Compare Across Texts

Compare Themes

“Nadia the Willful,” “Passage to Freedom,” and “Zlata’s Diary” all have similar themes. They focus on people facing problems in different time periods.

Photograph of title pages of the unit's three selections

How It Works

Collect and Organize Ideas To compare themes across selections, ask questions that help you identify ideas that are similar and different.

Comparison Chart
Questions“Nadia the Willful”“Passage to Freedom”“Zlata’s Diary”
1. What are the setting and the conflict?long ago in a desert, where Nadia’s brother diesin Lithuania, 1940, where a father helps Jews escape Nazisin Sarajevo, 1992, where Zlata lives through war
2. What does the story say about difficult times?

Practice Together

Compare Ideas Compare the answers for question 1, and then summarize. Show how the ideas are similar and different.

Summary

“Nadia the Willful,” “Passage to Freedom,” and “Zlata’s Diary” are set in different times and places. However, all the characters face fear, pain, and loss. Nadia loses her brother. The Sugiharas face danger as the Nazis approach. Zlata sees war and destruction all around her.

Try It!

Make a chart to answer question 2. Compare and contrast ideas and explain their connection to the unit theme. Use this frame.

“Nadia the Willful,” “Passage to Freedom,” and “Zlata’s Diary” all show people dealing with ________. However, ________. Nadia teaches ________. Mr. Sugihara faces ________. Zlata expresses ________. All three selections show that ________.

Academic Vocabulary

  • • identify (ī-den-tu-fī) verb When you identify something, you name it or tell what it is.

  • • connection (ku-nek-shun) noun The connection between two things is something they have in common.