Compare & Contrast Genres Part 1

Question: What is one of the main differences between the character Sarah and the narrator of passage 1?

Passage 1

Living in France was nothing like I thought it would be. There were dozens of Jewish children hidden in the monastery west of town, waiting for their families to come to them, but Benjamin and I lived with the Laurent family. Our family sent us there to protect us from the Nazis, and I thought I would hate it, but it wasn’t so bad—I even started to like it, after a while. I missed my parents, but I knew they would come soon and take us home.

Monsieur and Madame Laurent had just one child of their own, Clara, a twelve-year-old girl, just like me. It was a lot of fun having someone to play with that wasn’t as little as Benjamin, but I promised Mama and Papa I would take care of him, so I did.

Passage 2

“Papa,” I whispered as he tightened and knotted the laces on my boots, “please don’t send us to France without you.”

“My dear child,” he said, standing up and kissing the top of my head, “it is for the best.” He picked up our suitcase, which had clothes and one picture of our family inside of it, nothing else; I couldn’t even pack Ayelet, my favorite doll, or my silver Star of David necklace. We took one last look at our home.

“Mama,” I said in the quietest voice I had, hoping she would still hear me.

“Hush, Sarah,” she replied, “and put this on.” She handed me my overcoat, the only one I had left.

I reached out and grabbed my sister’s hand. Esther was thirteen and refused to cry, but her hand was sweating. She squeezed my fingers twice which meant, “I love you.”

Soon, we were on a train speeding through the countryside, on our way to safety, but Papa and Mama had to stay in Germany.

• The narrator has accepted her move, while Sarah is still fighting it.

• The narrator is hiding in a monastery, while Sarah hides on a train.

• The narrator misses her parents, while Sarah is only missing her doll.

• The narrator is scared of living away from home, while Sarah is excited.

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How does the setting of passage 1 differ from the setting of passage 2?

Passage 1

Living in France was nothing like I thought it would be. There were dozens of Jewish children hidden in the monastery west of town, waiting for their families to come to them, but Benjamin and I lived with the Laurent family. Our family sent us there to protect us from the Nazis, and I thought I would hate it, but it wasn’t so bad—I even started to like it, after a while. I missed my parents, but I knew they would come soon and take us home.

Monsieur and Madame Laurent had just one child of their own, Clara, a twelve-year-old girl, just like me. It was a lot of fun having someone to play with that wasn’t as little as Benjamin, but I promised Mama and Papa I would take care of him, so I did.

Passage 2

“Papa,” I whispered as he tightened and knotted the laces on my boots, “please don’t send us to France without you.”

“My dear child,” he said, standing up and kissing the top of my head, “it is for the best.” He picked up our suitcase, which had clothes and one picture of our family inside of it, nothing else; I couldn’t even pack Ayelet, my favorite doll, or my silver Star of David necklace. We took one last look at our home.

“Mama,” I said in the quietest voice I had, hoping she would still hear me.

“Hush, Sarah,” she replied, “and put this on.” She handed me my overcoat, the only one I had left.

I reached out and grabbed my sister’s hand. Esther was thirteen and refused to cry, but her hand was sweating. She squeezed my fingers twice which meant, “I love you.”

Soon, we were on a train speeding through the countryside, on our way to safety, but Papa and Mama had to stay in Germany

• Passage 1 is set in a German home; passage 2 is set in a small French town.

• Passage 1 is set in a German monastery; passage 2 is set in a home in France.

• Passage 1 is set in a France monastery; passage 2 is set on a train in France.

• Passage 1 is set in a French town; passage 2 is set in a home in Germany.

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What is one way these passages tell the stories of the children in France differently?

Passage 1

Living in France was nothing like I thought it would be. There were dozens of Jewish children hidden in the monastery west of town, waiting for their families to come to them, but Benjamin and I lived with the Laurent family. Our family sent us there to protect us from the Nazis, and I thought I would hate it, but it wasn’t so bad—I even started to like it, after a while. I missed my parents, but I knew they would come soon and take us home.

