Reading Literary Texts: Describing the Influence of Point of View | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G5:M2:U2:L1

Reading Literary Texts: Describing the Influence of Point of View

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RL.5.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • RL.5.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
  • RL.5.6: Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can find the gist of a narrative text. (RL.5.4, L.5.4)
  • I can describe how a narrator's point of view influences how events are described in a narrative. (RL.5.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Finding the Gist and Unfamiliar Vocabulary: "The Dreaming Tree" (RL.5.4, L.5.4)
  • Exit Ticket: Point of View (RL.5.6)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engaging the Reader: "I Will Be a Hummingbird" (10 minutes)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Reading for Gist: "The Dreaming Tree" (10 minutes)

B. Guided Practice: Describing Point of View (30 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt to respond to in the front of your independent reading journal.

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In Opening A, students view a video clip featuring Wangari Maathai. This serves as a bridge from Unit 1 to Unit 2--Unit 1 ends with students reading Seeds of Change, a narrative nonfiction book about Maathai sharing her perspective as a person who lives in the rainforest. In the video "I Will Be a Hummingbird," Maathai shares a short narrative about a hummingbird that begins to fight a fire alone, despite its small size. After watching the video, students consider how the story presented in the video is different from the texts read throughout Unit 1 as an introduction to the difference between informational and narrative texts.
  • In Opening B, students consider the module's guiding questions and performance task prompt to help focus their work. Refer to the full performance task in the Performance Task Overview for more information.
  • In Work Time A, students find the gist of a narrative text, "The Dreaming Tree." This text will be used throughout the unit as students build their understanding of point of view and the kind of language used in narrative texts (RL.5.4, RL.5.6).
  • Note that in this unit, the term point of view is used to describe the narrator's position in relation to the story and the narrator's particular attitude towards the events because RL.5.6 requires students to analyze both.
  • Students practice their fluency in this lesson by following along and reading silently as the teacher reads "The Dreaming Tree" in Work Times A and B and "A Walk in the Rainforest" in Work Time B.
  • This lesson is the first in a series of three that include built out instruction for the use of Goal 3 Conversation Cues. Conversation Cues are questions teachers can ask students to promote productive and equitable conversation (adapted from Michaels, Sarah and O'Connor, Cathy. Talk Science Primer. Cambridge, MA: TERC, 2012. Based on Chapin, S., O'Connor, C., and Anderson, N. [2009]. Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn, Grades K-6. Second Edition. Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions Publications). Goal 3 Conversation Cues encourage students to deepen their thinking. Continue drawing on Goals 1 and 2 Conversation Cues, introduced in Module 1, and add Goal 3 Conversation Cues to more strategically promote productive and equitable conversation. In Module 3, Goal 4 Conversation Cues are introduced. Refer to the Tools page for additional information on Conversation Cues. Consider providing students with a thinking journal or scrap paper. Examples of the Goal 3 Conversation Cues you will see in the next two units are (with expected responses):
    • To encourage students to provide reasoning or evidence:

 "Why do you think that?"

 "Because _____."

 "What, in the _____ (sentence/text), makes you think so?"

 "If you look at _____, it says _____, which means _____."

    • To challenge students:

 "What if _____ (that word were removed/the main character had done something different/we didn't write an introduction)? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner."

 "If we did that, then _____."

 "Can you figure out why _____ (the author used this phrase/we used that strategy/there's an -ly added to that word)? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner."

 "I think it's because _____."

    • To encourage students to think about their thinking (metacognition):

 "What strategies/habits helped you succeed? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner."

"_____ helped me a lot."

 "How does our discussion add to your understanding of _____ (previously discussed topic/text/language)? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner."

 "I used to think that _____, and now I think that _____.

