Grade 5 English Language Arts | FL B.E.S.T. Standard: ELA.5.R.1.3
Describe how an author develops a character's perspective in a literary text.
Note: This standard connects to comparing and contrasting how different characters, settings, and events are developed across texts, including perspective and point of view.
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
| Term | Definition | Student-Friendly Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Compare | To identify similarities between two or more things | Finding how things are THE SAME or alike |
| Contrast | To identify differences between two or more things | Finding how things are DIFFERENT |
| Venn Diagram | A graphic organizer using overlapping circles | A tool with circles that overlap - differences go on the sides, similarities go in the middle |
| Signal Words | Words that indicate comparison or contrast | Clue words that tell you whether things are similar or different |
| Text Evidence | Specific details from the text that support analysis | Quotes or details from the reading that prove your point |
| Analysis | Examining details to understand meaning | Looking closely at details to figure out what they mean |
| Compare (Similarities) | Contrast (Differences) |
|---|---|
| similarly, likewise, both, also, in the same way, just as, like, as well as, too, equally | however, but, yet, on the other hand, in contrast, while, although, whereas, unlike, different from |
| Day | Focus | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Comparing Characters | Introduce compare/contrast with two characters. Use Venn diagram. Focus on traits, motivations, actions. |
| 2 | Contrasting Settings | Compare settings across two passages. Analyze how setting affects characters and plot. |
| 3 | Events and Responses | Compare how characters respond to similar events differently. Practice with Practice Worksheet. |
| 4 | Writing Comparisons | Use signal words to write comparison paragraphs. Move from graphic organizer to written response. |
| 5 | Assessment | Administer FAST Format Quiz. Review and reteach as needed. |
Create a three-column chart: Character/Setting/Event 1 | What's the Same | Character/Setting/Event 2. This helps students organize their thinking before writing. Fill in both outer columns first, then find the similarities in the middle.
After identifying a similarity or difference, always ask "So what? Why does this matter?" This pushes students beyond surface-level observations to meaningful analysis. Example: "Both characters are brave" becomes "Both characters show bravery, but Sarah's bravery is about standing up to people, while Marcus's bravery is about facing his own fears."
When reading two passages, have students use two different colored highlighters - one for each text. Then, when they find a similarity, they mark both pieces of evidence. When they find a difference, they mark only the one that's different. This visual approach helps students track evidence across texts.
Provide sentence stems to help students structure comparison writing:
- "Both _____ and _____ are similar because they both..."
- "While _____ (does/is) _____, _____ (does/is) _____ instead."
- "In contrast to _____, who _____, _____ chooses to..."
- "One key difference is that..."
Correction: "Both are girls" or "Both live in a city" are surface-level observations. Push students to compare meaningful elements: traits, motivations, how they respond to challenges, what they learn. Ask: "What does this comparison teach us?"
Correction: Students often focus only on differences. Remind them that "compare" means finding similarities, while "contrast" means finding differences. Most questions ask for both.
Correction: While we often compare character to character or setting to setting, students can also compare across categories - such as how a character's growth compares to the resolution of the plot.
Correction: Venn diagrams are tools for organizing thinking, not final answers. On FAST tests, students must articulate comparisons in clear sentences with evidence, not just fill in circles.
On the FAST assessment, compare and contrast questions typically ask students to:
Key Strategy: Teach students to read both passages first, then go back to look for specific comparison evidence. Using a mental or written checklist (characters, settings, events, themes) helps ensure thorough analysis.