Comparing Themes and Topics Between Texts Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: RL.6.9

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

When you have two works that you trying to find similarities and differences between it is often helpful to start by summarizing the themes of each text. Start by examining the subject of each text. Is it based on an event or concept? What are the challenges that each set of characters tackle and work to overcome? What are the time periods that each work is set in? These worksheets will have students compare and contrast two texts and look at how they are related to one another.

Comparing Themes and Topics Worksheets:

Genre Comparison – See which one here makes the most sense for you.

Comparing Genres – How does each genre approach the reader differently?

Compare and Contrast: Genres – How does each genre capture the reader's thoughts differently?

Comparing Treatment of Topics – Each topic is slightly handled differently.

Comparing Two Genres – Mixing up those two genres.

APOLLO – Both the poem and the story are about the Greek God Apollo.

The Beginning of the Day – What is the technique used? How does it differ in each work?

Comparing Treatment of Topic in Different Genres – You have read two books. Though the books are different genres, they both explore the same topic.

Love Come and Goes – Which piece is about how love is lost? Support your answer with details from the text.

Wings, Icarus and Daedalus – Read both pieces. Then, on a separate sheet of paper, write a short essay comparing and contrasting the idea of flight in the poem and the story.

Compare and Contrast: Genres – There is a great deal difference between these works.

The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere – Then fill out the Venn diagram to compare and contrast them.

Ben Franklin and the Whistles – Which Franklin do you like the best? Why?

Comparing Theme in Different Genres – Though the books are different genres, they both explore the same theme. Think carefully about how each genre presents and develops the theme.

Compare and Contrast: Theme – Both the poem and the story deal with the theme of justice. Read both pieces. Then answer the questions.

How to Compare Themes and Topics Between Texts


As a student, you will be asked to compare and contrast between different themes and topics many times in your academic life. This is a common way of testing the student's cognition and understanding abilities. It also tests how much the student has grasped from the text. Comparison and contrast can be done in a number of ways but when it comes to literature, there are some common elements that help you in doing a comparison. These elements combine to form the theme or topic of the text. Here are the elements that you can use to compare themes and topics between texts.


Characters


The most important element is the main character of both texts. You can do a comparison by listing out the differences and similarities between the characters. After that, you can evaluate how the personalities of these two characters are differentiating the themes from one another. You can also list down the characteristics of supporting characters from both the stories for comparison.


Setting


Another great way to compare the themes is to deeply analyze the setting of both texts. You can check if the time period and culture of both the texts resonate.


Ending


The resolution is the part where the author reveals the main purpose of the entire writing. You can check if the message that is being delivered is the same or has any differences. You can also evaluate the consequences of the actions of characters to see how they differ from each other.


Use A Venn Diagram


The Venn diagram is the perfect way to do comparison and contrast between different text. You can draw circles and create a link between them. Then write the similarities in the same hoop that is interlinking with the other circle. The differences will be written in separately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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