Grade 8 English Language Arts | FL B.E.S.T. Standard: ELA.8.R.1.3
ELA.8.R.1.3: Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
By the end of this unit, students will be able to:
| Term | Definition | Student-Friendly Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Narrative Perspective | The vantage point from which a story is told | Whose eyes we see the story through and what they can or can't know |
| Unreliable Narrator | A narrator whose account cannot be fully trusted due to bias, limited knowledge, or deception | A narrator who might be wrong, lying, or only seeing part of the truth |
| Limited vs. Omniscient | Whether a narrator knows only one character's thoughts or can access all characters' minds | Can the narrator only see inside one person's head, or everyone's? |
| Bias | A preference or prejudice that affects how events are presented | When someone's personal feelings change how they tell a story |
| Dramatic Irony | When the reader knows something the narrator or character doesn't | When we understand more than the character telling the story |
| Perspective Shift | When the narrative moves from one character's viewpoint to another's | When the story switches to show us someone else's view |
| 7th Grade Focus | 8th Grade Advancement |
|---|---|
| Identify point of view (1st, 3rd person) | Analyze how perspective shapes understanding |
| Recognize different perspectives exist | Identify unreliable narrators and their effects |
| Describe how characters see events differently | Analyze what perspectives reveal AND conceal |
| Note when perspective changes | Analyze why author chose specific perspective for effect |
| Day | Focus | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perspective Shapes Understanding | Explore how the same event looks different through different eyes. Use Student Concept Worksheet. |
| 2 | Unreliable Narrators | Introduce concept that narrators can be biased, limited, or deceptive. Identify clues. |
| 3 | What Perspective Reveals/Conceals | Analyze how author's choice of perspective controls what readers know and when. |
| 4 | Perspective and Author's Purpose | Connect perspective choices to effects like suspense, sympathy, irony. Complete Practice Worksheet. |
| 5 | Assessment | Administer FAST Format Quiz. Review and reteach as needed. |
Stage a simple classroom "incident" (drop papers, have brief conversation). Then have different students write what happened from their perspective. Compare accounts to show:
- What each observer noticed or missed
- How position affected what they saw
- How personal factors influenced interpretation
This makes abstract concepts concrete and shows how perspective naturally varies.
Teach students to look for signs of unreliable narration:
Check for:
- Does the narrator have something to gain from telling it this way?
- Are there contradictions in what they say?
- Do other characters react differently than the narrator expects?
- Is the narrator very young, upset, or lacking information?
- Does the narrator acknowledge their own bias?
After reading a passage, have students rewrite a key scene from a different character's perspective:
- What would this character notice that the original narrator missed?
- What would they interpret differently?
- What information would they have that the original narrator didn't?
This deepens understanding of how perspective shapes narrative.
Create a two-column chart:
Column 1: What the reader knows/suspects
Column 2: What the narrator knows/believes
Track how these differ throughout a text to identify dramatic irony and unreliability.
Correction: First-person narrators can be the MOST unreliable because we only get their version. Third-person omniscient narrators often provide more objective information.
Correction: Unreliable narration often comes from limited information, emotional bias, or misunderstanding - not intentional deception. A narrator can be unreliable without being dishonest.
Correction: Multiple perspectives can all be "true" from each character's position. The skill is understanding how perspective shapes truth, not finding the "right" version.
Correction: At 8th grade, perspective analysis goes far beyond identifying pronouns. It's about understanding how the choice of narrator shapes meaning, creates effects, and influences reader response.
On the FAST assessment, perspective questions at Grade 8 typically ask students to:
Key Strategy: Teach students to ask "Why did the author choose THIS narrator?" and "What would change if someone else told this story?"