  • Note that the student version of the "Challenge thinking" Goal 3 Conversation Cues (and expected student responses) are built into the Discussion Norms anchor chart in Work Time B. The "Provide reasoning and evidence" Goal 3 Conversation Cues are built into the Discussion Norms anchor chart in Lesson 2. The "Think about thinking" Goal 3 Conversation Cues are not built into the Discussion Norms anchor chart, as these cues are best suited for teachers to prompt students. Conversation Cues and Discussion Norms are similar in that they seek to foster productive and collaborative conversation. Furthermore, Conversation Cues aim to ensure equitable conversation by gradually building student capacity to become productive, collaborative participants. Goal 1 Conversation Cues focus on the fundamentals of encouraging students to talk and be understood, whereas Goal 2 encourages students to listen carefully to one another and seek to understand. Goals 3-4 take students to deeper levels of conversation, from deepening their thinking to thinking with others.
  • The research reading students complete for homework helps to build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to the rainforest. By participating in this volume of reading over a span of time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help describe and make sense of it.
  • In this lesson, the habit of character focus is working to contribute to a better world. The characteristics students are reminded of specifically are using strengths to help others and the environment and applying learning and putting it to good use in the school and community, as they consider what they can do for the environment.

Down the road:

  • Students will continue working with "The Dreaming Tree" in Lessons 2-4 as they analyze the language the author uses to describe the rainforest. 

In Advance

  • Prepare technology necessary to view "I Will Be a Hummingbird".
  • Review the Think-Pair-Share protocol. See Classroom Protocols.
  • Post: Learning targets, Guiding Questions anchor chart, Performance Task chart, and Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart.

Tech and Multimedia

  • Consider that YouTube, social media video sites, and other website links may incorporate inappropriate content via comment banks and ads. Although some lessons include these links as the most efficient means to view content in preparation for the lesson, teachers should preview them and/or use a filter service, such as www.safeshare.tv, to view the links in the classroom.
  • Work Time A: For students who will benefit from hearing the text read aloud multiple times, consider using a text-to-speech tool like Natural Reader, SpeakIt! for Google Chrome, or the Safari reader. Note that to use a web-based text-to-speech tool like SpeakIt! or Safari reader, you will need to create an online doc, such as a Google Doc, containing the text.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 5.I.B.6, 5.I.B.7, 5.I.B.8

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by acknowledging and celebrating people and stories from different cultures, explicitly discussing point of view in text, and providing multiple scaffolds for determining the gist and approaching unfamiliar vocabulary.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to describe how point of view influences a narrative, mainly because they will first have to work to understand the language used in the narratives themselves. Consider providing strips with additional quotes from the narratives and strips with descriptions of how the point of view influences the narratives. Ask them to match the corresponding strips. See additional suggestions in the Meeting Students' Needs column.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Invite students to evaluate which point of view is more effective and why: first person in "A Walk in the Rainforest" or third person in "The Dreaming Tree." If productive, use a Goal 3 Conversation Cue to challenge students: "What if the author had used third person in "A Walk in the Rainforest" and first for "The Dreaming Tree? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Responses will vary.)

For heavier support:

  • As students will encounter multiple narratives in this and forthcoming lessons and assessments, practice strategies for approaching a large volume of unfamiliar language:
    • Focus on familiar language. Read past unfamiliar language.
    • Read titles and headings and study graphics.
    • With unfamiliar language, look for definitions in the text or cognates.
    • Annotate each paragraph with the gist.
    • Think: "Does what I just read make sense? Why? If not, read it again."
  • For Work Time A, prepare sticky notes with prewritten words or drawings based on the gist of different sections of "The Dreaming Tree." As students listen to the story, they can match the gist represented on the sticky notes with each section of the read-aloud. (Example: For the first three paragraphs, write on a sticky note: "Uaica is lonely and walking in the rainforest. He trips and suddenly sees animals sleeping by a huge tree.")
  • For Work Time B, consider visually representing the two points of view by showing videos shot from first person perspective and from a bird's-eye or wide angle. Create illustrations or icons that represent each point of view to reference in discussion. (Example: Draw an eye to represent first person and a camera to represent third person.) (MMR)
  • In preparation for the Mid-Unit 2 Assessment, provide practice and sentence frames for explaining and comparing how first and third person point of view influence events in several familiar or simple narratives. Examples:
    • "What the reader knows and understands is more than any one character could know."
    • "What the reader knows and understands is limited to what _____ knows and understands." (e.g., Uaica)
    • "The first person point of view is the account that tells more about what _____ saw and thought when _____." (e.g., Uaica/he tripped and fell in the rainforest)
    • "The third person point of view does not provide much detail about what happened to _____ when _____." (e.g., Uaica/he vanished beneath the crevice in a rock)