Monsieur and Madame Laurent had just one child of their own, Clara, a twelve-year-old girl, just like me. It was a lot of fun having someone to play with that wasn’t as little as Benjamin, but I promised Mama and Papa I would take care of him, so I did.

Passage 2

“Papa,” I whispered as he tightened and knotted the laces on my boots, “please don’t send us to France without you.”

“My dear child,” he said, standing up and kissing the top of my head, “it is for the best.” He picked up our suitcase, which had clothes and one picture of our family inside of it, nothing else; I couldn’t even pack Ayelet, my favorite doll, or my silver Star of David necklace. We took one last look at our home.

“Mama,” I said in the quietest voice I had, hoping she would still hear me.

“Hush, Sarah,” she replied, “and put this on.” She handed me my overcoat, the only one I had left.

I reached out and grabbed my sister’s hand. Esther was thirteen and refused to cry, but her hand was sweating. She squeezed my fingers twice which meant, “I love you.”

Soon, we were on a train speeding through the countryside, on our way to safety, but Papa and Mama had to stay in Germany

• Passage 1 explains which families hide children. Passage 2 explains how many children are sent to France.

• Passage 1 explains when children are reunited with their parents. Passage 2 explains packing for France.

• Passage 1 explains that most children are excited to live in France. Passage 2 explains how children make the best of living in France.

• Passage 1 explains where children are hidden. Passage 2 explains the process of going to France.

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Both passages are set in Nazi Germany era. In what way are the passages similar?

Passage 1

Living in France was nothing like I thought it would be. There were dozens of Jewish children hidden in the monastery west of town, waiting for their families to come to them, but Benjamin and I lived with the Laurent family. Our family sent us there to protect us from the Nazis, and I thought I would hate it, but it wasn’t so bad—I even started to like it, after a while. I missed my parents, but I knew they would come soon and take us home.

Monsieur and Madame Laurent had just one child of their own, Clara, a twelve-year-old girl, just like me. It was a lot of fun having someone to play with that wasn’t as little as Benjamin, but I promised Mama and Papa I would take care of him, so I did.

Passage 2

“Papa,” I whispered as he tightened and knotted the laces on my boots, “please don’t send us to France without you.”

“My dear child,” he said, standing up and kissing the top of my head, “it is for the best.” He picked up our suitcase, which had clothes and one picture of our family inside of it, nothing else; I couldn’t even pack Ayelet, my favorite doll, or my silver Star of David necklace. We took one last look at our home.

“Mama,” I said in the quietest voice I had, hoping she would still hear me.

“Hush, Sarah,” she replied, “and put this on.” She handed me my overcoat, the only one I had left.

I reached out and grabbed my sister’s hand. Esther was thirteen and refused to cry, but her hand was sweating. She squeezed my fingers twice which meant, “I love you.”

Soon, we were on a train speeding through the countryside, on our way to safety, but Papa and Mama had to stay in Germany

• Both describe sending children to France to protect them from Nazi rule.

• Both describe daily life for children hidden from the Nazis in France.

• Both describe what life was like in Nazi Germany for Jewish families.

• Both describe sending women and children to France during Nazi rule.

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How is the setting of passage 1 different from the setting of passage 2?

Passage 1

Mom said we were some of the lucky ones because we had food on our table and Daddy still had his job laying pavers. He had to go away a lot, but Mom said it was a blessing, because the MacAuley’s next door had nothing after the disease hit the potatoes and their daddy lost his job.

“Aedan, come on in for supper, your daddy’s home,” I heard my mom calling from the back door.

As I rounded the corner and slipped in the back door, I saw him standing there waiting for me, arms outstretched. I jumped into them, even though I was officially eleven, and he hugged me tight.

“I brought you something, birthday boy.” He handed me a small cloth bag and I peeked inside, “It’s sugar,” he said, beaming. “I thought your mom could bake you something special.”

