A Poem and a Story About Courage (Paired Texts)

Have students read Text 1 and jot one note before reading Text 2. Use the argument pairs, like Should Phones Be Allowed in Class?, for debate or argument writing practice.

Compare The High Board, a poem about a diver, with The Third Name on the List, a story about courage. The directions on the page read: Read Text 1, a poem, on this page and Text 2, a story, on page 2. Then answer the questions on page 3. An answer key is included.

Yes, both. We made it for 6th Grade comprehension exercises, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with paired texts. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

Paired texts are two passages on one topic read together. Students compare how each text presents the topic, like a fan's imagined account of Jackie Robinson's first game and a biography passage about the same day.

Six sheets pair literature with literature or history, such as two fables about greed and a Norse myth with a science article on thunder. Five pair informational texts, including two arguments on school start times and two on phones in class.

Text 1 is on page 1, Text 2 is on page 2, and page 3 has 6 questions. The questions ask what both texts share, what only one text says and which text has stronger evidence.