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Comparing Two Characters

A 30-minute Kindergarten lesson on comparing what happens to two characters in two stories, with same and different kept apart.

Comparing Two Characters is a free 30-minute Kindergarten English lesson plan for Common Core standard RL.K.9 — say how two story characters are alike and how they are different. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the meaning, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.

Grade:
Kindergarten
Length:
30 minutes
Standard:
RL.K.9

Kindergarten · Reading: Literature

RL.K.9

With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.

Objective

Students will be able to say one way two story characters are alike and one way they are different.

Students are successful when they can

  • Says "Both Sam and Jo lost something."
  • Says "Sam found it himself, but Jo had help."
  • Places a fact in the right part of the hoops.

What you need

  • Two short stories (in Teach): "Sam's Lost Kite" and "Jo's Lost Kitten"
  • Two hoops overlapping on the floor, or a two-column chart labeled SAM and JO with BOTH in the middle
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — two of us

4 min
  1. Call two children up. Ask: "What is the same about them?" Fish for "both have shoes," "both are in our class."
  2. Ask: "What is different?" Fish for "one has long hair," "different sweaters."
  3. Say: "Today we do this with two story characters."

Teach — same, different, and where they overlap

10 min
  1. Read Story 1: "Sam had a blue kite. The wind blew it into a tree. Sam was sad. He got a long stick and poked the kite down. Sam was happy."
  2. Read Story 2: "Jo had a little kitten. The kitten ran away into the yard. Jo was sad. Her brother helped her look. They found the kitten under a bush. Jo was happy."
  3. Lay out the hoops. Ask: "What happened to both?" Fish for "they lost something" and "they were sad then happy." Put those in the BOTH middle.
  4. Ask: "What did Sam lose? What did Jo lose?" Put kite in SAM's hoop and kitten in JO's hoop.
  5. Ask: "How did they get it back?" Sam used a stick; Jo had help. Place each in its own hoop.
  6. Say the comparison aloud: "Sam and Jo both lost something. But Sam got it back on his own, and Jo had help."
“Both of them... but Sam... and Jo... Same goes in the middle. Different goes on the sides.”

Guided practice — one each

8 min
  1. Read a fact about the stories. Pairs point to the SAM hoop, the JO hoop, or the middle. Examples: "had a pet" (Jo), "was sad" (both), "lost a toy" (Sam), "was happy at the end" (both), "used a stick" (Sam), "had help from a brother" (Jo).
  2. Ask each pair to make one "both" sentence and one "but" sentence to share: "Both Sam and Jo were sad." "Sam lost a kite, but Jo lost a kitten."
  3. Listen for "Sam was sad but Jo was sad" and fix: if it is the same, it is a "both."
  4. Ask: "Which one would you rather be, Sam or Jo? Why?" This is opinion, not comparison, but it makes children look at the differences again.
“Tell me one "both" and one "but."”

Independent practice

6 min
  1. Read the two short texts on the sheet aloud, then read Text 1 again so it is fresh.
  2. Read each question under Text 2. Children circle the answer about what is the same or different.
  3. Ask a few children: "Is that a both or a but?"

Close

2 min
  1. Ask for one way they are the same and one way they are different.
  2. Fish for "both lost something" and "kite but kitten."

What goes wrong, and why

Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.

Lists only differences: "Sam had a kite. Jo had a kitten. Sam used a stick."

Why: Differences are what stands out; sameness is harder because it is about the shape of the story.

Fix: Ask: "What happened to BOTH of them?" Point to the middle of the hoops and start there.

Says a "both" as a "but": "Sam was sad but Jo was sad."

Why: The "but" sentence frame was learned, and the child uses it for everything.

Fix: Ask: "Is that the same or different?" If the same, put it in the middle and say "both."

Compares the children's real lives: "I have a kitten too."

Why: Making connections to their own lives is natural and often encouraged in reading.

Fix: Value it, then bring it back: "Is that in Sam's story or Jo's story? We are comparing those two."

If they are not there yet

  • Compare only one thing: what each one lost.
  • Use pictures of the kite and kitten to place in the hoops.
  • Say the frame together: "Both of them ___."

If they finish early

  • Compare how each character felt at the start and end.
  • Make up a third story where a character loses something and gets it back a new way.
  • Say which character solved the problem in a better way and why.

Exit ticket

Tell me one way Sam and Jo are the same and one way they are different.

What to look for: "Both lost something" and "Sam had a kite, Jo had a kitten" or "Jo had help." Two differences: point to the middle. "Both" and "but" mixed: sort with the hoops again. Answers about their own pets: bring it back to the stories.

Printable practice for RL.K.9

Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.

Questions about Comparing Two Characters

How long does the Comparing Two Characters lesson take?

30 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 4 min, teach 10 min, guided practice 8 min, independent practice 6 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.

Which standard does Comparing Two Characters teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.9 — RL.K.9, Reading: Literature for Kindergarten: “With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.” In plain terms, say how two story characters are alike and how they are different.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

Two short stories (in Teach): "Sam's Lost Kite" and "Jo's Lost Kitten", two hoops overlapping on the floor, or a two-column chart labeled SAM and JO with BOTH in the middle and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.

What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?

Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: lists only differences: "Sam had a kite. Jo had a kitten. Sam used a stick."; says a "both" as a "but": "Sam was sad but Jo was sad." and compares the children's real lives: "I have a kitten too.". The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.

How do I know whether the lesson worked?

The exit ticket asks: “Tell me one way Sam and Jo are the same and one way they are different.” "Both lost something" and "Sam had a kite, Jo had a kitten" or "Jo had help." Two differences: point to the middle. "Both" and "but" mixed: sort with the hoops again. Answers about their own pets: bring it back to the stories. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.

Is there a worksheet to go with Comparing Two Characters?

Yes — 1 printable RL.K.9 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.

Is Comparing Two Characters free to use?

Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on October 8, 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.

Last reviewed 2026-10-08. Aligned to RL.K.9 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.