A. Literacy Connections and Applications / C. Comprehension: Understanding and Responding to Texts · Understanding and Responding to TextsWho Is Telling? Point of View and Perspectives
C1.6 C3.5About 40 minutes
Learning goals- I can tell if a story is told in first person or third person.
- I can retell a story from a different character's point of view.
- I can find explicit (stated) and implicit (hinted) perspectives in a text, with evidence.
- I can explain how a text's perspective could change what the audience thinks.
Words to know
narrator
The person or character who tells the story.
point of view
Who is telling the story, and from where they see it.
first person
The narrator is a character in the story and uses I, me, my, we.
third person
The narrator is outside the story and uses names and he, she, they.
perspective
What someone thinks or feels about a topic, and why.
explicit
Said clearly, right in the words.
implicit
Not said, but shown through hints like word choice or what is included or left out.
influence
To change what someone thinks, feels or does.
Remember from Grade 2
In Grade 2 you learned the names first person and third person, changed the point of view of a story, and saw that people can have different perspectives on the same thing.
In Grade 3 you will suggest other points of view that could tell a story, find perspectives that are hidden (implicit), back them up with evidence, and think about how they can influence an audience.
Hook: The squirrel's side of the story
Remember The Empty Feeder? Grandpa and Lily found the feeder empty. But what if the squirrel told the story?
I'm not a thief. I'm a squirrel with a family to feed! It was −20°C and my nuts were buried under a metre of snow. And there, swinging in the wind, was a feeder FULL of sunflower seeds. Was I supposed to just walk past it?
Same event, very different story! That's the power of point of view.
From the squirrel's point of view, a full feeder in deep snow looks like dinner. How would Grandpa tell this same moment? AI-generated image | First person | Third person |
|---|
| Who tells it? | A character inside the story | A narrator outside the story |
| Clue words | I, me, my, we, us, our | Names, he, she, they, his, her |
| What we learn | Only what that character sees, thinks and feels | Can tell about many characters |
| Example | I grabbed the seeds. | The squirrel grabbed the seeds. |
Worked exampleLet's name the point of view
A: Lily looked outside. The feeder was empty. She ran to tell Grandpa.
B: I looked outside. The feeder was empty! I ran to tell Grandpa.
- Look for clue words. A uses a name (Lily) and she. The narrator is outside the story.
- So A is third person.
- B uses I. The narrator is Lily herself, telling her own story.
- So B is first person.
A is third person. B is first person.
Suggesting another point of view
Any story could be told by someone else. To suggest a new point of view:
- Pick another character (or even an animal or object!) who was there.
- Ask: What did they see? What did they want? How did they feel?
- Retell a part in first person as that character.
Changing the point of view can change who seems right, what we know and how we feel.
Worked exampleLet's suggest an alternative point of view
Everyone Plays is told in third person. Whose point of view could tell it differently?
- Noor (first person): We would hear exactly how it felt to watch from the edge, and how proud she felt at the end.
- Sam (first person): We would learn why he decided to roll the ball to her, and what it was like to write the letter.
- The principal: We could learn what it took to get the path built.
- Example retelling as Noor: I sat at the top of the hill and watched. It felt like everyone was inside a party and I was stuck at the door.
The story could be told by Noor, Sam or the principal. Each would show different thoughts and feelings.
Just for funWhat if your lunch told the story? I was a perfectly happy sandwich, sitting in the dark lunch box, when suddenly the lid opened and a giant hand reached in... Same lunch, very different point of view!
Perspectives: explicit and implicit
A perspective is what someone thinks or feels about a topic.
- Explicit perspective: the writer says it. I think we should build a new parking lot.
- Implicit perspective: the writer doesn't say it, but you can tell from word choice and from what they include or leave out.
Read two texts about the same plan. The town wants to cut down some trees in Cedar Park to make a parking lot.
Text 1: Letter to the Town Newspaper
Dear Editor,
I own the bakery beside Cedar Park. I believe the town should build the new parking lot. My customers often drive around for 20 minutes looking for a spot, and some give up and go home. More parking will help the shops on Main Street stay open.
Sincerely, Mr. Bello
Text 2: Cedar Park News (written by a Grade 4 student)
Cedar Park's beautiful old maple trees have stood for over 100 years. Each spring, robins build nests in their branches, and families picnic in their cool shade. The town plans to cut down twelve of them to make room for cars. Once the trees are gone, they will be gone forever.
Worked exampleLet's find perspectives and evidence
What is each writer's perspective? Is it explicit or implicit? What is the evidence?
- Text 1: Mr. Bello says, I believe the town should build the new parking lot. His perspective is stated, so it is explicit. Evidence: his reasons are about customers and shops.
- Text 2: The writer never says Don't cut the trees! So the perspective is implicit.
- Evidence for Text 2: word choice (beautiful old, cool shade, gone forever), and what is included: only the good things about the trees. Nothing is said about the parking problem.
- So the student's perspective is: the trees should be saved.
Text 1: explicit (wants the parking lot). Text 2: implicit (wants to save the trees), shown through word choice and what is left out.