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation: Since this lesson lays the foundation for the remainder of the unit on narrative texts and writing, provide varied representations of new information to facilitate comprehension for all students. Some students may be unfamiliar with the phrase point of view and how it is used in a literary sense. Consider pre-teaching a mini lesson on point of view from a familiar fairy tale or folk tale (e.g., stepmother vs. Cinderella, three little pigs vs. the wolf). Ensure that the text is familiar and culturally relevant for all students. Another important foundational skill in this unit is identifying the gist of a paragraph. Model different ways of representing the gist (e.g., jotting notes, sketching, matching).
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression: Since students are building a strong foundation in the area of narrative text, consider varied ways for them to demonstrate their learning. Students may benefit from using individualized tools for identifying point of view. One example may be a personal list of words associated with each point of view (e.g., I, me for first person). Allow students to highlight these words in the text before asking them to identify point of view. In addition, allow students to represent the gist of paragraphs in multiple ways (e.g., jotting notes, sketching, matching). Give students extra time to revise their original gist as needed.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement: Students who may need additional support with reading may feel discouraged starting a new reading unit with unfamiliar content. Support engagement by providing personalized bookmarks that students can use as a tool to track the line that they are reading in their book. Consider allowing students to decorate their bookmark based on their personal interests. Another way to increase engagement is to make the task of finding pronouns (see MMAE) a challenge with specific goals. Celebrate when students achieve the set goals. 

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

  • narrative, narrator, point of view, third person, first person (L)
  • frequently, fragrant, found, word, scrawny, ailing, therefore (T)

Materials

  • Rainforest Experiences anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 1)
  • "I Will Be a Hummingbird" (video; see Technology and Multimedia)
  • Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (begun in Unit 1)
  • Guiding Questions anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 1)
  • Performance Task anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 1)
  • "The Dreaming Tree" (one per student and one to display)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Finding the Gist and Unfamiliar Vocabulary: "The Dreaming Tree" (one per student and one to display)
  • Point of View handout (one per student and one to display)
  • Point of View handout (example, for teacher reference)
  • "A Walk in the Rainforest" (one per student and one to display)
  • Discussion Norms anchor chart (begun in Module 1; added to with students during Work Time B)
  • Discussion Norms anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)
  • Exit Ticket: Point of View (one per student)

Assessment

Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engaging the Reader: "I Will Be a Hummingbird" (10 minutes)

  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share:

"How does what you know now about rainforests change what you think about your previous experience with rainforests?"

  • As students share, capture their responses on the Rainforest Experiences anchor chart.
  • Remind students that they ended Unit 1 by reading the book Seeds of Change, which was about the life of Wangari Maathai. If necessary, briefly review who she was and her accomplishments.
  • Direct students' attention to the video "I Will Be a Hummingbird" and explain that in a moment, they will watch a video narrated by Wangari Maathai. Tell students they will watch this video twice and that the first time they should just watch to get its gist.
  • Play the video "I Will Be a Hummingbird."
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What is the gist of the video?" (It shows Wangari Maathai telling a story about a hummingbird that helps put out a fire in a rainforest; it shows how even one person can make a difference.)

  • Remind students that all people in the world, including those in the United States, speak English with different accents. Tell students that if they don't understand someone else's accent, they can politely ask, "Could you please repeat that slowly?" Invite students to discuss what they noticed about Wangari's Maathai's accent and what they liked about it.
  • Explain that students will now watch the video a second time. Tell them that as they watch, they should think about how the story is similar to and different from the texts about the rainforest that they read throughout Unit 1.
  • Focus students on the Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart and reread these two habits of character aloud:
    • "I use my strengths to help others and the environment."
    • "I apply my learning and put it to use to help our school and community."
  • Consider sharing a personal story about your relationship with the environment as a way to allow students to get to know you on a more meaningful level. Tell students:

"I will be a hummingbird. I will do the best I can (for our environment) by _____ (e.g., buying from local companies that minimize damage)."

Invite them to ask questions and share how they will do the best they can.

  • Play the video a second time.
  • Invite students to turn and talk to an elbow partner:

"What do you notice from the video that is similar to and different from the texts you read in Unit 1?" (Responses will vary but may include: The video told a made-up story, and the texts we read were factual; the video showed an example of a problem in the rainforest, and some of the texts we read were also about threats to the rainforest.)

