Aligned CCSS.RL.6.9 Worksheet: Compare & Contrast - Grade 6

This worksheet helps Grade 6 students compare and contrast how two literary texts explore the theme of failure leading to success. Using a graphic organizer, students will summarize, cite text evidence, and analyze thematic connections, developing critical reading comprehension.

At a Glance

• Grade: 6 · Subject: ELA / Reading
• Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.9 — Compare and contrast texts in terms of their approaches to similar themes.
• Skill Focus: Compare and Contrast, Theme Analysis, Text Evidence
• Format: 1 page · 6 tasks · Answer key included · PDF
• Best For: Post-reading analysis, formative assessment, text-set work
• Time: 25–40 minutes

What's Inside

This single-page PDF features a two-column graphic organizer designed for comparing two literary works. The worksheet contains six focused tasks, including story summarization, analysis questions, and prompts for citing specific text evidence. Sentence frames are provided for the final two tasks to support students in articulating thematic connections and making personal connections to the texts. A full answer key with example responses is included.

Evidence of Mastery

This worksheet serves as a formative assessment, using a point-based system (28 points total) to measure student mastery of CCSS.RL.6.9. Each of the 6 tasks targets specific analytical skills: summarizing (RL.6.2), thematic analysis, citing evidence (RL.6.1), and comparing textual approaches (RL.6.9). Explicit point values simplify scoring and provide clear data for progress monitoring.

Standards Alignment

This resource directly aligns with Common Core standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.9, guiding students to compare and contrast texts across forms or genres based on their approaches to similar themes. It also supports `CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.1` (citing evidence). Both codes are ready for lesson plans, IEP goals, or curriculum mapping.

How to Use It

Use this graphic organizer after students have completed reading two or more of the suggested texts (or any two texts that share a common theme). It serves as an excellent formative assessment to check for understanding before a larger summative essay. For a classroom observation tip, listen to student discussions as they choose which text evidence best supports their claims about success and failure; this reveals their reasoning process. The activity is designed to be completed in a single 25 to 40-minute class period.

Who It's For

This worksheet is ideal for 5th, 6th, or 7th-grade ELA students working with literary text sets. The included sentence frames provide scaffolding for English learners or students who need extra support in writing. For a more comprehensive lesson, pair this activity with a mini-lesson on identifying theme or an anchor chart that defines the elements of compare-and-contrast writing.

This graphic organizer offers a standards-based method for teaching students to analyze and compare literary themes, a skill central to `CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.9`. By comparing how different texts approach "failure leading to success," students engage in higher-order thematic analysis beyond simple plot recall. Supporting comparative claims with textual evidence is critical for college and career readiness, enhancing reading comprehension and analytical habits.