How perspectives influence an audience
If you only read Text 1, you might think: Of course, build the parking lot!
If you only read Text 2, you might think: How terrible! Save the trees!
Each text influences (changes) what readers think and feel. That's why smart readers:
- ask Whose perspective is this?
- notice word choice that pushes feelings,
- ask What is left out?
- look for other perspectives (the town, other shop owners, families, kids, the robins!) before deciding.
Ask: Whose voice is missing?
When you read about a problem, ask, "Who else is affected? Who didn't get to speak?" In the Cedar Park texts, we haven't heard from the town council, families who drive to the park, or the neighbours. Hearing more voices helps you understand the whole picture.
Hands-on activityTwo sides, two voices
You need: paper, a pencil, a fairy tale or familiar story.
- Choose a well-known story, like The Three Little Pigs or Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
- Retell one part in first person from a different character's point of view (the wolf? Baby Bear?). Start with I...
- Read it aloud. Does the audience feel differently about who is right?
- Perspective challenge: Pick a real choice in your family (for example, Should we get a pet?). Write one sentence with an explicit perspective (I think...) and one with an implicit perspective using only strong word choice (Imagine a fluffy, cuddly puppy waiting at the door every day after school...).
Your turn
1What clue words show first person?
2Max opened the gift. He laughed. What point of view is this?
Third person (a name and he).
3Rewrite in first person: Ava jumped into the leaf pile.
I jumped into the leaf pile.
4In the hook, who tells the feeder story? What point of view is it?
The squirrel. First person (I'm not a thief).
5What is Mr. Bello's perspective? Is it explicit or implicit?
He thinks the town should build the parking lot. It is explicit (he says I believe...).
6What is the student writer's perspective in Text 2? How can you tell?
The trees should be saved. You can tell from word choice (beautiful old, gone forever) and because the text only tells good things about the trees.
7Suggest another character who could tell The Wobbly Volcano from their point of view.
Examples: Zara's brother, a kid at the fair, the science fair judge, or even the volcano! (Any character who was there.)
More practice: warm-up
2We built a snowman. First or third person?
3They built a snowman. First or third person?
Said clearly, right in the words.
5What does influence mean?
To change what someone thinks, feels or does.
More practice: on your own
1Why does the squirrel's version make you feel differently about the empty feeder?
The squirrel explains it was hungry, it was very cold and its food was buried in snow. Now we understand why it took the seeds, so it seems less like a thief.
2What does Text 2 leave out? Why might the writer leave that out?
It leaves out the parking problem and why shops need parking. The writer wants readers to care about the trees, so including the other side might weaken their message.
3How might Text 1 influence a reader who has never been to Cedar Park?
They might think the parking lot is a great idea because they only hear about customers and shops, not about the trees.
4In a first person story, can the narrator tell us exactly what another character is thinking? Why?
No, not for sure. A first person narrator can only tell what they see, think and feel. They can guess what others think.
5Name two other people (or living things) whose perspective on the Cedar Park plan we haven't heard.
Any two: the town council, families who use the park, neighbours, other shop owners, customers, kids who play there, the robins/animals.
Challenge
1Write two sentences about Cedar Park from the point of view of a robin, in first person.
Example: I built my nest in this maple tree every spring for three years. If they cut it down, where will my babies hatch? Check for I/my and a robin's thoughts.
2Rewrite Text 2's first sentence so that it leans toward the parking lot side, using word choice.
Example: Cedar Park's crowded, messy corner of old trees takes up space that busy shoppers badly need. (Look for word choice that changes the feeling.)
3You have read both texts. Explain why it is important to hear more than one perspective before deciding what you think.
Each text only shows one side and uses words to influence you. Hearing several perspectives helps you understand the whole problem and make a fair decision, maybe even a solution that helps both sides (like a smaller lot or parking somewhere else).
Quiz
1. I tripped on the ice and landed on my back. What point of view is this?
2. Which sentence is in third person?
3. An implicit perspective is...
4. In Text 2, which words show the writer's perspective?
5. Why does telling The Empty Feeder from the squirrel's point of view change the story?
6. What should a smart reader do when a text shows only one side?
What this lesson teaches: Grade 3 students identify the narrator's point of view (first or third person) and suggest alternative points of view (C1.6). They identify explicit and implicit perspectives, provide evidence, and explain how perspectives could influence an audience (C3.5).
How to help at home:
- After a story, ask: "Who would tell this differently? What would the villain say?"
- Point out persuasive word choice in flyers, ads and news: "Which words are trying to make us feel something?"
- Model fairness: "That's one side. What might the other side say?"
Common difficulties:
- Dialogue confusion: A third person story can contain I inside quotation marks (a character speaking). The narrator is still third person. Look at the words outside the quotation marks.
- Point of view vs. perspective: Point of view is who is telling; perspective is what someone thinks about something.
- Children may think the most emotional text is "right." Praise them for asking what's missing.
Note: Cedar Park, Mr. Bello and the texts are made up for practice.