Grade by Grade
D. Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts · Writing with Purpose, Voice and Evidence

Point of View, Perspective and Bias in My Writing

D2.4 A2.3 A3.2About 40 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can identify the point of view in my writing: first, second or third person.
  • I can identify whose perspectives my writing shows and whose are missing.
  • I can spot bias in my own writing and revise it to be fair and respectful.

Words to know

point of view
Who is telling: first person (I, we), second person (you) or third person (he, she, they, it).
perspective
How a person sees something, shaped by their experiences, feelings and background.
bias
Favouring one side unfairly, often by leaving out other views or using unfair words.
loaded words
Words with strong feelings that push the reader to think one way, like terrible or genius.
inclusive language
Words that respect everyone and don't leave people out.

Remember from Grade 3

In Grade 3 you learned that writing can be in first person (I, we) or third person (he, she, they), and you kept the same point of view all the way through. In Grade 4 you will also look at the perspectives your writing shows, and check your own writing for bias.

Three points of view

  • First person: I tell my own story. I slipped on the ice and landed in a snowbank.
  • Second person: the writer talks to you, the reader. It is common in instructions, ads and letters: First, you put on your helmet.
  • Third person: someone outside tells about others. Nora slipped on the ice. Reports are usually in third person.
First personI, me, weclue wordsI slipped on the iceand landed in a snowbank.Second personyou, yourclue wordsFirst, you put onyour helmet.Third personhe, she, they, namesclue wordsNora slippedon the ice.
The clue words tell you the point of view: I for first person, you for second person, he, she, they or names for third person.

Perspective: everyone sees it differently

On a snow day, different people have different perspectives:

  • A student thinks: Hooray! Sledding all day!
  • A snowplow driver thinks: I'll be working through the night to clear the roads.
  • A parent who works at the hospital thinks: I still have to go to work. Who will look after my kids?

None of these is wrong. Each person's experience shapes how they see the same event. When you write, ask: Whose perspective am I showing? Whose is missing?

A snowplow clearing a road while people go sledding on a snowy hill in the background.
One snow day, many perspectives: the sledders are happy, but the snowplow driver has a long, busy day ahead. AI-generated image
Same snow day, three perspectivesHooray!Sledding all day!A studentI'll be workingthrough the nightto clear the roads.A snowplow driverI still have togo to work. Who willlook after my kids?A parent who worksat the hospital
Three people, one snow day. Each person's experience shapes their perspective, and none of them is wrong.
Check your writingQuestion to ask
Point of viewIs it first, second or third person? Did I keep it the same?
PerspectivesWhose thoughts and feelings are shown? Who else is affected but not shown?
Bias: one side onlyDid I leave out a fair point from the other side?
Bias: loaded wordsDid I use unfair words like stupid, everyone knows, the worst?
Inclusive languageDo my words include and respect everyone?
Questions for checking your own writing
Worked example

Let's find the bias in a draft

Draft: Hockey is the only sport worth playing. Everyone loves it, and kids who play basketball instead are boring. Our town should spend all its money on new rinks.

  1. Point of view: third person with the writer's opinions mixed in.
  2. Loaded words: the only sport worth playing, boring. These are unfair.
  3. Not true for everyone: Everyone loves it is an exaggeration. Some people don't like hockey.
  4. Missing perspectives: basketball players, people who use the library, swimmers, people who can't afford hockey equipment.
  5. Revise to be fair: keep your opinion, but give reasons and respect other views.

Many people in our town love hockey, and our rink is very busy. I think the town should fix the old rink, because some teams can't book ice time. Other places, like the basketball courts and the library, matter too, so the town will need a fair plan for all of them.

Worked example

Let's add a missing perspective

A student wrote a story about a new student, Lin, arriving at school, told only from the class's view: The new kid didn't talk. We didn't know why.

  1. Ask: Whose perspective is missing? Lin's.
  2. Think about how Lin might feel: new school, maybe a new country, learning a new language.
  3. Add a part that shows Lin's thoughts, or have a character ask Lin a question.
  4. Use respectful words: Lin, not the new kid.

Lin sat quietly at her desk. She understood a lot of English, but speaking it in front of 25 strangers made her stomach twist. At recess, Sam asked, "Do you want to help me build a fort?" Lin smiled and nodded. Soon she was laughing too. Now readers understand Lin's perspective, and she is a real character, not just "the new kid."

Inclusive words

Choose words that include everyone: firefighter (not fireman), everyone or folks (instead of you guys), people who use wheelchairs (put people first), and a person's name instead of a label. When writing about a culture or community, use the names that community uses for itself, and describe people in the present, as living communities.

Just for fun

A snowman's perspective on a snow day: Finally, my kind of weather!

A snowman's perspective on spring: ...I'd rather not talk about it.

Hands-on activity

Three perspectives on one event

You need: paper and a pencil, and family members to interview.

  1. Pick an event your family shared, like a birthday, a storm, moving day or a holiday dinner.
  2. Interview two family members: What do you remember? How did you feel? Write jot notes.
  3. Write three short paragraphs about the event: one from your perspective (first person) and two from their perspectives (third person: Mom remembers...).
  4. Underline any loaded words. Are they fair?
  5. Talk about it: How were our perspectives different? Why?

Your turn

1

Which point of view? You should always wear a helmet when you bike.

2

Which point of view? We paddled across the lake.

3

What is perspective?

4

Find the loaded words: That dumb rule is the worst rule ever.

5

A story about a school field trip is told only by students. Name a missing perspective.

6

Make it inclusive: Each student should bring his lunch.

7

What is bias?

More practice: warm-up

1

Which pronouns show first person?

2

Which point of view do reports usually use?

3

Where is second person common?

4

Is everyone knows a fair phrase in a persuasive text?

5

Inclusive word for policeman?

More practice: on your own

1

Rewrite in third person: I fed the chickens and collected six eggs.

2

Describe a heat wave from two perspectives: a child at a splash pad and a farmer.

3

Revise to remove bias: Cats are much better than dogs, and dog people are silly.

4

Why should a writer check their own writing for bias?

5

A student writes about a powwow they attended. What should they do to show respect?

Challenge

1

Write two sentences about a new skatepark from the perspective of (a) a skateboarder and (b) a neighbour who lives beside it.

2

Explain how leaving out information can create bias, even if every sentence is true.

3

Read this: The town built a beautiful new library, and everyone is thrilled. Ask two questions to find missing perspectives.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which sentence is in second person?

2.

What is bias?

3.

Which sentence uses loaded words?

4.

A story about a fire drill is told only by a student. Which is a missing perspective?

5.

Which is the most inclusive wording?

6.

Which question helps you check your own writing for bias?

For parents and teachers

Big idea (D2.4): Grade 4 writers identify the point of view, perspectives and bias in their own texts. This connects to evaluating information and perspectives (A2.3) and to identity and belonging (A3.2).

How to help at home:

  • When watching the news or reading a story, ask: Whose side are we hearing? Who else might see it differently?
  • Model fair language at home, especially when disagreeing.
  • Encourage your child to interview relatives about shared events. They'll see how perspectives differ.

Common difficulties:

  • Thinking bias means lying. Bias can come from true facts that leave out the other side.
  • Switching points of view mid-story. Read aloud and listen for I suddenly becoming she.
  • Labels instead of names ("the new kid"). Encourage using people's names and describing them respectfully.