  • If productive, use a Goal 3 Conversation Cue to encourage students to think about their thinking:

"How does our discussion about the video and texts add to your understanding of different types, or genres, of stories?" I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Responses will vary.)

  • Point out that the video was a narrative--it tells a story. Explain that in this unit, students will read narrative texts that tell stories about real and imagined experiences to continue learning about the rainforest.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with receptive language: Facilitate active listening by assigning students specific questions to think about during the second viewing of the video. (Example: "What did the hummingbird say when the other animals told him he was too small to put out the fire?") Consider offering a handout with the questions or having an anchor chart that students can reference. (MMR, MMAE)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with expressive language: The open-ended question "How does Wangari's story add to or change your knowledge of the rainforest?" may prove challenging for some students. Ask probing questions to facilitate reflection. Examples:

"Did you see any animals in the video that you didn't know lived in the African rainforest?"

"Did you know that rainforests could have such big fires?"

Consider making a KWL chart to help students reflect on their learning. (MMR, MMAE)

  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: As you discuss the video and texts, display and complete a T-chart of the similarities and differences to help students organize and connect them with the language the class uses to compare and contrast. (MMR)
  • For ELLs who need heavier support and students who may need additional support with comprehension: Display key points from the video and invite students to tell you to stop the video when they identify each key point. Examples:
    • "Wangari says sometimes our problems feel so big." (Students tell you to stop the video at 0:19.)
    • "Wangari tells a story about a forest being destroyed by a huge fire." (Students tell you to stop at 0:27.) (MMAE)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Display the Guiding Questions anchor chart and invite students to chorally read each question aloud with you.
  • Invite students to focus on the questions:
    • "How does a narrator's or speaker's point of view influence how events are described?"
    • "How do authors engage the reader in narratives?"
  • Explain that in this unit, they will begin to build expertise about narrative texts. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"How can we build expertise about narrative texts?" (We can read examples of narrative texts.)

  • Direct students' attention to the learning targets and read them aloud:
    • "I can find the gist of a narrative text."
    • "I can describe how a narrator's point of view influences how events are described in a narrative."
  • Underline the word narrator in the second target and explain that a narrator is the person or character who is telling the story.
  • Circle the phrase point of view and explain that the point of view is the narrator's position in relation to the story being told.
  • Add any new academic vocabulary to the permanent Academic Word Wall (from Module 1). Invite students to write the home-language translations of academic or domain-specific words in a different color on the Word Wall next to the target vocabulary.
  • Have students give a quick thumbs-up, thumbs-down, or thumbs-sideways to indicate how well they understand today's learning targets.
  • Draw students' attention to the Performance Task anchor chart and read the prompt aloud, inviting students to chorally read with you. Remind them that they are working toward creating an e-book narrative about the rainforest.
  • Explain that before they can write their narratives, they need to learn about what makes a strong narrative, and that they will do that throughout this unit by reading and analyzing exemplars for descriptive language.
  • When introducing the word narrator, invite students to identify similarities between the words narrative and narrator. Box or underline the letters n-a-r-r-a-t in both words. Help students make the connection to the definition that a narrator tells the narrative. (MMR)
  • When introducing point of view, use fairy tale or folk tale examples from multiple points of view (e.g., Cinderella vs. stepmother, three little pigs vs. the wolf). This could be done as part of a pre-teaching exercise. This activity should be fun and engaging. (MMR, MME)
  • For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. Ask students about the meaning of the chunks of the guiding question: "How does the narrator's or speaker's point of view influence how events are described?" Write and display student responses next to the chunks. Examples:
    • "What is influence in our home languages?" (influenciar in Spanish) Invite students to use their translation dictionary if necessary. Invite all students to repeat the translation in a different home language.
    • "What does influence mean? You can use your dictionaries." (affect; change; guide)
    • "What is being influenced or affected in this sentence?" (how events are described)
    • "Place your finger on the second occurrence of how. What does the word how mean, in this case? Is this a question?" (No, how means the way.) Write the way next to the word how on the board.
    • "What does the way events are described mean?" (the way you tell about something that happened)
    • "Who, in this sentence, describes the events?" (the narrator or speaker)
    • Invite students to draw an arrow from narrator and speaker to described.
    • "What is one important difference between first person point of view and third person point of view?" (First person uses I; third person uses they.)
    • "Can two students be our narrators and describe an event that happened today (e.g., lunchtime)? Both of you will describe the same event, but with a different point of view." Invite one student to speak in the first person and another to speak in the third person. (Responses will vary.)
    • "The two students described the same event. But did they describe it in the same way?" (No, they each described it a little differently.)
    • "What was different about their points of view?" (Responses will vary but should include: One used I, one used they.)
    • "So, how did their points of view influence how events are described?" (Answers will vary.)
    • "We just talked about how a narrator's point of view can change the way he or she describes an event, but we talked about an event in school. For these guiding questions, where will the events take place? How do you know?" (in a narrative; it says so in the second guiding question)
    • "Can you put this guiding question in your own words?" (We will talk about how a person's perspective can change the way he tells a story.)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reading for Gist: "The Dreaming Tree" (10 minutes)

