Using different words

Bird and Rabbit live in Toronto. They are sharing an image of the city with you, but both are using different words to describe it.

Student Success

Think-Pair-Share

Bird: As I fly over Toronto, I notice the CN Tower, Lake Ontario, and other buildings below me.

Rabbit: Bird is flying over Toronto. He notices the CN Tower, Lake Ontario, and other buildings below him.

How are the characters' descriptions similar? How are they different?

If possible, share your ideas with a partner.

Note to teachers: See your teacher guide for collaboration tools, ideas and suggestions.

First and Third Person

Bird and Rabbit described the city from two different perspectives. Bird spoke in the first person, using words like I and me (we, our, and my). Rabbit spoke in the third person, using words like he and him (she, her, they, and their).

Exploring perspectives

You have probably heard the story of the three little pigs before. The author narrates (tells) the story of the little pigs who build houses using straw, sticks, and bricks. The pigs build these houses to keep out the big, bad wolf.

Three little pigs and the big wolf. The image shows the three pigs, one holding a straw, the other holding two sticks (one in each hand) and the third pig is holding a red brick. On the left side of the image, there is a brown wolf with his hands by his waist. The wolf is looking at the smaller pigs. There is blue sky and green grass with few while flowers as a background for the image.

The Three Little Pigs

A page from the book of The Three Little Pigs shows a house made of bricks and one pig standing in front of it. Text reads, “The third little pig thought that bricks would make a strong house. It took him a long time to build the house, but he was very pleased with it.”

A page from the book of The Three Little Pigs.

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But have you heard The True Story of the Three Little Pigs? In this book, Mr. A. Wolf, the main character, tells the reader that he isn’t really a bad guy and that it was all a big misunderstanding.

Cover page of “The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs” shows a wolf wearing a black suit and a bow tie. The wolf is huffing and puffing. The image shows only the legs of two pigs on the right side of the image. Beside the picture of the huffing wolf and the pigs’ legs, there is text that starts with “By A.Wolf.”

Cover page of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs

Text reads, “Everybody knows the story of the Three Little Pigs. Or at least they think they do. But I’ll let you in on a little secret. Nobody knows the real story, because nobody has ever heard my side of the story.”

First page from the book The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs.

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Check your understanding

Consider the text that we have checked in each book. What clues do the words give you to help you decide who is speaking? Think about the words we discussed in the Minds On section. Do you see any of those words on these pages?

Select the correct answer, then press “Check Answer” to see how you did.

You can also answer the following questions using a method of your choice.

Questions to consider

Are you able to easily identify who is speaking in a story? Do you need more help or practice?

Duck or Rabbit?

Consider the cover and 2 pages of the book below. Do you think that the picture is of a duck or a rabbit?

Cover of the book Duck! Rabbit!

Page from the book Duck! Rabbit! #1

Page from the book Duck! Rabbit! #2

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Let’s have some fun with the concept of perspective. Explore the cover and 2 pages from the book, Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. This book shows that in this case there is no right and wrong. Some people think the image is of a duck and others think it is of a rabbit.

Using a drawing, audio clip, or method of your choice, share your perspective. Do you think this image is of a duck or a rabbit? Be sure to include why you think so.

Bringing it all together

• What other ways can an author make reading exciting?
• What do the words or pictures remind you of?

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...

I have an excellent understanding of the concepts I have a very good understanding of the concepts I have some understanding but need to review some more my understanding of the concepts needs a lot more work

Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.