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Comparing Stories by One Author

A 40-minute Grade 3 lesson on comparing themes, settings and plots in stories by the same author about similar characters.

Comparing Stories by One Author is a free 40-minute Grade 3 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RL.3.9 — compare two books from a series on theme, setting and plot. 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:
Grade 3
Length:
40 minutes
Standard:
RL.3.9

Grade 3 · Reading: Literature

RL.3.9

Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).

Objective

Students will be able to compare two stories by one author about the same characters on theme, setting and plot, and name one pattern the author repeats and one thing that changes.

Students are successful when they can

  • Fills all six cells of the grid: theme, setting and plot for each story.
  • States each theme as a lesson about life, separately, before comparing.
  • Names one thing the author does in both stories that is not just the plot (a catchphrase, a pattern of events, a way of ending).
  • Names one clear difference between the stories.

What you need

  • "Pip and the Storm" and "Pip at the Seaside" (both in the Teach section) on chart paper and one copy per pair
  • A comparison grid with rows Theme, Setting, Plot and columns for each story
  • The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan

The lesson

Warm-up — same author, how can you tell?

5 min
  1. Read only the first sentence of each Pip story aloud.
  2. Ask: "Could these have been written by the same person? What feels the same?" Collect: the same two animals, Pip is in a hurry both times, the short bouncy sentences.
  3. Write "Same author clues" on the board and keep the list for the end of the lesson.

Teach — three rows, two columns

13 min
  1. Read "Pip and the Storm": "Pip the hedgehog wanted the biggest leaf pile in the whole wood before the storm came. He raced about, heaping leaves in the open meadow. 'Slowly does it,' said Moss the tortoise, building a small pile under the hedge. The wind roared, and Pip's pile blew into the sky. That night, both friends slept snugly in Moss's pile."
  2. Read "Pip at the Seaside": "Pip wanted to build the tallest sandcastle on the beach, right by the water. He dug and patted as fast as he could. 'Slowly does it,' said Moss, building further up the sand. A big wave swept Pip's castle away. Moss smiled and said, 'Two builders are better than one,' and they finished Moss's castle together."
  3. Fill the Setting row first, because it is easiest: a wood in the fall before a storm; a beach in summer. Different.
  4. Fill the Plot row: Pip rushes to make the biggest thing, ignores Moss, loses it to the weather, Moss shares. Ask: "Are the events the same?" No — leaves and sand. "Is the shape the same?" Yes. Write: "Same shape, different events."
  5. Fill the Theme row, one story at a time. Storm: "Being careful is better than rushing." Seaside: "Working together is better than working alone." Ask whether they are the same. Close, but not the same — the seaside story is also about sharing.
  6. Point to a writing pattern that is not theme, setting or plot: Moss says "Slowly does it" in both, and both end with the friends together. Write it under "Same author clues."
“Same shape, different furniture. The author moves Pip and Moss to a new place, but the story is built the same way — that is how you can spot this writer.”

Guided practice — complete the grid

12 min
  1. Read a third Pip story to pairs: "Pip wanted to be first to the top of Bramble Hill to see the sunrise. He scrambled up the steep side and slid back down in the mud. 'Slowly does it,' said Moss, taking the winding path. Pip arrived muddy and late, but Moss had saved him the best seat on the rock."
  2. Pairs fill a new grid comparing it with "Pip and the Storm": setting (a hill at sunrise vs. a wood before a storm), plot (same shape again), theme (rushing does not get you there faster).
  3. Pairs circle the row where the two stories are most alike and the row where they are most different.
  4. Each pair writes one sentence about the author's pattern beginning "In every Pip story, ___."
“Fill every box before you compare. If your two plot boxes say the same thing, ask: what is different about where it happens and what it teaches?”

Independent practice

8 min
  1. Students complete the comparing-stories page. Both passages are on the sheet.
  2. Keep the completed Storm/Seaside grid on the board as the model.

Close

2 min
  1. Take two "In every Pip story..." sentences. Praise one that names a pattern beyond the plot, such as Moss's catchphrase or the shared ending.

What goes wrong, and why

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

Fills only the plot row, e.g. "Both: Pip makes something and it gets ruined."

Why: Plot is the most concrete, retellable row, and comparing events feels like the whole job. Setting seems too obvious to bother with and theme is harder.

Fix: The grid does the enforcing: all six cells must be filled before any comparing sentence is written. Start them on the setting row, which is quick, so the plot row is not the first thing they reach.

Says the themes must be the same because the characters are, e.g. "Both are about being careful."

Why: Same characters and same plot shape suggest everything is the same, so they stop looking after the first story's theme.

Fix: Make them write each theme on its own before comparing. Reread the end of "Pip at the Seaside" ("Two builders are better than one") and ask what lesson that line teaches. Same characters, different lesson is common in a series.

Gives a topic as the theme, e.g. "The theme is the beach."

Why: Theme and topic both answer "What is it about?", and the topic is the more visible answer.

Fix: A theme is a lesson someone could agree or disagree with. Ask: "Can you disagree with 'the beach'?" No. "Can you disagree with 'working together is better'?" Yes — so that is a theme.

If they are not there yet

  • Use two rows (Setting and Plot) first, then add Theme with a choice of two theme statements for each story.
  • Give the "Pip and the Storm" column already filled in, so pairs only fill the Seaside column and compare.
  • Provide the sentence frame "Both stories ___, but ___."

If they finish early

  • Add "Pip on Bramble Hill" as a third column and decide which two of the three stories are most alike, giving a reason from the grid.
  • Plan a fourth Pip story in a new setting (e.g. a snow day) that keeps the author's pattern but has a different theme, and fill its grid column.
  • Write two sentences explaining whether the author's repeated pattern makes the series better or more boring, using one example from each story.

Exit ticket

Think about "Pip and the Storm" and "Pip at the Seaside." Name one thing the two stories share that is not an event, and one thing that is different.

What to look for: Shared: Moss's "Slowly does it," the same story shape or the friends ending together. Different: wood vs. beach, or careful vs. working together. Two plot events means the grid must be completed before comparing; "both have Pip" alone means look for the author's pattern again.

Printable practice for RL.3.9

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

Questions about Comparing Stories by One Author

How long does the Comparing Stories by One Author lesson take?

40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 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 Stories by One Author teach?

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.9 — RL.3.9, Reading: Literature for Grade 3: “Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).” In plain terms, compare two books from a series on theme, setting and plot.

What do I need to teach this lesson?

"Pip and the Storm" and "Pip at the Seaside" (both in the Teach section) on chart paper and one copy per pair, a comparison grid with rows Theme, Setting, Plot and columns for each story 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: fills only the plot row, e.g. "Both: Pip makes something and it gets ruined."; says the themes must be the same because the characters are, e.g. "Both are about being careful." and gives a topic as the theme, e.g. "The theme is the beach.". 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: “Think about "Pip and the Storm" and "Pip at the Seaside." Name one thing the two stories share that is not an event, and one thing that is different.” Shared: Moss's "Slowly does it," the same story shape or the friends ending together. Different: wood vs. beach, or careful vs. working together. Two plot events means the grid must be completed before comparing; "both have Pip" alone means look for the author's pattern again. 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 Stories by One Author?

Yes — 1 printable RL.3.9 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 Stories by One Author 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.3.9 of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.