  • Distribute and display "The Dreaming Tree." Explain that over the next several lessons, students will use this text to begin to build expertise about narrative texts.
  • Explain that today, students will read this text for the gist and to consider its point of view, and they will reread it more closely in later lessons to look at the language the author used to describe the characters, setting, and events.
  • Read it aloud for students without stopping, as they read along silently in their heads.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What is the text about?"(Responses may vary, but could include that it is a story about a boy who got lost in the rainforest.)

  • Post and review the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart.
  • Tell students that this text is challenging and may have unfamiliar words. Reassure them that just like when they read other texts this year, they are not expected to understand it fully the first time. Remind them that one key to being a strong reader of difficult text is being willing to struggle.
  • Distribute and display Finding the Gist and Unfamiliar Vocabulary: "The Dreaming Tree." Tell students that they can draw or write in the Gist column. These are just notes to help them remember what each excerpt is mostly about.
  • Display the first three paragraphs of "The Dreaming Tree." Invite students to follow along, chorally read with you as you read the first three paragraphs aloud.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What is the gist of this part of the text? What is it mostly about?" (It's about a boy named Uaica. One day he went for a walk in the rainforest because he was unhappy and lonely. On his walk, he tripped over a branch and saw different animals asleep by an enormous tree.)

"Are there any words whose meaning you are not sure about? What are they?" (Responses will vary.)

"Choose a word you are unsure about the meaning of. Which strategy would be most effective in determining the meaning of that word?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Repeat this process as you read the remainder of the text. Add any new words to the academic and domain-specific word walls.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading: Display the "The Dreaming Tree" and annotate paragraphs and key words as you discuss it. If possible, annotate with quick sketches as well. (Example: Next to Uaica, write "boy, lonely" and next to the paragraph, write "goes for a walk, finds sleeping animals.") (MMR)
  • Consider giving students a bookmark to guide their silent reading of the text. This will help them spatially organize the words on the page. (MMR, MME)

B. Guided Practice: Describing Point of View (30 minutes)

  • Explain that one aspect of narratives students will study in this unit is the point of view. Display and distribute the Point of View handout and select a volunteer to read the first three sentences at the top of the handout, explaining what point of view is:
    • "The point of view is the narrator's position in relation to the story being told. It shows the opinion or feelings of the individuals involved in a situation. Point of view is the way the author allows the reader to "hear" and "see" what is happening.
  • Tell students that "The Dreaming Tree" is written in the third person point of view; the narrator is not a character in the story but tells the story like a camera records events.
  • Reread the first three paragraphs from "The Dreaming Tree."
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What words and phrases in the text show the reader that the narrator is not a character in the story?" (Uaica, he, they)

  • As students share out, capture their responses in the Key Words column of the Point of View handout, inviting students to do the same on their copy. Refer to the Point of View handout (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Tell students that they will now hear another text that uses a different point of view.
  • Distribute and display "A Walk in the Rainforest." Invite students to follow along, reading silently in their heads as you read the text aloud.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What is the same between 'The Dreaming Tree' and 'A Walk in the Rainforest'?" (Both tell the story of Uaica and the dreaming tree.)

"Who is telling the story in 'The Dreaming Tree'? Who is telling the story in 'A Walk in the Rainforest'?" (An unknown narrator tells "The Dreaming Tree," and Uaica--a character in the story--tells "A Walk in the Rainforest.")

