Focus Questions: How can we identify who is telling the story at various points in a text? How does identifying the point of view increase our understanding of the story?
Describe a familiar situation (e.g., a child and a parent discussing why the child did not finish his/her dinner). Ask, “What are some things the child might say?” (It didn’t taste good. I was full. I wanted to share it with someone.) Ask, “What are some things the parent might say?” (You ate cookies before dinner. You were eager to get back to playing a game or watching TV.)
Have volunteers role play the conversation between parent and child. Then say, “The parent and child were talking about why the child did not finish eating dinner. Why did they have different things to say about it?” (They had different ideas about why the dinner was not eaten.)
Say, “In this role play, the parent gave his/her point of view about why the child did not finish dinner. Then the child gave his/her point of view. The parent and the child both spoke about eating dinner, but each told the story from a different point of view. Point of view depends on who is telling the story.”
Part 1
Review the elements of a literary text: characters (the people or animals in a story) and events (the things that happen in a story).
Say, “Sometimes a story is told by the characters. Different characters might tell the story at different points in the text. Sometimes, a story is told by a narrator. A narrator is a storyteller, not a character in the story. Let’s read a story and figure out who is telling it. Then we will talk about why it is important to know who is telling a story.”
Introduce Three Hens and a Peacock by Lester L. Laminack, illustrated by Henry Cole. Say, “As I read to you, I would like you to think about who is telling the story. I will stop reading at different points in the story so we can think about and discuss who is telling the story.”
- Read pages 1–4; then stop and think aloud about who is telling the story. Say, “A narrator is telling this part of the story. I can tell because the events are described by someone who is not in the story.” Ask, “Why do you think it is important to know that a narrator is telling this part of the story?” Accept students’ input, and then say, “The narrator sees and knows much of what is going on with all of the characters in the story. The narrator in this text is helping the reader understand what events lead up to the story and where the story takes place.”
- Read pages 5–8. Ask, “Who is telling the story?” (the narrator) “What additional information do we learn about the characters from the narrator?” (The peacock finds a way to be useful on the farm. Since the peacock is standing down by the road, more and more people are stopping to see him and to buy produce from the farmer.)
- Read pages 9–10. Ask, “Who is telling the story now?” (the hens) “How do you know?” (The text says the hens were squawking, and the sentences start with “we.” The pictures show the hens talking.) Ask, “Why is it important for the reader to know that the hens are telling the story now?” (The reader needs to know why the hens are angry. The hens think the peacock is loud and lazy and not doing any work. The hens’ point of view moves the story along.)
- Read pages 11–12, using different character voices to reinforce point of view. Ask, “Who is talking here?” Have students identify the words of the narrator, the peacock, the hens, and the dog. Say, “This part of the story tells us a lot about the characters.” Guide students to interpret how the characters feel and provide evidence from the text and illustrations to support their answers. (The peacock feels sad because he thinks he isn’t useful. The hens are mad at the peacock because he is getting a lot of attention. The dog tries to solve the problem by having the peacock and the hens switch jobs.)
- Read pages 13–14 and discuss how the text and pictures reveal the characters’ points of view. You may want to have students act out this part of the story.
- Read pages 15–20. Make sure students understand that the narrator is telling this part of the story, which moves the story along.
- Read pages 21–22. Ask, “Who is telling the story now?” (the Tuckers) “Why is this important to the story?” (The Tuckers’ point of view helps the reader understand how important the peacock is to the farm and to their business.)
- Read the remainder of the text. Stop at various points to have students indicate who is telling the story and provide evidence for their answers.
Ask, “Who tells the story Three Hens and a Peacock?” (a narrator, three hens, a peacock, a dog, and the Tuckers)
Have students turn to a partner and discuss why a reader should identify who is telling the story at different points in the text. Walk around the room and listen for understanding of the concept. Then have students share out their answers. Guide students to conclude that identifying who is telling the story at different points in the text helps the reader understand the story.
Part 2
On an overhead projector, display the Point of View Graphic Organizer (L-1-4-2_Point of View Graphic Organizer.doc). Use Three Hens and a Peacock or another text of your choice to demonstrate how to fill in the graphic organizer.
Say, “Let’s choose three places in the text and determine who is telling the story.” Demonstrate the procedure: In the first column, list the page numbers. In the second column, write who is telling the story. Reinforce understanding by having students explain how they know. In the third column, explain how the reader’s understanding of the story improves by knowing who is telling the story.
Provide additional practice by reading another story from the Materials list or a book of your choice. Have students work in small groups to repeat the procedure of filling in the Point of View Graphic Organizer.
As students are working, monitor group progress and check for understanding. Provide support as needed.
Extension:
- For students who need additional practice determining who is telling the story, work together with a familiar text. Stop at various points in the text and have a student read that part with the voice of the character who is telling the story. Discuss why the character would use that voice. Guide students to use text and picture clues to support their answers. Also have a student read parts of the text where the narrator is telling the story. Discuss how the reader knows the narrator is telling the story.
- Students who are ready to move beyond the standard may choose a familiar story and rewrite it from a different point of view. As an alternative, students might work with a small group to create a readers’ theater using different character voices to read dialogue in a familiar story.
