Minds On
Explore a video
Let’s explore a video in which we meet Jaylene and Jolene, twin girls from the Cree Nation of Eastmain.
Student Success
Think-Pair-Share
Who was sharing ideas in this video?
Discuss with a partner, if possible.
Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.
Action
Narrators
In the video from the Minds On activity, you explored a story from the perspective of identical twin sisters, Jaylene and Jolene. They are both the narrators of the video and tell us about their family and traditions.
A narrator is a person who tells a story to an audience. In some stories, the narrator is also a character in the story. In other stories, the narrator is not a character in the story and makes observations about all characters.
Perspectives
Every story is told from a perspective.
When we explore stories, we find different perspectives. Here are two examples:
First-person perspective
- The narrator is a character in the story.
- The narrator tells the story from their perspective.
Word clues that signal a story is being told from the first-person perspective include:
|
I |
me |
my |
|
we |
us |
our |
Third-person perspective
- The narrator is not a character in the story.
- The narrator tells the story by making observations about characters and events.
Word clues that signal a story is being told from the third-person perspective include:
|
they |
their |
theirs |
|
she |
her |
hers |
|
he |
him |
his |
Determining the perspective
Use word clues to select the perspective of each statement.
Brainstorm
Whose story is it?
Think of any story that you have enjoyed. Who is telling the story? Whose part in the story is not being communicated?
Record your ideas using a method of your choice.
Whose perspective is it?
Let’s explore the following descriptions from the story, They All Saw a Cat, by Brendan Wenzel. Each animal sees the cat from their own perspective.
Explore images and descriptions of the cat from each animal’s perspective in the following carousel:
The Dog Saw a Cat
The dog is laying on the ground and the cat is walking by. The cat appears to have a long body, long legs, and an extra long tail from the dog’s perspective.
The Bird Saw a Cat
The bird is flying high up in the sky and the cat is on the ground. The cat appears to be very small from the bird’s perspective.
The Bee Saw the Cat
The bee flies by the cat. Bees experience shape and colour differently than other animals. The cat appears to be a large collection of different coloured circles from the bee’s perspective.
When you are finished exploring the images and descriptions, answer the following questions:
- What do you think the dog would say to describe the cat?
- What do you think the bird would say to describe the cat?
- What do you think the bee would say to describe the cat?
Discuss your answers with a partner if possible, or record your answers using a method of your choice.
Consolidation
Choosing a perspective
Use your answers from our Action activity to create a short scene from the perspective of the dog, the bird, or the bee.
You can create your scene using the first-person or third-person perspective.
If you need help, review the word clues for determining perspective from the Action activity.
Complete the Scene Template in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. You can also use another method of your choice.
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Scene Template.
Now read your scene to a partner if possible, or review the recording of your scene.
When you are finished reading or reviewing your scene, respond to the following question:
- What have you learned about perspective in stories?
Record your response using a method of your choice.
Comparing scenes
If possible, find a partner who has written a scene for the same animal and compare your scenes. What is different? What is similar?
Record your responses using a method of your choice.
Reflection
How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel…
Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.