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Point of View: Who Is Telling the Story?

Third graders learn about point of view — discovering the narrator telling a story, and telling first person (“I”) from third person (“he/she”) by watching the pronouns.

Grade 3Literature50 minutes1 class periodReading WorkshopExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain the narrator.
  • ✓Identify first-person point of view.
  • ✓Identify third-person point of view.
  • ✓Use pronoun clues.
Essential Question

Every story has a voice telling it — the narrator. Sometimes that voice says “I,” and sometimes it says “she.” Who is telling the story, and how can you tell?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Narrator Explorer · Interactive

The Narrator Explorer

Project this and tap each idea. Have students learn to spot who is telling the story by looking at the pronouns!

🗣️ Explore point of view — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Reading Workshop (Mini-Lesson · Practice · Share)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Connect — The Voice Telling It

5 min

“I ran” vs. “She ran” — who is telling each one?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Read two openings.
  • Ask who is telling.
  • Set the goal: point of view.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Read both.
  • Notice the voice.
  • Predict the idea.
2

Teach — First & Third Person

12 min

Teacher models.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • First person uses “I.”
  • Third person uses “he/she.”
  • Watch the pronouns.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Learn first person.
  • Learn third person.
  • Spot pronouns.
3

Active Engagement — Explore Together

13 min

Class uses the Narrator Explorer.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Tap each idea.
  • Find the pronouns.
  • Name the point of view.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each idea.
  • Find pronouns.
  • Name the view.
4

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students identify point of view.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Read passages.
  • Circle the pronouns.
  • Name first or third person.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Read them.
  • Circle pronouns.
  • Name the view.
5

Share — Share

5 min

Students share a passage.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Invite a passage.
  • Name the point of view.
  • Hand out the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share it.
  • Name the view.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

CCSS
RL.3.6

Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or characters.

CCSS
RL.3.1

Ask and answer questions, referring to the text.

CCSS
RL.3.3

Describe characters in a story.

CCSS
L.3.1

Demonstrate command of standard English grammar (pronouns).

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Highlight the pronouns.
  • Sentence frame: “This is ___ person because ___.”
  • Compare I vs. she.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Focus on “I” vs. “she.”
  • Underline pronouns.
  • Use short passages.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Rewrite a passage in another point of view.
  • Compare narrator and character views.
  • Spot second person (you).
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📚Short passages
  • 💻The Narrator Explorer
  • 🖍️Pencils
  • 🗂️Pronoun cards
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

point of viewwho is telling the storynarratorthe voice telling the storyfirst personnarrator in the story (uses I)third personnarrator outside the story (uses he/she)pronouna word like I, he, she, theycharactera person in the storyperspectivea way of seeing thingscluea hint that helps you decide
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is point of view?
Who is telling the story — the narrator’s position.
QUESTION 2
If a story uses “I” and “my,” what point of view is it?
First person.
QUESTION 3
What pronouns tell you a story is in third person?
He, she, they, and their.

Growing at home? Whose voice?

As you read together, have families ask: is this story told by “I” (first person) or by “he/she” (third person)? A printable point-of-view sheet is in the ELA library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Point of ViewFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Point of ViewQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Point of ViewPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: character, clue, first person, narrator, perspective, point of view, pronoun, third person
  1. a way of seeing things
  2. who is telling the story
  3. a person in the story
  4. a hint that helps you decide
  5. a word like I, he, she, they
  6. the voice telling the story
  7. narrator outside the story (uses he/she)
  8. narrator in the story (uses I)

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is point of view?
  2. If a story uses “I” and “my,” what point of view is it?
  3. What pronouns tell you a story is in third person?
Answer key — Part A: 1) perspective · 2) point of view · 3) character · 4) clue · 5) pronoun · 6) narrator · 7) third person · 8) first person
Part B: 1) Who is telling the story — the narrator’s position. 2) First person. 3) He, she, they, and their.