CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.6
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.8.6
Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as suspense or humor.
Are you in Texas? You’ll hit these NEW standards as well!
7.9(E) identify the use of literary devices, including subjective and objective point of view
8.9(E) identify and analyze the use of literary devices, including multiple points of view and irony
Regardless of whatever standards you have to adhere to, when we’re talking about point-of-view, so much of what you find online only focuses on WHAT point-of-view is, rather than on HOW authors purposefully use point-of-view to create their stories . . . And how that impacts the reader.
Students have to analyze how the author develops those POV’s and ultimately, how the POV’s impact other elements in the passage or novel.
My absolute favorite way to teach this is through sharing the first two chapters of the novel Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen because it’s written in a “he-said-she-said” style with every other chapter told from a very different point-of-view.
Even if you just read those two chapters aloud with your classes, it’s hysterical and, most importantly, it helps students see the power of perspective (point-of-view) in a novel.
After a read-aloud of those two chapter (and they are SO FUN to read aloud!!!), you can use questions that do force the students to analyze what’s going on in the text.
Here are some examples of questions that can take students deeper into the author’s purpose as it relates to point-of-view:
> > How does the author’s word choice help to develop the narrator/ speaker’s point of view?
For that question, students can refer back to the actual words the narrator is using to describe the situation and to tell about the other character. For the “boy” chapter, students will notice that the word choice is full of frustration, exasperation, incredulity, disgust, etc. when he talks about the girl (the other main character). But for the “girl” chapter, the word choice couldn’t be more different!
> > Does the character’s point of view differ from that of the reader? If so, what effect is created?
This is a fun question because if students have only read / heard the first chapter (the “boy” chapter) then they’ll think that girl is crazy! The reader will likely agree with the boy’s perspective because it’s the only perspective they have, told from his point of view.
But this is where it gets fun.
Once you read the “girl” chapter, the point-of-view is completely different. The effect on the reader could change based on the girl’s version of the events.
Those questions will help you hit the standards for 7th and 8th grade . . . and you may find that several students are dying to get their hands on the book to continue reading it!
I address this standard (embedded with other ELAR standards of course) multiple times and in various ways in my argument / persuasion units for both 7th and 8th grade. Learn more about those units and how to get your hands on those resources by clicking here.
