical fiction on a particular topic, and then research nonfiction information on the same topic. They... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provided by: ReadWriteThink
Literature as a jumping off point for nonfiction inquiry
Students explore the topic of water in this lesson that is conducted after reading Tuck Everlasting. After reading the book, students discuss examples of the themes that are present in the book. Then, the teacher challenges... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provided by: ReadWriteThink
Literature as a catalyst for social action: Breaking barriers, building bridges
In this lesson, picture books challenge students to confront the injustice of social barriers that separate human beings from one another and to examine the role of prejudice and stereotypes in sustaining these barriers. During this lesson, students... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provided by: ReadWriteThink
Leading to great places in the elementary classroom
The lead of a story is the beginning, and yet it can be the end if the reader is not entranced immediately. This lesson from ReadWriteThink examines types of leads in promininent children's literature and asks students to try their own hand at writing leads.... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provided by: ReadWriteThink
Jamestown changes
In this lesson, students will study census data showing the names and occupations of early settlers of the English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, to discern how life changed in the Jamestown settlement in the first few years after it was founded. The... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)
Provided by: EDSITEment
Historical fiction: Using literature to learn about the Civil War
In this lesson, the teacher reads aloud a section of Connie Porter's Meet Addy, a book from The American Girls Collection® that tells the story of a young girl who escapes from slavery during... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)
Provided by: ReadWriteThink
Historical fiction: Using literature to learn about the Civil War
In this lesson, the teacher reads aloud a section of Connie Porter's Meet Addy, a book from The American Girls Collection® that tells the story of a young girl who escapes from slavery during... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)
Provided by: ReadWriteThink
Guided comprehension: Knowing how words work using semantic feature analysis
This lesson from ReadWriteThink introduces students to the comprehension strategy of knowing how words work. Students learn semantic feature analysis, a strategy that teaches them to identify characteristics associated with related words or concepts. In... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provided by: ReadWriteThink
Get the reel scoop: Comparing books to movies
In this lesson, students compare and contrast books with their movie counterparts and learn to think critically about different forms of media. After the class reads a novel, the teacher activates prior knowledge about books that have been turned into movies.... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provided by: ReadWriteThink
Flying to Freedom: "Tar Beach and the People Could Fly"
In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students explore themes of liberation and racism as they examine the connections, as well as the disjunctions, between two award-winning multicultural children's books. By examining the relationship between two different... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provided by: ReadWriteThink
Fables and trickster tales around the world
This lesson plan from EDSITEment introduces students to folktales, such as fables and trickster tales, from around the world. Students become familiar with different folklore traditions and genres, as well as the process of the oral transmission of culture... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)
Provided by: EDSITEment
Comparing Tales through Performance
In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students identify the similarities and differences between a traditional and a contemporary version of The Three Little Pigs. Students act out scenes from each of the stories and are assessed based on how well they... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade K–4 English Language Arts and Theater Arts Education)
Provided by: ArtsEdge