A student retells the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff from the perspective of the troll.
After a class reading of two stories, The Three Little Pigs and The True Story of The Three Little Pigs, the first the traditional fairy tale and the second told from the point of view of the wolf, students were asked to use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the two stories. Next the class read The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and discussed the point of view in the narrative. Finally, the students were asked to rewrite The Three Billy Goats Gruff from the point of view of the troll.
Students used their knowledge of point of view to examine the role of the troll in the story. They had to ask themselves questions like “Who is telling the story?” and “Why does that matter?” They had to use some of their own experiences and their imaginations in order to question the voice of the narrator. They talked to partners about the troll’s viewpoint, wrote a story from the perspective of the troll, then read their stories aloud.
This student succeeds in retelling the story consistently from the perspective of the troll. Her troll makes excuses for himself throughout but also subtly hints toward the end that he is not being entirely truthful.
I can ask questions and consider options. I can use my observations, experience, and imagination to draw conclusions and make judgments.
I can ask open-ended questions, explore, gather information, and experiment purposefully to develop options. I can contribute to and use criteria. I can use observation, experience, and imagination to draw conclusions, make judgments, and ask new questions. I can describe my thinking and how it is changing.