Compare and Contrast Characters

Miss Nelson Is Missing, written by Harry Allard and illustrated by James Marshall, is one of my favorites for comparing characters. It is a book that may be used at a variety of levels. Read the story for enjoyment. After, discuss the “two” characters, Miss Nelson and Miss Swamp.

Fill out individual character maps for each character or fill out one map for both characters as shown below which was done with a third grade class. Have children talk about the map(s) with one another.

Depending on your goals, ask students to use the discussion and map to write short character descriptions. Below, see two examples by Kathleen, a fifth grade student, written after completing the activity above.

Again, this is a popular book for a variety of ages to introduce or reinforce character descriptions and comparisons!