ALEX Learning Activity

  

Another Side of the Story (Understanding Point of View)

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

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  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Ginger Henderson
System:Monroe County
School:Excel High School
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 2462
Title:
Another Side of the Story (Understanding Point of View)
Digital Tool/Resource:
The TRUE story of the 3 little pigs by A.Wolf as told to Jon Scieszka. Grandma Annii's Story Time
Web Address – URL:
Overview:

In this whole group activity, students will listen to two versions of a familiar fairy tale and consider how changes in the point of view affect their understanding of the story and their feelings about the characters. Students will complete an exit slip to judge mastery of the lesson content.

This activity results from the ALEX Resource Development Summit.

  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
26. Compare and contrast important details presented by two texts on the same topic or theme.

a. Compare and contrast different versions of the same story by different authors, from different cultures, or from different points of view.

Examples: The Three Little Pigs and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs; Cinderella and The Rough-Face Girl

b. Compare and contrast story elements of literary texts.

Examples: characters, settings, sequence of events, plots
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
26.
  • Compare
  • Contrast
  • Topic
  • Theme
26a.
  • Compare
  • Contrast
  • Authors
  • Cultures
  • Points of view
26b.
  • Compare
  • Contrast
  • Story elements
  • Literary texts
Knowledge:
26. Students know:
  • Compare means tell how things are alike or similar.
  • Contrast means tell how things are different.
26a.
  • Compare means tell how things are alike or similar.
  • Contrast means tell how things are different.
  • The same story can be told by different authors, can exist in different cultures, or can be told by different narrators.
26b.
  • Compare means tell how things are alike or similar.
  • Contrast means tell how things are different.
  • Literary texts include common story elements.
Skills:
26. Students are able to:
  • Compare and contrast important details after reading two texts that have a common theme or topic.
26a.
  • Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story by different authors, from different cultures, or from different points of view.
  • For example, The Three Little Pigs and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs or Cinderella and The Rough-Face Girl.
26b.
  • Compare and contrast story elements in literary texts, such as characters, settings, sequence of events, and plots.
Understanding:
26. Students understand that:
  • Texts about the same topic or theme will have similarities and differences.
  • Comparing and contrasting texts with the same topic or theme will improve their overall comprehension of the texts.
26a.
  • Similarities and differences between the same stories can teach the reader about different cultures and explain different points of view.
26b.
  • Comparing and contrasting story elements of literary texts can improve their comprehension, or understanding, of the texts.
Learning Objectives:

Students will compare and contrast two versions of a familiar fairy tale told from differing points of view.
  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
During/Explore/Explain
Activity:

  1. Tell students that in this lesson they will listen to two versions of the same fairy tale and then look for ways the two versions are alike and different.

  2. Read aloud using the tool The Story of the Three Little Pigs. After reading, have partners turn and talk to retell the story in their own words. Have students discuss what they think about each of the characters (pigs and wolf) and how they would describe them.

  3. Draw a three-column chart on the board or on chart paper. Have students retell the main ideas from the beginning, middle, and end of the story, and write their responses.

  4. Tell students that stories have a point of view from which they are told. Explain that point of view literally means the point from which a character or narrator sees the events of the story. Explain that the point of view can change how we understand events by having us consider the same events from another character's experience.

  5. Tell students that as they listen to the second version of this story they should consider how this shift in point of view changes how they feel about the story events.

  6. Play the second version of the story using the digital tool The TRUE story of the 3 Little Pigs.

  7. After watching the video, revisit the three column chart. Have students turn and talk about each of the events in the plot from the wolf's point of view. Then hold a class discussion about the importance of understanding all points of view before making a judgment about something.

  8. Write the following prompt on the board:

    • Did hearing a different point of view change your understanding of the story? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

    Have students answer the question on a sheet of notebook paper and turn in as an exit slip. Students should state an answer and use at least one piece of evidence from the text to support the answer.

    Sample answers:

    • Hearing the wolf's point of view changed how I felt about him. I thought he was bad, but he was just being a wolf. I thought he blew down the house to get to the pig, but his story says he just sneezed. Everyone has accidents.

    • Hearing the wolf's point of view didn't really change how I felt about him. He seems sneaky. He says he only ate the pig because it was already dead. If he was really good he would have called 911 for help instead.

Assessment Strategies:

Assess student exit slips. Students should include an answer and support the answer with at least one piece of evidence from the text.
Advanced Preparation:

Pull up the eBook The Story of the Three Little Pigs and read prior to the lesson to ensure you are familiar with this version of the fairy tale.

Pull up the digital tool The TRUE story of the 3 Little Pigs and ensure the video opens and loads properly.
Variation Tips (optional):

This lesson can be repeated with the following two resources:

eBook: Little Cinderella

Video: Seriously, Cinderella is So Annoying!
Notes or Recommendations (optional):
 
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: fairy tales, literature, plot, point of view, reading, story elements, story events