Character Comparisons

This worksheet helps students in Grades 5 and 6 strengthen reading comprehension, critical thinking, and character analysis skills by comparing two characters facing a challenging situation. Learners read a passage about Ava and Jared, who disagree about continuing a hike during a storm, and analyze how each character responds, what motivates their decisions, and who demonstrates stronger leadership and responsibility.

Learning Goals

• Comparing Motivations & Decisions (Grades 5-6)
  Students examine how different priorities and goals influence character choices in the same situation.
• Evaluating Leadership & Responsibility
  Learners assess which character shows better judgment, safety awareness, and decision-making under pressure.
• Evidence-Based Character Analysis
  Students cite specific actions, dialogue, and details from the text to support their interpretations.
• Critical Evaluation of Actions
  The activity encourages students to judge character behavior based on outcomes and reasoning, not personal preference alone.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with upper elementary ELA standards for character comparison and analysis.
• Realistic Problem-Solving Scenario
  The hiking-in-a-storm context promotes engagement and thoughtful discussion.
• Flexible Classroom Use
  Ideal for guided reading, small-group discussion, independent work, assessment, or homework.
• Reflective Thinking Component
  Students justify which character they would choose as a teammate, reinforcing opinion writing supported by evidence.

This printable worksheet helps students deepen their understanding of character strengths, leadership, and decision-making. By comparing how Ava and Jared respond to a difficult situation and supporting conclusions with evidence, learners build strong analytical reading, reasoning, and evaluation skills. It’s a meaningful, no-prep resource that works well in both classroom instruction and homeschool learning.

This worksheet is part of our Character Analysis Worksheets collection.