Point of View in Historical Fiction
At a Glance
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GRADE LEVEL:
Grade 5 (Intermediate)
INSTRUCTOR:
Aimee Buckner
VIDEO LENGTH:
10:50
RELATED TEXT:
Point of View by Franki Sibberson
RELATED TOPICS:
historical fiction; genre study; point of view
COMMON CORE CONNECTIONS:
RL.5.6. Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.
Video
Summary
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In this demonstration lesson from a fifthgrade classroom, Aimee Buckner works
with students to construct an anchor chart
for understanding the genre of historical
fiction.
Discussion Questions
_______________________________________
What do you anticipate students would be able to do
as a result of this lesson?
What would you add to the anchor chart about the
difference between historical fiction and fiction?
Aimee paired texts to have students focus in on
perspective. What other books do you know/use that
would work well?
One tip is to read title headings. What are other tips
to make sure students are tracking the point of view
of the writer?
Point of View in Historical Fiction
Planning for Professional Development
5 min.
Welcome participants. Ask them to turn and talk to a partner about a current book they
are reading and the point of view of the main character/s. Share that they’ll be thinking
about point of view in the genre of historical fiction.
15 min.
Pass out the combination note viewing form. Orient participants to the three parts:
what the teacher is saying, what the anchor chart says, and student responses. View the
video and pause after about five minutes to allow educators to talk about what they are
noticing and/or write notes before continuing.
10 min.
Discuss the video using these questions (either in small groups or all together):
‣
What do you anticipate students would be able to do as a result of this lesson?
‣
What would you add to the anchor chart about the difference between
historical fiction and fiction?
‣
Aimee paired texts to have students focus in on perspective. What other books
do you know/use that would work well?
‣
One tip is to read title headings. What are other tips to make sure students are
tracking the point of view of the writer?
10 min.
If there is an interest in adding to mentor texts on point of view, share the related
article Book Matchmaker: Point of View by Franki Sibberson.
5 min.
Close by having each participant share something new they are thinking of trying in
their classroom.
Total Time: 45 minutes
Book Matchmaker: Point of View
by Franki Sibberson
Jennifer Allen is looking for a new set of books to use with her teachers in her role as literacy
coach. She said, "I am working to differentiate the resources that I use with teachers in my study
groups. Last year we worked with theme and I gave out copies of Voices in the Park by Anthony
Browne. The issue became teachers in grades 3-5 were using the same mentor book for their
minilessons. I fear kids will get a similar lesson multiple times. What I would like to do is explore
a similar topic with teachers but provide them with different mentor texts for different grade
levels. We will soon be focusing in on character development. Can you help me find some mentor
texts appropriate for teachers working with intermediate students in grades 3-5 around the topic
of point of view?"
In thinking about multiple texts for teaching point of view, I looked for books in which the
readers see different perspectives on a topic, or books in which readers discover a unique
perspective about an issue. Since Jen is looking for books at various levels of sophistication, I
began by considering picture books, and moved to more sophisticated texts. Some of the picture
books in the list are more accessible to students new to the idea, while others would be better to
use with older students or later in a study.
Picture Books and Poetry
The Pain and the Great One series by Judy Blume began as a picture book about two siblings.
The siblings took turns telling his or her side of the story. Since this book's success, Judy Blume
has gone on to create several short chapter books in The Pain and the Great One series. As in the
first book, each character takes a turn telling his or her perspective.
Another book that shows characters taking turns is a new picture book called Friends (Mostly) by
Barbara Joosse. Two friends, Henry and Ruby, take turns sharing stories about their friendship,
including fun and hardships.
In Who Is Melvin Bubble? by Nick Bruel, Melvin Bubble's family and friends tell about Melvin
from their perspective. We hear from his parents, friends and others. Each has a different view on
who Melvin is, based on their relationship with him.
The Desperate Dog Writes Again by Eileen Christelow is a story about a dog's misunderstanding
of his owner's actions. The dog writes for advice to find out how to help her owner.
A great poetry book to add to this collection is Dear Mother, Dear Daughter by Jane Yolen and
Heidi E. Y. Stemple. A mother and daughter writing team take turns explaining their perspectives
on points of contention, like doing homework or staying up late. On each two-page spread, we
hear from both the mother and the daughter.
A unique version of the traditional Goldilocks story is Me and You by Anthony Browne. In this
story, we see the three bears' point of view, but we also see a different perspective from Goldilocks.
In this version, Goldilocks is lost, scared, and finally happy to find a cozy house.
Novels
The Roscoe Riley series by Katherine Applegate would also be a good match for a study of point of
view. The main character Roscoe tells each book in the series from his Official Time-Out Corner.
Each book begins with Riley calling you over to his Time-Out Corner, and then telling his side of
the story of why he is in trouble.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger is a longer novel with sophisticated humor.
In the book, Dwight's friends wonder if the Origami Yoda puppet on his finger is really magical.
Several of Dwight's classmates take turns thinking out loud about Origami Yoda, as they all try to
determine whether it is "real" or not. Because so many kids give their perspectives, this is a great
book for this study.
Barbara O'Connor takes us to the Sleepy Time Motel in the Great Smokey Mountains in Greetings
from Nowhere. She introduces us to characters who are each dealing with personal struggles. As the
characters come to know each other, they experience a bit of peace.
Only One Year by Andrea Cheng is about a little girl whose grandparents live in China. Her parents
decide to send her two-year-old brother to China for a year, because they believe it will be better for
him to be with family than in a daycare. This is a hard decision for the family, and this story tells
about the year DiDi is away (as well as his homecoming). Each family member deals with DiDi's
absence in a different way. The author's note at the end makes this a perfect addition to this study.
She writes about how common it is for Chinese parents to make a decision like this, and her
explanation gives students a new appreciation for cultural differences.
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. This story is told by Melody, a child who is in
a wheelchair and cannot talk. She describes her struggles, accomplishments,
and the frustrations she often feels at not always being able to communicate. The
book looks beyond Melody's disability to all that she is as a person. Readers
come to understand experiences from her perspective.
Combination Note Video Viewing Form
Objective: Readers think about genre to inform expectations
What is the teacher doing and saying?
Notes from the anchor chart:
What are students doing and saying?