Two Versions of One Story is a free printable Grade 2 English worksheet on comparing two tellings of a similar tale, aligned to Common Core standard RL.2.9. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
A new boy called Iosif joined the class in November. He did not speak much English yet.
At playtime he stood by the wall. Some children waved. He looked away.
Marta noticed he was watching the football. She rolled the ball to him. He stopped it neatly and rolled it back.
They passed it for ten minutes without saying a word. When the bell went, Iosif said one word: "Tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow," said Marta.
1. When did Iosif join the class?
2.Now read Text 2 and answer these questions about BOTH texts.
Text 2: What the Tide Left
Every low tide, Grandad and Tess walked out to the rock pools.
Tess wanted to take a starfish home. Grandad said no. "It would die in a bucket," he said. "Look at it here instead."
Tess crouched for a long time. She saw the starfish move — slowly, on hundreds of tiny feet she had not known it had.
She did not ask again. On the way back she said, "It's better in the pool anyway."
1. How is Marta like the mouse in the fable?
2. How is Tess like Iosif in "The New Boy"?
3. How is this story different from the fable of the lion?
LessonPrint · RL.2.9 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Two Versions of One Story
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. In November.
2.1. Both do something small that turns out to matter a lot. 2. Both change after watching — Tess watches the starfish move, and Iosif watches the football. 3. This one is about real children at school; the fable is about animals and states a moral.
Questions about Two Versions of One Story
What does the Two Versions of One Story worksheet cover?
It practises comparing two tellings of a similar tale — 2 questions for Grade 2, all on Common Core RL.2.9: Compare two tellings of the same tale and say what each changed. The instruction to pupils is “Read Text 1 and answer the question under it”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which Common Core standard does Two Versions of One Story practise?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.9 — RL.2.9, in the Reading: Literature domain for Grade 2. The published standard reads: “Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Two Versions of One Story is written for Grade 2, typically ages 7-8. It is one of the sheets on RL.2.9, so it suits any pupil working at that standard — including older pupils revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Two Versions of One Story come with an answer key?
Yes. All 2 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Two Versions of One Story can I print?
25 — one per pupil, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Two Versions of One Story free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Two Versions of One Story, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.
Is there a lesson plan to teach RL.2.9?
Yes — “Two Versions of the Same Story” is a 40-minute Grade 2 plan for RL.2.9, timed section by section, with the misconceptions to expect and an exit ticket. Two Versions of One Story is the practice that follows it.
More practice for RL.2.9
Compare two tellings of the same tale and say what each changed.