I smiled up at him; we hadn’t had sugar in months.

Passage 2

“I want that one!” I told my mom, pointing to the colorful cake in the bakery window. It was my birthday and in keeping with my family’s tradition, I got to pick out a special meal and dessert to celebrate. Mom made steak and mashed potatoes, and the bright cake finished it out perfectly, with some ice cream, of course.

“Okay, sweetheart, but you only get one piece. There’s probably five cups of sugar in that thing,” my mom said, laughing.

• Passage 1 takes place in a kitchen; passage 2 takes place in a living room.

• Passage 1 takes place in a home; passage 2 takes place in a bakery.

• Passage 1 takes place in a bakery; passage 2 takes place in a department store.

• Passage 1 takes place in a backyard; passage 2 takes place in a store.

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How are Aedan and the narrator of passage 2 similar?

Passage 1

Mom said we were some of the lucky ones because we had food on our table and Daddy still had his job laying pavers. He had to go away a lot, but Mom said it was a blessing, because the MacAuley’s next door had nothing after the disease hit the potatoes and their daddy lost his job.

“Aedan, come on in for supper, your daddy’s home,” I heard my mom calling from the back door.

As I rounded the corner and slipped in the back door, I saw him standing there waiting for me, arms outstretched. I jumped into them, even though I was officially eleven, and he hugged me tight.

“I brought you something, birthday boy.” He handed me a small cloth bag and I peeked inside, “It’s sugar,” he said, beaming. “I thought your mom could bake you something special.”

I smiled up at him; we hadn’t had sugar in months.

Passage 2

“I want that one!” I told my mom, pointing to the colorful cake in the bakery window. It was my birthday and in keeping with my family’s tradition, I got to pick out a special meal and dessert to celebrate. Mom made steak and mashed potatoes, and the bright cake finished it out perfectly, with some ice cream, of course.

“Okay, sweetheart, but you only get one piece. There’s probably five cups of sugar in that thing,” my mom said, laughing.

• Both boys are excited to see their dads again.

• Both boys want a colorful birthday cake.

• Both boys are celebrating their birthdays.

• Both boys feel lucky to have sugar for a cake.

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Question: ONLY in passage 2 does the narrator get to:

Passage 1

Mom said we were some of the lucky ones because we had food on our table and Daddy still had his job laying pavers. He had to go away a lot, but Mom said it was a blessing, because the MacAuley’s next door had nothing after the disease hit the potatoes and their daddy lost his job.

“Aedan, come on in for supper, your daddy’s home,” I heard my mom calling from the back door.

As I rounded the corner and slipped in the back door, I saw him standing there waiting for me, arms outstretched. I jumped into them, even though I was officially eleven, and he hugged me tight.

“I brought you something, birthday boy.” He handed me a small cloth bag and I peeked inside, “It’s sugar,” he said, beaming. “I thought your mom could bake you something special.”

I smiled up at him; we hadn’t had sugar in months.

Passage 2

“I want that one!” I told my mom, pointing to the colorful cake in the bakery window. It was my birthday and in keeping with my family’s tradition, I got to pick out a special meal and dessert to celebrate. Mom made steak and mashed potatoes, and the bright cake finished it out perfectly, with some ice cream, of course.

“Okay, sweetheart, but you only get one piece. There’s probably five cups of sugar in that thing,” my mom said, laughing.

• have a frosted birthday cake

• celebrate his birthday with family

• choose his birthday cake

• celebrate his birthday with friends

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The primary focus of passage 1 is two children running late for school. Passage 2 differs from this by focusing on:

Passage 1

Rayen and Jacob ran down the front steps, in a hurry to catch the school bus. It was still dark in the morning during December, and that made it hard for them to get out of bed on time.

The bus would be pulling up to the bottom of their driveway any minute now, and if they missed it again, Mom would be very angry with them, and the drive to school would be horrible.

