Lesson Plan

The Other Side of the Fence: Point of View at the Zoo

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

3

Overview

This is a third grade English Language Arts project lesson focused on point of view using the zoo as a theme. The lesson includes a zoo field trip or virtual zoo field trip, class discussions, mini scrapbook point of view project, and a short presentation to the class. This lesson could be modified for upper or lower grade levels.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.R3

Expand background knowledge and build vocabulary through discussion, reading, and writing.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.3.R3

Vocabulary

  • Background knowledge
  • Vocabulary
  • Discussion

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Relating experiences through discussions, reading, and writing will help build background knowledge and improve vocabulary.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Connect new concepts to prior experiences to increase background knowledge through discussions, reading, and writing.
  • Construct the meaning of words through discussions, reading, and writing.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Background knowledge can increase by relating experiences to new ideas, topics, and words while participating in discussions, reading, and writing.
  • Vocabulary will increase by constructing the meaning of words while participating in discussions, reading, and writing.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.28

Identify the narration of a literary text as first person or third person.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.3.28

Vocabulary

  • Identify
  • Narration
  • Literary text
  • First person
  • Third person

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Literary text can be narrated from a first person or third person point of view.
  • Pronouns used by the author can indicate the narrator's point of view.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify the narration of a literary text as first person or third person.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • In first person narration the narrator is a character in the story and is telling the story from their perspective. The pronouns I, me, we, or us are often used.
  • In third person narration, the narrator is not part of the story and the characters never acknowledge the narrator's presence. The pronouns he, she, it, or they are often used.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 3

ELA21.3.33

Write personal or fictional narratives with a logical plot (sequence of events), characters, transitions, and a sense of closure.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.3.33

Vocabulary

  • Personal narrative
  • Fictional narrative
  • Logical plot
  • Sequence of events
  • Characters
  • Transitions
  • Closure

Knowledge

Students know:
  • A narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story.
  • A personal narrative tells about an event that was personally experienced by the author, while a fictional narrative tells a made up story.
  • A narrative story describes a sequence of events in a logical order (beginning, middle, end) and provides a sense of closure as an ending.
  • A narrative story describes the actions, thoughts, and feelings of the characters.
  • Narrative transitions indicate when and where the story is occurring.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Write a personal narrative that recalls a personal experience or a fictional narrative with a made-up story.
  • Write a narrative with a logical sequence of events and details that describe how the characters feels, acts, and thinks.
  • Use appropriate transitions in narrative writing.
  • Write a narrative that ends with a sense of closure.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Narrative writing includes predictable elements, like a logical sequence of events and an ending that provides the reader with a sense of closure.
  • Because narrative writing describes a chronological sequence of events, it includes transitions that indicate the time and place in which the story is occurring.
  • Narrative writing can be used to tell about something that happened to them personally or it can tell a story they made up.

Primary Learning Objectives

-The students will be able to distinguish their point of view from that of the animals and zoologists at the zoo.

-The students will be able to effectively discuss personal, animal, and zoologist points of view during class and small group discussions.

-The students will be able to write from their personal point of view, two different animal’s points of view, and the zoologist’s point of view to create a mini scrapbook to present to the class.

Procedures/Activities

Before Activity

1. The teacher will lead the class in a class discussion to build an anchor chart on point of view focused on first-person and third-person points of view. Anchor chart could include:

Point of View

-The perspective from which a story or piece of text is written.

First-Person Narrator

-describes his or her thoughts and personal feelings

-key words to look for: I, me, my, or we

-example sentence: I was so excited to go to the zoo for our field trip with my class!

Second-Person Narrator

-describes how other characters think or their feelings

-key words to look for: he, she, him, her, or they

-example sentence: The baby tiger was happy to play with the ball with her brother.

2. The teacher will read The View At The Zoo by Kathleen Bostrom to the class. The teacher will facilitate a student-led class discussion about the various points of view throughout the book using the point of view anchor chart from the previous step as a guide. Teacher facilitator question examples: How does (animal) feel about being awakened with a yelp? How does the zookeeper feel about the animals? If you were the (animal) what would you do, how would you feel? 

During Activity

3. The teacher will explain the mini scrapbook project and provide the project assignment sheet to the class. This assignment can be worked on in class across a couple of days, or started in class and finished at home over a couple of days. Mini scrapbook assignment sheet could include:

-You will create a mini point-of-view zoo scrapbook. Your scrapbook should include the following:

1. Cover page with name, date, and picture of yourself.

2. One page with a personal narrative from your point of view of the zoo. The written narrative must be at least one paragraph (five sentences) or more. You must include at least one picture or more from a zoo visitor’s point of view. The picture can be drawn, magazine clipping, or a real photograph.

