Standard: 7.RL.6 – Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
Grade level: Grade 7
Subject: English Language Arts
Domain: Reading: Literature
Teacher Overview
This standard focuses on students’ ability to analyze how authors develop and contrast different points of view within a text. It’s important as it helps students understand the complexity of narratives and the diverse perspectives that contribute to a story. Students need to be familiar with narrative elements and have basic comprehension skills to identify main ideas and details in a text.
After mastering this standard, students will be able to critically evaluate how perspective influences the interpretation of a text, aiding in more complex literary analyses and discussions.
Common Misconception 1
A common misconception is that all characters or narrators in a text share the same perspective. This is incorrect because different characters often have unique viewpoints based on their experiences and roles in the story.
Intervention 1
To address this misconception, have students find and discuss textual evidence that shows differing viewpoints, and explore how these differences impact the overall narrative.
Common Misconception 2
Another misconception is that the author’s perspective is always the same as the narrator’s perspective. This is not always true, as authors can create narrators with viewpoints that differ from their own to add depth and complexity to the story.
Intervention 2
Use examples where the author’s viewpoint differs from the narrator’s to illustrate this distinction. Have students practice identifying these differences in various texts.
Prerequisite Knowledge
Students should have a foundational understanding of narrative elements such as character, setting, and plot, as well as basic comprehension skills to identify main ideas and details in a text.
Subsequent Knowledge
Students will develop the ability to critically evaluate how perspective influences the interpretation of a text, and apply this understanding to more complex literary analyses and discussions.
Instructional Activities
- Group discussions analyzing different characters’ perspectives in a novel
- Writing assignments comparing and contrasting narrators in short stories
- Role-playing activities to explore characters’ viewpoints
- Creating visual diagrams to map out different perspectives in a text
