LAFS.5.RL.1.3Archived Standard

Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).
General Information
Subject Area: English Language Arts
Grade: 5
Strand: Reading Standards for Literature
Idea: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts
Date Adopted or Revised: 12/10
Date of Last Rating: 02/14
Status: State Board Approved - Archived
Assessed: Yes
Test Item Specifications
  • Item Type(s): This benchmark may be assessed using: TM , EBSR , ST item(s)

  • Assessment Limits :
    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.
  • Text Types :
    The items assessing this standard may be used with one or more grade-appropriate literary texts. Texts may vary in complexity
  • Response Mechanisms :
    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 and Sample Response Mechanisms :

    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

    • 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. 

    EBSR

    • 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. 
    Table Match
    • Requires the student to complete a table by comparing and/or contrasting characters, settings, or events with descriptions, details, or analyses.

Related Courses

This benchmark is part of these courses.
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 Access Points

Alternate version of this benchmark for students with significant cognitive disabilities.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Lesson Plans

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.

Type: Lesson Plan

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.

Type: Lesson Plan

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.

Type: Lesson Plan

Student Center Activities

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.

Type: Student Center Activity

Comprehension: Character Consideration:

In this activity, students will describe characters using a graphic organizer.

Type: Student Center Activity

Comprehension: Check-A-Trait:

In this activity, students will identify similarities and differences between characters' traits (as determined by actions, thoughts, and feelings).

Type: Student Center Activity

Unit/Lesson Sequences

"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.

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

"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.

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

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.

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

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.

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

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.

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

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.

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

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).

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.