Point of View and Voice

Transcription

1 Point of View and Voice Level of Proficiency: Intermediate TEKS Addressed: 2a, b, c, e; 10a, b, g, h, l; 11a, b, d; 15a, b, c, e, f, h; 16b, c, d, f; 17a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h; 18a, b, c, d, e; 19b, c Materials / Resources: Copies of books with different points of view (The Three Little Pigs, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, stories by James Thurber), story with several characters who have different points of view and reactions, overhead and transparencies. Lesson Before Read examples of stories that are told from the point of view of different characters. Ask students what makes the stories different when some elements are the same (characters, setting, sequence of events). Discuss tone, attitude, and motivation. Read a story that has several characters with different points of view. A good example might be the myth of Prometheus. Model completing the point of view chart using information from the myth. Tell the story from Prometheus point of view: I saw people suffering from the cold, and old people starving because they could not eat hard, uncooked foods. I thought if only the gods knew how the people suffered, they would gladly share fire, so that the people s lives would be better. When I went to ask, they told me they would think about it. I was sure they would be generous and share fire. Imagine how surprised I was when I returned and they told me no! I tried to persuade them, but they wouldn t listen. Everyone was so disappointed when they heard the news. I knew I had to do something so I decided to take the fire without their permission so the people s lives would be better. Ask the students how the story would be different if Zeus or another of the gods were narrating. Have them brainstorm what kinds of things the gods would say. Why would Prometheus think we would give him fire? If the men had fire, they would think they were gods! People are supposed to suffer and die. That s what makes them different from us, the immortals. I can t believe he would come and steal the fire after we told him no! Did he really think he could get away with it? Organize the comments and add what is necessary to retell the story from the gods point of view. During Ask students to think of some events in their lives where their feelings or attitudes were very different from someone else who was there. For example: a time when they wanted to do something and their parents refused to let them; a visit to a place they enjoyed, but the other person didn t; a time when

2 they did something for the first time and felt nervous, but the other people around had done it before; or the first day at a new school surrounded by classmates who have been together for years. Have students do a five minute Quickwrite about the incident. If they want to use their native language for the Quickwrite, allow it, as the point here is to generate ideas. Have the students complete the Point of View chart from their point of view, and that of another person who was present. Using the chart, have students write a description of what happened. Encourage them to think about the way they speak. Are there expressions or types of sentences they typically use? If so, they should include them to work on developing voice. Next, complete a description of the incident from the other person s point of view. Again, encourage the students to think about how that person speaks, and how their views were different. The voices in the two pieces should be distinct. Remind them to think about how words have different connotations. For example, one person may find skydiving exhilarating or thrilling, while someone else would describe it as terrifying. When clothes shopping with parents, clothes teenagers find fashionable and attractive, parents may describe as ridiculous or skimpy. Have students peer edit their word, checking for grammar, punctuation, and spelling as well as a distinct voice. Have students revise and publish their descriptions. After Look at poems written for two voices (Paul Fleishmann s Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices), and have students read them aloud, then write their own. Have students write a conversation between two characters who were in the same place at the same time, but had different perspectives.

3 Recalling an Event Person / Character: Prometheus The Greek Gods Setting: Feeling(s): Ancient Greece / Mount Olympus Concerned, angry, defiant Ancient Greece / Mount Olympus Worried, angry, vengeful Thoughts: Action(s): Thought the Greek people needed fire to keep warm and cook their food Asked gods for fire Thought man would be too powerful with fire, only gods should have it Tell Prometheus he cannot have fire Reaction: They refuse, so he steals it The gods punish Prometheus. He is tied to a rock for eternity. A bird eats his liver every day and it grows back every night. Conclusion: The Greek people have fire, but Prometheus suffers. The Greek people have fire, but Prometheus suffers.

4 Recalling an Event Person: Setting: Feeling(s): Action: Reaction: Conclusion:

5