Minds On

Memoirs of a Goldfish

Here are two pages from Memoirs of a Goldfish, a story by Devin Scillian.

Explore the text and/or illustrations and consider the following questions:

  • What do you notice about the illustrations?
  • What do you notice about the text?
  • Who is telling this story? How do you know?

Action

Point of view

Owl

To figure out the point of view, ask yourself who is telling the story.

In the Minds On section, we discovered that Goldfish tells the story. This means the story is told from his point of view. In other words, Goldfish is the narrator of the story.

The narrator is the person or character telling the story from their point of view.

How do we figure out who is telling the story?

We can use clues from the story or text (“text” is another word for something that we read).

For example, words like “I” and “my” tell us that the narrator is describing their thoughts and/or feelings. Read again what Goldfish says on Day Three:

Day Three

  • I swim around my bowl.
  • I thought about taking a nap.
  • But fish don’t sleep.
  • So I swam around my bowl.
  • Count how many times Goldfish uses the word “I.”
  • Count how many times Goldfish uses the word “my.”

Press ‘Check your answers’ to check your thinking.

  • Goldfish uses the word “I” three times.
  • Goldfish uses the word “my” two times.
This gives us a clue that Goldfish is telling the story (he’s the narrator).

Pictures can also give us clues. For example, in the following picture, Goldfish is looking back at the deep-sea diver. Examine the expression on Goldfish’s face.

A goldfish and a deep-sea diver ornament in a bowl. The goldfish look is looking back at the diver with an uneasy expression on his face.

Day Four: I got some company today. I don’t like the looks of him one bit. He doesn’t say anything. He just bubbles.

Goldfish’s uneasy expression matches his words: “I don’t like the looks of him one bit.”

Different points of view

Is it possible to have a different point of view? Of course!

A story can be told from different points of view or perspectives. For example, imagine the perspective of Goldfish’s pet parent. Or perhaps other pets who also live in the same household.

Brainstorm

What do you think?

Think about these questions:

  • Can you predict what someone is thinking?
  • What are some things the pet parent might think throughout a day?
  • Suppose Goldfish has a cat friend. What are some things the cat might think throughout a day?

Return to the pages from Memoirs of a Goldfish. Suppose this is the beginning of the story. What happens next?

Pretend to be Goldfish.

Brainstorm what might happen next (on Day Five). What might Goldfish be thinking?

Record three things Goldfish might say next using a method of your choice. This means you can type, write, or use speech-to-text software. You can also use audio or video to record your ideas.

What happens next?

Now that you have brainstormed three possibilities for what happens on Day Five, pick the one you like the best. Write and/or draw what happens next from Goldfish's perspective. Complete What Happens Next? in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you prefer, use another method to record your ideas.

What Happens Next?
Draw what happens next:

Describe what happens next:

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access What Happens Next? 

Activity(Open PDF in a new window)

Click ‘Day Five: Example’ to explore an example of what could happen next.

Day Five: Mr. Bubbles and I are joined by two other fish. Their names are Marmalade and Bill. Like Mr. Bubbles, they don’t have much to say.

Consolidation

How would it be different?

Use the following questions to reflect on your drawing and/or description:

  • How did you decide what the Goldfish might be thinking?
  • What was it like telling a story from the perspective of Goldfish? Was it easy or was it challenging?
  • Would the story be different if someone else were telling it?

You can use any method you like to record your responses.

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.

Press ‘Discover More’ to extend your skills.

Create a three-picture story for your version of Memoir of a Goldfish. What happens in the beginning, middle, and end?

You can use either one of the pages from the story in the Minds On as your “beginning.”

Complete My Three-Picture Story in your notebook or use the following fillable and printable document. Draw a picture and/or write a description in each box to show the events in the beginning, middle, and end of the story. If you prefer, use another method to record your ideas, such as speech-to-text software or an audio or video recording of yourself.

My Three-Picture Story
Beginning Middle End

My drawing:

My drawing:

My drawing:

My description:

My description:

My description:

Press the ‘Activity’ button to access My Three-Picture Story. 

Activity(Open PDF in a new window)

If possible, share your three-picture story with a partner.