3. Two pages from two different zoo animals’ points of view. Written narratives from each animal’s point of view must be at least one paragraph (five sentences) or more. You must include at least one picture or more from each animal’s point of view. The picture can be drawn, magazine clipping, or a real photograph.

4. One page from the zoologist’s/zookeeper’s point of view. The written narrative must be at least one paragraph (five sentences) or more. You must include at least one picture or more from a zoologist’s/zookeeper’s point of view. The picture can be drawn, magazine clipping, or a real photograph.

5. You will provide a short presentation of your scrapbook to the class. You will tell which animals you chose to write about and read at least one of your point-of-view narratives from your scrapbook.

-Be creative! Other decorations, borders, different colored pens, would be great to make your scrapbook stand out!

After Activity

4. The class will go on an on-site or virtual field trip to the zoo. If an on-site field trip, the students will be allowed to bring disposable cameras if they choose to take pictures for their scrapbooks. The teacher will ask questions throughout the zoo/virtual zoo concerning point of view. After the conclusion of the field trip or the following school day, the students will brainstorm ideas in small groups for their scrapbooks before beginning their project. Students will begin their projects in class and either complete them in class over a couple of days or finish them at home depending upon teacher preference. The teacher will have animal magazines, scrap paper, stickers, etc. available for students to use.

5. After completing their projects, the students will present their scrapbooks to the class. The teacher and class will discuss the various points of view mentioned and reiterate keywords and definitions of first and third-person points of view.

Assessment Strategies

The teacher will use formative assessment to assess the students during class and small group discussions. The mini scrapbooks will be graded by the teacher using a rubric. The rubric could include three point levels:

Level three (three points each)

-Student includes cover page with name and picture of self.

-Student includes one page with at least five sentence point of view narrative from personal viewpoint with at least one picture.

-Student includes two different pages with at least five sentence point of view narrative from two different animals’ points of view with at least one picture each page.

-Student includes one page with at least five sentence point of view narrative from zoologist’s point of view with at least one picture.

-Student presents scrapbook to class reading at least one point of view narrative and choice of animals.

Level two (two points each)

-Students includes cover page with name.

-Student includes one page with at least three sentence point of view narrative from personal viewpoint with at least one picture.

- Student includes two pages with at least three sentence point of view narrative from two different animals’ points of view with at least one picture each page.

- Student includes one page with at least three sentence point of view narrative from zoologist’s point of view with at least one picture.

-Student presents scrapbook to class reading at least one point of view narrative.

Level one (one point each)

-Student does not provide cover page.

-Student includes one page with at least two sentence point of view narrative from personal viewpoint.

- Student includes two pages with at least two sentence point of view narrative from two different animals’ points of view.

- Student includes one page with at least two sentence point of view narrative from zoologist’s point of view.

-Student presents scrapbook to class without reading narrative. 

Acceleration

The students could be given an assignment to extend the story “The View At The Zoo” by Kathleen Bostrom by choosing an animal or two that are not already in the book and writing from their point of view to extend the storyline and add a new ending. 

Intervention

The teacher could work with students in small groups previous to this lesson introducing point of view through simple variations of fairy tales. The teacher could have the students retell the fairy tales from one character’s point of view.

Approximate Duration

Total Duration

Greater than 120 Minutes

Background and Preparation

Background/Preparation

The teacher needs to be familiar with how to navigate the virtual field trip if the virtual field trip is used in the classroom instead of the on-site field trip. Arrangements need to be made previously for the on-site field trip if that option is chosen. The assignment sheet and rubric need to be prepared ahead of time. Animal magazines, stickers, and scrap paper need to be collected ahead of time. 

Materials and Resources

Materials and Resources

-poster or paper for anchor chart

-different colored markers for anchor chart

-“The View At The Zoo” by Kathleen Bostrom

-teacher-created mini scrapbook project assignment sheet

-animal magazines

-scrap paper

-scissors

-stickers

-colored pens, pencils, markers, or crayons

-lined paper

-glue

-teacher-created project rubric

-arrangements for on-site zoo field trip if option chosen

Technology Resources Needed

Options for virtual zoo field trip if chosen:

- https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams

- http://www.teachertube.com/video/138836

-Computer

-Projector or SMART Board

Approved Date

2014-06-23
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