Same Theme, Different Handling is a free printable Grade 5 English worksheet on comparing what two short texts each do with a shared theme, aligned to Common Core standard RL.5.9. It prints 8 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students 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.
1.Story A: a crow drops her cheese when a fox flatters her. Story B: a girl buys useless shoes because the seller praises her. What theme do both share?
A.Beware of people who flatter you
B.Shoes are expensive
C.Foxes are always hungry
2.Poem A calls a city at night lonely. Poem B calls a city at night full of secret life. How do they handle the same setting?
A.They both find it boring
B.They describe different countries
C.They give it opposite moods
3.Both stories are about honesty. In Story A an honest girl wins a prize. In Story B an honest boy loses a game but keeps a friend. How do they differ?
A.Story B says honesty is foolish
B.Story A punishes honesty
C.Story B shows a quieter reward for honesty
4.Story A: a lion spares a mouse, and later the mouse frees him from a net. Story B: a girl helps a new student, who later helps her. What theme do both share?
A.Kindness can be repaid in unexpected ways
B.Lions are stronger than mice
C.New students are always clever
5.Myth A explains thunder as a god's anger. Myth B explains thunder as giants playing skittles. How are the myths alike?
A.Both are set in a school
B.Both are science reports
C.Both explain a natural event with a story
6.Story A: a girl saves coins for a year to buy a bike. Story B: a squirrel buries nuts before winter. What do both stories show?
A.Planning ahead pays off later
B.Bikes are better than nuts
C.Winter is the coldest season
7.Both stories are about moving house. Story A is funny and ends happily. Story B is quiet and ends sadly. What differs most between them?
A.Their tone
B.Their genre
C.Their topic
8.Both stories are about courage. In Story A a knight fights a dragon. In Story B a shy boy reads his poem aloud. How does Story B handle the theme differently?
A.It says courage is not needed
B.It finds courage in an everyday moment
C.It shows courage in a battle
LessonPrint · RL.5.9 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Same Theme, Different Handling
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.Beware of people who flatter you
2.They give it opposite moods
3.Story B shows a quieter reward for honesty
4.Kindness can be repaid in unexpected ways
5.Both explain a natural event with a story
6.Planning ahead pays off later
7.Their tone
8.It finds courage in an everyday moment
Questions about Same Theme, Different Handling
What does the Same Theme, Different Handling worksheet cover?
It practices comparing what two short texts each do with a shared theme — 8 questions for Grade 5, all on Common Core RL.5.9: Compare two stories in one genre on how they treat a theme. The instruction to students is “Circle the right answer”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which Common Core standard does Same Theme, Different Handling practice?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.9 — RL.5.9, under Reading: Literature for Grade 5. The published standard reads: “Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes and topics.” The worksheet assesses that standard rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Same Theme, Different Handling is written for Grade 5, typically ages 10-11. It is one of the sheets on RL.5.9, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Same Theme, Different Handling come with an answer key?
Yes. All 8 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 Same Theme, Different Handling can I print?
25 — one per student, 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 Same Theme, Different Handling free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Same Theme, Different Handling, 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.
More practice for RL.5.9
Compare two stories in one genre on how they treat a theme.