Introduction to Narrator's Point of View
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This learning activity provided by:
Author:
Hannah Bradley
System: Dothan City School: Carver Magnet School
General Activity Information
Activity ID:
1923
Title: Introduction to Narrator's Point of View
Digital Tool/Resource: Introduction to Reading Skills: Narrator's Point of View
Web Address – URL:
Overview: The teacher will show a video that provides entertaining examples of first- and third-person point of view, then lead a discussion about the differences between these two narration styles.
This activity results from the ALEX Resource Gap Project.
Associated Standards and Objectives
Content Standard(s):
English Language Arts 28. Identify the narration of a literary text as first person or third person.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
28.
Identify
Narration
Literary text
First person
Third person Knowledge:
28. Students know:
Literary text can be narrated from a first person or third person point of view.
Pronouns used by the author can indicate the narrator's point of view. Skills:
28. Students are able to:
Identify the narration of a literary text as first person or third person. Understanding:
28. Students understand that:
In first person narration the narrator is a character in the story and is telling the story from their perspective. The pronouns I, me, we, or us are often used.
In third person narration, the narrator is not part of the story and the characters never acknowledge the narrator's presence. The pronouns he, she, it, or they are often used.
English Language Arts 17. Identify the narrator's point of view in a literary text and explain how it differs from a character's perspective.
a. Explain the difference between first person and third person narration, including omniscient and third person limited.
b. State an opinion of the author's use of narration, supporting reasoning with examples from the text.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
17.
Narrator
Point of view
Literary text
Perspective
17a.
First person narration
Third person narration
Third person limited
Omniscient
17b..
Opinion
Narration
Reasoning Knowledge:
17. Students know:
A narrator is the speaker who is telling the story.
Different characters in a story can have different perspectives, or viewpoints.
17a.
The features of different narration styles, including first person, third person omniscient, and third person limited.
Pronouns used by the author can indicate the narrator's point of view.
17b..
An author chooses a narration style for a particular purpose and to convey specific meaning. Skills:
17. Students are able to:
Identify the narrator's point of view in a literary text.
Explain how the narrator's point of view is different from a character's perspective.
17a.
Explain how first person, third person, omniscient and third person limited narration styles differ in literary texts.
17b..
Identify the author's use of narration.
Form and state a personal opinion about the author's use of narration.
Support their opinion with evidence from the text. Understanding:
17. Students understand that:
Narrators and characters can have different points of view and perspectives within the same story.
17a.
In first person narration the narrator is a character in the story and is telling the story from their perspective. The pronouns I, me, we, or us are often used.
In third person narration, the narrator is not part of the story and the characters never acknowledge the narrator's presence. The pronouns he, she, it, or they are often used.
Third person narration can be limited or omniscient.
An third person omniscient narrator is all-seeing and all-knowing and can tell the story from multiple characters' perspectives, while a third person limited narrator tells the story from only one character's perspective.
17b..
Although an authors chose to use a specific style of narration, that does not mean it was the best or only choice.
They can form opinions about authors' literary choices and provide examples from the text to support their opinion.
Learning Objectives: Students will explain the difference between first- and third-person narration/point of view.
Strategies, Preparations and Variations
Phase: Before/Engage
Activity: 1. Students will need a sheet of notebook paper and a pencil or pen. Ask the students to listen carefully for the two types of point of view that are discussed in the video. Tell students to write these down when they hear them.
2. Show the video using the digital tool (3:01 minutes).
3. After showing the video, ask student volunteers to list the two types of point of view that were discussed in the video (first-person and third-person ). Write these on the board, creating two columns.
4. Next, ask student volunteers to describe the differences they noticed between the first- and third-person narration of the video. Add these notes to the class list to describe the difference between first- and third-person. Encourage students to add these notes to their paper.
5. Lastly, ask students to write a final statement on their paper regarding the difference between first- and third-person point of view. This should be at least one complete sentence.
Assessment Strategies: Use the class discussion to assess student understanding and correct any misconceptions.
At the conclusion of the activity, take up each student's paper as an exit slip to evaluate their understanding of the skill.
Advanced Preparation: The teacher will need the ability to show an internet video with sound, and an interactive whiteboard, traditional whiteboard, or chart paper to create a list visible to the class.
Variation Tips (optional): After presenting this activity, the teacher can follow up with an additional video clip, Point of View - Introduction to Reading Skills (1:42 minutes). This video is presented in a similar manner as the digital tool, however, it focuses on the particular pronouns that provide clues about the narrator's point of view within a text. The teacher can have students add these pronouns to their two-column chart created in the activity.
Notes or Recommendations (optional):
Keywords and Search Tags
Keywords and Search Tags:
first person, narration, point of view, third person
