General Information
Test Item Specifications
- Requires the student to select a similarity or a difference between characters, settings, or events and then to select textual details that support that similarity or difference.
- Requires the student to select similarities and/or differences between characters, settings, or events and then to select words or phrases from the text that provide support for that comparison.
- Requires the student to complete a table by comparing and/or contrasting characters, settings, or events with descriptions, details, or analyses.
Items may ask the student to use details from the text in order to compare and/or contrast two or more characters, settings, or events. Items may ask for support that is directly stated in the text or ask the student to draw inferences.
The items assessing this standard may be used with one or more grade-appropriate literary texts. Texts may vary in complexity
The Enhanced Item Descriptions section on page 3 provides a list of Response Mechanisms that may be used to assess this standard (excluding the Editing Task Choice item type). The Sample Response Mechanisms may include, but are not limited to, the examples below.
Task Demand
Compare and/or contrast two or more characters, settings, or events and use specific details from the text as support.
Sample Response Mechanisms
Selectable Text
EBSR
Related Courses
| Course Number1111 | Course Title222 |
| 5010010: | English for Speakers of Other Languages-Elementary (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022 (course terminated)) |
| 5010020: | Basic Skills in Reading-K-2 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2021, 2021 and beyond (current)) |
| 5010030: | Functional Basic Skills in Communications-Elementary (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current)) |
| 5010046: | Language Arts - Grade Five (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current)) |
| 7710016: | Access Language Arts - Grade 5 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2022, 2022 and beyond (current)) |
Related Resources
Lesson Plans
| Name | Description |
| The Tiger Rising: A Book Study Using Literature Circles | The Tiger Rising, written by the award winning author Kate DiCamillo, is an engaging story of two children whose lives are thrown together in a small town in Florida. Even though their personalities are in sharp contrast, they become friends who support each other through life's challenges of grief, pain, acceptance and their adventures with the tiger. Kate DiCamillo works her magic through her skilled use of figurative language to develop the characters in a way that engages readers in her character's adventures. Short chapters make this a perfect choice for literature circles. In this lesson, students will answer text-dependent questions as they analyze the two main characters in the story. |
| Human Rights and Discrimination: Analyzing how a Narrator's Point of View Influences a Story | Students will begin to learn about discrimination by analyzing how a narrator's or speaker's point of view can influence the way events are described in a story. Students will create a KWL chart, Venn diagram, and Character web, and then write an essay, all while working collaboratively to explore this important cultural issue. |
| Comparing/Contrasting Character Traits and the Approaches to Two Themes | In this lesson, students will compare and contrast literary elements of two literary texts "The Enchanted Sticks" and "The Story of Wang Li." They will use the literary elements of each text to determine the development of each theme. Students will then research stories that have similar themes to the ones they’ve discussed in the lesson. |
Student Center Activities
| Name | Description |
| Comprehension: Character Connections | In this activity, students will identify similarities and differences between characters. As an extension activity, students will compare the perspectives of two characters. Graphic organizers are provided for character analysis and comparisons. |
| Comprehension: Character Consideration | In this activity, students will describe characters using a graphic organizer. |
| Comprehension: Check-A-Trait | In this activity, students will identify similarities and differences between characters' traits (as determined by actions, thoughts, and feelings). |
Unit/Lesson Sequences
| Name | Description |
| "The Wizard of Oz" 5th Grade Unit | This is a fifth grade unit on the novel The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. The unit explores fantasy fiction, setting, effects of character decisions, plot, conflict, and theme. The student packet that accompanies the unit includes graphic organizers and worksheets to assist with reinforcing the unit concepts. |
| "Dogs Don't Tell Jokes" 5th Grade Unit | This is a fifth grade novel unit on Dogs Don't Tell Jokes by Louis Sachar. A variety of concepts are explored throughout the unit, including genre, characters, relationships, prediction, textual evidence, plot conflict, and theme. The student packet provides graphic organizers and worksheets that can assist with implementing the unit concepts. |
| The Great Gilly Hopkins 5th Grade Unit | This is a fifth grade unit on the novel The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson. Several concepts are explored throughout this lesson, including plot, conflict, prediction, characters, theme, and relationships. The student packet and accompanying materials provide practice with these concepts. |
| Riding Freedom 5th Grade Unit | This is a fifth grade unit on the historical fiction novel Riding Freedom by Pam Munoz Ryan. Several concepts regarding the novel are explored, including genre, setting, real-world connections, and effects of a character's past. The student packet and accompanying materials provide ample opportunities for practice. |
| The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 5th Grade Unit | This is a fifth grade novel unit on The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. The unit incorporates instruction relating to the novel's setting, characters, plot, and theme - as well as the basic elements of fantasy fiction. The student packet that accompanies the unit provides some additional structure for the lesson content. |
| Maniac Magee 5th Grade Unit | This is a fifth grade unit on the novel Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. Graphic organizers, charts, comprehension and vocabulary worksheets, and authentic collaborative activities are used to enhance interaction with the novel. Several concepts are pursued, including theme, conflict, relationships, plot, and characters. |
| 5th Grade Novel Unit: Bridge to Terabithia | In this novel unit, broken up into seven lessons, students will learn about the genre of realistic fiction, making predictions, identifying plot conflicts, analyzing character relationships, examining gender roles, determining themes, and tracking character changes through reading and discussing the novel Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (Lexile 810). |