Point of View

Point of view in stories
Exploring First-Person and Third-Person Narration

​RL.4.6: Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first- and third-person narrations.

Objective: Today, we will learn how to identify and compare different points of view in stories

What is Point of View?

Definition: "Point of View is the perspective from which a story is told."

"Who is telling the story?"

Open Ended

How would you explain Point of View in your own words?

Definition: "The narrator is a character in the story and uses 'I,' 'me,' and 'my.'"

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Example: "I woke up early and ran outside to play."

First-Person Point of View

Definition: "The narrator is not a character in the story and uses 'he,' 'she,' 'they,' or names."

Example: "Samantha woke up early and ran outside to play."

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Third-Person Point of View

Comparing First and Third Person

​Feature	​First	​Third
​ Pronouns	I, me, my	He, she, they, names
​ Perspective	​ Inside character’s mind	​ Outside observer
​ Example	​ "I love ice cream."	​ "Ben loves ice cream."

Open Ended

Which point of view do you think allows you to know more about a character’s thoughts? Why?

Let’s Practice

Multiple Choice

I couldn’t wait to open my birthday present. My hands trembled with excitement as I untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. Inside, I found the most amazing gift I had ever received!

• First Person

• Third Person

Poll

Emma couldn’t wait to open her birthday present. Her hands trembled with excitement as she untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. Inside, she found the most amazing gift she had ever received!"

• first person

• third person

Open Ended

How do you know the passages you chose were first person or third person? Give an explanation for each passage.

Sentence starters: I know in the first passage key words..........

In the second passaged I know it was in ______ person because........

Partner Activity:




With a partner, read two short excerpts from different stories. Identify the point of view and explain why.
*Input on both computers

Multiple Choice

Jake walked through the dark hallway, his heart pounding. He could hear footsteps behind him, but when he turned around, no one was there. Taking a deep breath, he moved forward.

• First Person

• Third Person

Multiple Choice

As I walked through the dark hallway, my heart pounded. I could hear footsteps behind me, but when I turned around, there was no one there. I took a deep breath and moved forward.

• Third Person

• First Person

Open Ended

Discussion question: "How does the point of view change how we experience the story?"

Independent Activity

• Write a short paragraph about your morning routine in first-person.

• Rewrite the paragraph in third-person.

• Compare how each version feels different.

• Use your composition note book to write a 3-5 sentence paragraph for each POV.

Drag and Drop

Example 1: I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the huge cake on the table!​

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Example 2: Liam walked to the park and sat on the bench, watching the birds fly by. ​

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Example 3: We decided to explore the old house, even though we were a little scared.​ ​

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Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

first person

third person

First person

Multiple Choice

Exit Ticket: "Why is point of view important in storytelling?"

• point of view helps to tell when the story happens.

• point of view is used to to make sure the reader is listening.

• point of view is made for the author to remember who is telling the story.

• Point of view changes how we experience a story. It affects how much we know about a character’s thoughts and feelings."