“It’s important to go to school every day and become educated,” Mom had lectured them the last time they missed the bus. The whole twenty-minute car ride was a speech about the importance of an education and how kids didn’t always get good and free education. “Back in the 1800s, in fact, a lot of kids had jobs. Can you imagine?” she had asked.

“Run, Ray, I can see the bus at the corner,” Jacob said, sprinting down the driveway. “We don’t want Mom to have to drive us again!”

Passage 2

Tommy walked down the front steps of the house, followed by his little sister, Abigail. It was getting dark early, and even though it was not yet six o’clock, inky darkness was seeping onto the edges of the winter sky.

Abigail coughed a scary, scratchy sound. Ma was worried she breathed in too much cotton dust, but Pop said, “It’s just a cold,” and not to worry.

The kids arrived at the cotton mill just minutes before the evening shift began, ready to spend twelve hours spinning cotton. Abigail was afraid to go back because the night before Billy fell and got hurt, and she was afraid the same thing might happen to her.

• children working in coal mines

• children running late for work

• two children walking to work

• how much child laborers earn

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How are the characters Abigail and Jacob similar?

Passage 1

Rayen and Jacob ran down the front steps, in a hurry to catch the school bus. It was still dark in the morning during December, and that made it hard for them to get out of bed on time.

The bus would be pulling up to the bottom of their driveway any minute now, and if they missed it again, Mom would be very angry with them, and the drive to school would be horrible.

“It’s important to go to school every day and become educated,” Mom had lectured them the last time they missed the bus. The whole twenty-minute car ride was a speech about the importance of an education and how kids didn’t always get good and free education. “Back in the 1800s, in fact, a lot of kids had jobs. Can you imagine?” she had asked.

“Run, Ray, I can see the bus at the corner,” Jacob said, sprinting down the driveway. “We don’t want Mom to have to drive us again!”

Passage 2

Tommy walked down the front steps of the house, followed by his little sister, Abigail. It was getting dark early, and even though it was not yet six o’clock, inky darkness was seeping onto the edges of the winter sky.

Abigail coughed a scary, scratchy sound. Ma was worried she breathed in too much cotton dust, but Pop said, “It’s just a cold,” and not to worry.

The kids arrived at the cotton mill just minutes before the evening shift began, ready to spend twelve hours spinning cotton. Abigail was afraid to go back because the night before Billy fell and got hurt, and she was afraid the same thing might happen to her.

• Both are sick and staying home.

• Both are worried about their siblings.

• Both are running late for school.

• Both are afraid of something.

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These passages take place at different times in history. How are the time periods important in these 2 passages?

Passage 1

Rayen and Jacob ran down the front steps, in a hurry to catch the school bus. It was still dark in the morning during December, and that made it hard for them to get out of bed on time.

The bus would be pulling up to the bottom of their driveway any minute now, and if they missed it again, Mom would be very angry with them, and the drive to school would be horrible.

“It’s important to go to school every day and become educated,” Mom had lectured them the last time they missed the bus. The whole twenty-minute car ride was a speech about the importance of an education and how kids didn’t always get good and free education. “Back in the 1800s, in fact, a lot of kids had jobs. Can you imagine?” she had asked.

“Run, Ray, I can see the bus at the corner,” Jacob said, sprinting down the driveway. “We don’t want Mom to have to drive us again!”

Passage 2

Tommy walked down the front steps of the house, followed by his little sister, Abigail. It was getting dark early, and even though it was not yet six o’clock, inky darkness was seeping onto the edges of the winter sky.

Abigail coughed a scary, scratchy sound. Ma was worried she breathed in too much cotton dust, but Pop said, “It’s just a cold,” and not to worry.

The kids arrived at the cotton mill just minutes before the evening shift began, ready to spend twelve hours spinning cotton. Abigail was afraid to go back because the night before Billy fell and got hurt, and she was afraid the same thing might happen to her.

• They show changes in adult labor and education.

• They show changes in how children traveled to school.

• They show changes in child labor and education.

• They show changes in how children traveled to work.

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