Help students strengthen their compare and contrast, reading comprehension, and writing skills with this engaging literacy resource! Use these compare and contrast worksheets with A Tale of Two Beasts by Fiona Roberton or Tía Isa Wants a Car by Meg Medina and A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams. Blank templates are also included so students can compare any two picture books, stories, or characters, making this a versatile addition to your elementary ELA lessons.
A detailed, annotated book list provides additional mentor texts that work well for teaching compare and contrast. Students use brainstorming pages to identify similarities and differences between characters, settings, themes, perspectives, or story events before organizing their ideas into a well-structured writing response.
A Tale of Two Beasts is an excellent mentor text for teaching point of view and perspective, as each character tells the same story from a different viewpoint. Tía Isa Wants a Car and A Chair for My Mother provide rich opportunities to compare characters, motivations, perseverance, goal setting, family relationships, and saving money for an important purpose.
Students begin by completing a Venn diagram graphic organizer, then organize their ideas using a writing outline. Finally, they use the composition page to write a complete compare and contrast paragraph or essay, with a checklist to guide them through the writing process.
This resource includes:
- 4 pages of annotated picture book recommendations for compare and contrast lessons
- Venn diagram graphic organizer
- Writing outline
- Final writing composition page with writing reminders
- Three versions of the worksheets: one for A Tale of Two Beasts, one for Tía Isa Wants a Car and A Chair for My Mother, and one blank version for use with any books or stories
This resource is perfect for grades 2–5, literacy centers, reading workshop, guided reading, writing workshop, independent practice, homework, or substitute teacher plans.
For more information, see the blog posts: Learn to Compare and Contrast using A Tale of Two Beasts and Teaching Goal Setting and Compare and Contrast using Beloved Picture Books