  • Tell students that "A Walk in the Rainforest" is written in the first person point of view; the narrator is a character in the story, telling his story to the reader.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What words and phrases in the text show the reader that the narrator is a character in the story?" (I, my, myself)

  • As students share out, capture their responses in the Key Words column of the Point of View handout, inviting students to do the same on their copy.
  • Explain that the author of a narrative text chooses the point of view to use, and the point of view influences the information given and how the events are described in the story.
  • Point out that with the first person point of view, the reader feels closer to the character narrating the story by seeing the story though his or her eyes. With the third person point of view, the reader is more distanced from the events in the story and can see the bigger picture of what is going on.
  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share with an elbow partner:

"How does the narrator's point of view influence how the events are described in 'The Dreaming Tree'? Use at least one quote from the text to support your thinking." (What the reader knows and understands is more than any one character could know; "His grandfather loved the boy and wanted to protect him from harm, and so did his best to take care of him.")

"How does the narrator's point of view influence how the events are described in 'A Walk in the Rainforest'? Use at least one quote from the text to support your thinking." (What the reader knows and understands is limited to what Uaica knows and understands; "I noticed a jaguar family nestled together a little further on"; "I knew better than to get close to some of these dangerous animals, sleeping or not.")

  • Use the student version of both new "Challenge thinking" cues (Goal 3 Conversation Cues) to challenge their thinking as they discuss the rain forest and other topics in Grade 5 and beyond:

"What if 'The Dreaming Tree' was written in the third person?" (Responses will vary.)

"I wonder why 'A Walk in the Rainforest' was written in first person?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Why is it useful to challenge our thinking by asking 'What if' and 'I wonder why'?" (Challenging thinking helps us go beyond what we already know and are comfortable with, adding new scenarios, ideas, perspectives, and explanations.)

  • Tell students that these two new cues will be added to the Discussion Norms anchor chart today. Focus student attention on the Discussion Norms anchor chart and add the "Challenge thinking" cues. See the Discussion Norms anchor chart (example, for teacher reference). Ensure students understand how to use these cues.
  • As students share out, capture their responses in the Example column of the Point of View handout, inviting students to do the same on their copy.
  • Explain that students will continue discussing the point of view of narrative texts and its influence on how events are described in the text throughout this unit and again in Unit 3.
  • Focus students on the learning targets. Read each one aloud, pausing after each to use a checking for understanding protocol for students to reflect on their comfort level with or show how close they are to meeting each target. Make note of students who may need additional support with each of the learning targets moving forward.
  • Repeat, inviting students to self-assess against how well they used their strengths and applied their learning in this lesson.
  • For ELLs: Be aware that narratives that faithfully use only one perspective within a single story may be limited to one cultural viewpoint, and that some students may be accustomed to stories that do not make such a clear distinction. Make clear that this distinction is being taught because most of the stories students will encounter in school will use one of these perspectives, and not that it is the only or proper way to tell narratives.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: Ask students to underline pronouns such as he, they, and the character's name to emphasize that these are words authors use to convey third person point of view. Invite them to underline pronouns such as I and myself to highlight the way authors convey first person point of view. Increase engagement by making a goal for how many pronouns students can find and celebrate if they meet that goal. (MMAE, MME)
  • For ELLs: Pair students with a partner who has more advanced or native language proficiency. The partner with greater language proficiency can serve as a model in the pair, initiating discussions and providing implicit sentence frames, for example. 

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

  • Distribute Exit Ticket: Point of View.
  • Read the questions on the exit ticket aloud for students. Then, select students to read each option aloud and invite students to underline the answer they think is correct.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading: Reread each option and clarify their meanings as necessary. (MMR)
  • As students complete the exit ticket, encourage them to use the strategy of highlighting or underlining key words to identify the point of view. Reference the Point of View handout. (MMAE, MMR)
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension or writing: Consider making the final question on the Exit Ticket: Point of View a multiple choice question. (MMAE)

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt to respond to in the front of your independent reading journal.
  • For ELLs: For all homework assignments in this unit, read the prompts aloud. Students can discuss and respond to prompts orally, either with you, a partner, family member, or student from Grades 4 or 6, or record an audio response. If students have trouble writing sentences, they can begin by writing words. Consider providing a sentence starter or inviting students who need lighter support to provide sentence starters.
  • Consider offering multiple ways for students to respond to the prompt other than written expression. Examples could include pictures, digital media, song/poem, etc. (MMAE)

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