Understanding Characters’ Points of View in Stories
Understanding Characters’ Points of View in Stories Objective: Students will learn to describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described in a story, meeting the requirements of standard 8.RL.5.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the narrator’s point of view in a story.
- Explain how the narrator’s point of view can influence the way events are described.
- Use examples from the text to support understanding of point of view.
Materials Needed
- Short story appropriate for 8-year-old (printable or digital)
- Worksheet for identifying point of view and its influence
- Pencils or pens
- Notebook or paper
Key Vocabulary
- Point of View
- The perspective from which a story is told, like first person (I, we) or third person (he, she, they).
- Narrator
- The person telling the story.
- Perspective
- A particular attitude or way of considering something.
Detailed Activities
Read and Discuss a Short Story
- Choose a short story appropriate for an 8-year-old student.
- Read the story aloud together, or have the student read it aloud.
- Pause to ask who is telling the story and what words show the point of view.
- Discuss how the story might feel different if told by another character.
Worksheet on Point of View
- Provide the student with a worksheet that asks them to identify the point of view in the story.
- Ask the student to describe how the narrator’s point of view influences the way events are described.
- Review answers together and discuss any areas of confusion.
Create Your Own Point of View
- Ask the student to think of a simple event, like a trip to the park.
- Have them tell the event from their own point of view, then imagine telling it from a friend’s point of view.
- Discuss how the story changes depending on who tells it.
Parent & Instructor Notes
- You don’t need to be an expert to help your child with this lesson. Just read and discuss the story together.
- Encourage your child to use examples from the text to explain their answers.
- Keep the discussion simple and fun; the goal is to help your child understand that stories can be told from different points of view.
Assessment Questions
- Who is telling the story in the short story you read?
- What words helped you know the narrator’s point of view?
- How would the story be different if it was told by another character?
- Can you give an example of how the narrator’s point of view influenced the way events were described?
Extension Ideas
- Read another story with a different narrator and compare the points of view.
- Write a short story from two different points of view and discuss how the story changes.
- Watch a short movie or animation and talk about who is telling the story or showing the events.
Frequently Asked Questions
Try using simple examples from their own life, like telling a story from their perspective and then from a friend’s. This helps make the idea more relatable.
Focus on reading together and asking open-ended questions like ‘Who is telling this story?’ and ‘How do you think they feel?’ It’s okay to learn alongside your child.
Teacher’s Guide
Common Misconceptions:
- Students may confuse point of view with the main idea of the story.
- Some students might think the narrator is always a character in the story.
- Students might believe point of view does not affect how events are described.
Scaffolding Ideas:
For Struggling Students:
- Use very short and simple stories to practice identifying the narrator.
- Use drawings or role-play to explore different points of view.
- Provide sentence starters to help answer questions about point of view.
For Advanced Students:
- Have students compare first-person and third-person narrators in two different stories.
- Encourage writing a short story from multiple points of view.
- Discuss how an unreliable narrator can affect the story’s meaning.
Pacing Recommendations:
- Spend about 15 minutes reading and discussing the story together.
- Allow 15 minutes for completing and reviewing the worksheet.
- Use the last 15 minutes for the creative activity to reinforce understanding.
Standards
- 8.RL.5 — Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.
Printable Worksheet
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