Compare and contrast elements of texts (Inclusive Big Idea #9)

Reading Literature

Grade 7: English Language Arts

Inclusive Big Idea #9: Compare and contrast elements of texts

Standard: Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history. RL.7.9

• Anchor Text: Read Thank You Ma’m, by Langston Hughes and compare it to historical accounts and newspaper articles from Harlem or other historically Black communities in the same era. Learn more about accessing grade-level text in this TIP Sheet.
• Author Study: Compare a fictional account of a time period with a non-fiction historical account of the time period. Notice how elements within the texts are the same and how elements within the texts are different. During and after reading a text, create a chart with the class to analyze how texts are similar/different.
• Topic Study: Using a T chart, compare a fictional account of a time period with a non-fiction historical account of the time period. Notice how the texts and images are similar and how the texts and images are different. Learn more about graphic organizers in this TIP Sheet.
• Venn Diagram Sorting: Choose a fictional account of a time period with a non-fiction historical account of the time period and create category cards with the titles of both texts. Next, create cards that have some information about the texts that are the same and create some cards that have some information about the texts that are different (e.g., characters, setting, themes, events). Ask students to sort the cards onto the Venn diagram, placing the cards with similar information in the middle of the diagram and placing cards with dissimilar information in either the right or left circle. Learn more about graphic organizers in this TIP Sheet.
• Grand Conversations: Read a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character. Then, read an actual historical account of the same time, place, or character. Engage in a conversation about the differences/similarities. Questions to consider asking include:
  • How is the fictional account of the time, place, or character similar to the actual historical account?
  • What happens in the fictional account that doesn’t actually happen in the historical account?
  • How are the themes similar?

For example, one possible barrier for students is if the lesson is not designed to be of interest or relevant.

Ideas to reduce this barrier could include:

• connect the content to something related to the school or the local community
• allow students to choose texts from a set of options
• connect the content to existing communication boards and experience books
• share a clear purpose for why the content or skill matters in the “real world”

Use these Inclusive Strategies to help reduce barriers.

• Why is it Important to Build Background Knowledge?
  • Students can determine what is the same and what is different in the content of what they read or see.
  • Build background knowledge about how students can use information they already know in order to compare and contrast elements of a character’s experience. Background knowledge can be built directly and indirectly. Direct experiences (e.g., teacher modeling, think-aloud strategies, cross-curricular activities) or indirect experiences (e.g., field trips, video clips, class activities, simulations) may effectively build relevant background knowledge.
• What are "Story Elements"?
  • Story elements are, essentially, the parts of a story. These elements develop the actions or events in the story in a logical way to enable readers to easily follow the text. Knowing this can help students to compare and contrast.
    • characters- the individuals in the story
    • setting- the location and time period where the story takes place
    • plot- what happens in the story and should a clear beginning, middle, and end
    • conflict- the problem in the story; the plot in a story should be centered on the conflict
    • resolution- the solution to the problem or conflict

Common Student Misconceptions

• Building Background Knowledge: Many teachers assume students already know about a topic based on their age or what they should have learned in a previous grade or class. When background knowledge is not built or activated, students will lack the schema to understand new material and may not effectively learn and understand the topic or concept.
• Theme: Main idea and theme are often confused as being the same. Although both can be related, theme is a broad topic, whereas main idea is more specific. For example, nature may be the theme of a story, while the main idea is “littering is bad”.
• Story Elements: Students often miss aspects of story elements when summarizing a text. In addition, some texts are considered inconsiderate texts and do not provide enough to allow students to fully understand all story elements and must fill in the gaps with prior experiences and personal preferences, leading to problems with comprehension.
• Setting Purpose: Students may be overwhelmed when asked to compare ideas if they don’t understand which information is important. Set clear expectations about what characteristics of the story you want them to compare.
• Fact versus Opinion: When comparing aspects of stories, students should base their comparisons in facts about the stories, not in their opinions about the stories.
• Concrete versus Abstract Characteristics: Some points of comparison will be details that are explicitly stated within the story about characters or events, while other details may be implied or created by descriptions, language, or situations, such as mood or tone.

Links Across Content Areas

• Social Studies: Read a historical text and then watch a fictional reenactment of the same event. 

Sixth Grade: Compare and contrast elements of texts (RL 9)

Seventh Grade: Compare and contrast elements of texts (RI 9)

Seventh Grade: Access and comprehend grade-level literature (RL 10)

Eighth Grade: Compare and contrast elements of texts (RL 9)