Comparing Themes and Settings of Stories Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: RL.3.9

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

The theme of a story is the underlying message that the story is trying to impart on the reader. This is the big idea of why the author took the time to write the piece. The setting is the time and place where the story is taking place. The setting serves as the backdrop of what is going on including the culture. The setting also leads us to understand the period in time that this story takes place. This can often lead us to better understand the motivations of the characters. These worksheets will help students learn the skill of understanding central themes and how to compare these between stories.

Themes and Settings Worksheets:

All About Alaska – Also includes Rhode Island in there too.

The Bat Poems – Do you think each poem looks at bats differently?

The Forest – We introduce the use of column charts.

Compare and Contrast Howie and Whooly – These guys are totally nothing alike.

Fish Under the Seas – This seems like a blanket statement about fish in general.

The Seat Belt Saves Us – Jack and his dad pulled out of their driveway on Spiney Drive and headed towards the school. Meanwhile, Jack's friend Peter was getting into his moms car over on Lacy Lane.

Compare and Contrast YOU! – For this exercise, we want you to try to write a few sentences that compare you to someone and then a paragraph that contrasts you to someone. An example has been provided for you.

Jenny and Bobby's Big Day – Two stories written by the same author. Read each story and then fill in the diagram with ways the stories are the same and different.

The Smith's and the Boyd's – Read the story below and then fill out the diagram attached. On the left side, write things that are different about the Smith's and on the right side, things that are different about the Boyd's. Use the middle for things that are the same.

Stacy's Parents – Fill in the diagram with things about Stacy's mom and dad.

Texas and Maine – These states are pretty easy to compare.

The Hare and the Tortoise Retold – The Hare was making fun of the Tortoise for being so slow.

Transportation – There are many ways to get from one place to another. Some ways are alike and use wheels to help, like a car or a bike.

Comparing Articles – The two articles below were written by the same person. Your job is to compare and contrast the two articles and answer the questions.

Compare and Contrast A Zoo and A Farm – This is neat comparison activity for you.

How to Compare the Themes and Settings of Different Stories?


Theme:


The theme of a story is the message or central idea of the story that the author wants you to perceive through his/her story.


Setting:


Setting in a story is the environment, time and place within a story e.g. New York in summer 1995. This doesn't only tell factual information, but also sets the mood of the story. It helps the reader to imagine what they are reading. For example, a deserted bridge on a snowy night.


How to compare themes and settings of different stories?


- First of all, you need to choose two different stories for the comparison. E.g. "duck race" and the other may be "the tortoise and the hare"
- Make a chart of comparison to record what you notice in these stories.
- Then you have to figure out the protagonists and antagonist in both stories.
- Also, list down the other minor characters of both stories in different columns.
- Then you can write qualities of protagonists of your two stories.
- Also notice the environment, weather, season or other details about the setting of the story that helps you observe the scene that might be happening in the story.
- The problems these characters are facing in these two stories are the main part of the story that would uncover the theme or lesson of the story. For e.g. in "duck race" the two ducklings kept racing with each other and one of them had always thought that he is faster than the other. Similarly, in "the tortoise and the hare" the hare used to believe he is fast and challenged the tortoise to race even though he knew that the tortoise can't run fast.
- At the end identify the differences and similarities between the themes or morals of these two stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Farmer Preview