Reading ~ Point of View (RL 5.6)

Tucked behind the curtain on the side of the stage, I gaped at Carl who was playing his drums to a cheering audience. I wished I could relax and enjoy myself as much as Carl was. Instead, I was trembling with a nervous sweat as I waited for my turn to perform in the talent show.

Looking down at the flute in my hand, I thought about how I had tried to act sick so that I wouldn't have to come tonight. My acting must be as bad as my playing.

I felt someone suddenly tap my damp hands. I turned to see Raymond glaring at me tapping his saxophone.

"Why are you looking so nervous, Ken? Aren't you ready to perform?" Raymond asked with wide grin.

I nodded yes, looking down at my itchy suit. It didn't seem to fit quite right. When I looked back up, Raymond was pretending to play his saxophone. I wished I had his confidence right now.

Raymond put his arm on my shoulder and leaned on me. He tilted his head and said, "Hey Ken, relax. You've got this!"

As soon as Raymond walked away, Carl was wrapping up. Holding it too tightly, I walked onto the stage and into the bright light.

How would this story be different if it were told from Raymond's point of view?

• The talent show would not seem like a problem.

• The audience would not be cheering so loudly.

• Ken would be more relaxed before he performs.

• Raymond would have tried to play the flute.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.6

Which of the following sentences is an example of a writer using first-person point of view?

• Paul's family went to New York last summer.

• New York is a wonderful place to visit.

• You need to go to New York next summer.

• My family and I went to New York last summer.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.6

Passage 1

My First Poem

I was sitting by the window one afternoon watching the grazing animals and the greenery outside. We were at our farmhouse, and my father and brother were out enjoying the cool breeze. I was down with the flu and the doctor had advised me to stay indoors. Mom had stayed back to look after me and I wasn't too happy with that. I told her, "I am a big boy now and I can take care of myself!" But Mom simply ignored my protests.

My little brother, who was clearly having a good time out in the field, waved at me as he petted one of the grazing cattle. I silently wished I could join them, but I felt too weak to drag myself off the couch. With nothing better to do, I took out my notebook to draw something. However, something about the pleasant weather, the beautiful scenery, and the quiet surroundings made me want to write a small poem instead. I wrote about the natural beauty of the countryside and read it to Mom. She smiled and patted my back. "Matt, are you feeling better now?" she asked. I just nodded. It seemed Mom didn't quite like my first poem.

Passage 2

The Pleasant Countryside

One pleasant afternoon, Matt and his family arrived at their farmhouse in the country. What Matt didn't know then was that this holiday at the farmhouse would bring out a whole new creative side in him. Matt had been coughing all through the journey, and by the time they reached the farmhouse, he had a bad case of the flu. They called for a doctor, who prescribed medicines and advised Matt to get some rest. His mother stayed back to look after him.

Although he felt weak, he wanted to go out and spend time outdoors. When he was younger, Matt never liked these visits to the farmhouse because he found them boring. But, with time, he began to enjoy the beautiful countryside.

That afternoon, Matt wrote his first poem. Something about the pleasant countryside made him want to write about nature instead of drawing it. When he recited the poem to his mother, she simply smiled and asked if he was feeling any better. He realized that his mom wasn't too thrilled by the poem. Although she didn't know it then, Matt would soon become an excellent poet and she would come to love his poems.

What is one important difference between the points of view in the above stories?

• The point of view in story 1 shows how Matt hated traveling to their farmhouse.

• The point of view in story 2 shows Matt's great liking for his father and brother.

• The point of view in story 2 shows past, present, and future details about the characters.

• The point of view in story 1 shows present and future details about the characters.

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.6

Last night, I had trouble falling asleep. After rolling around in the bed for over an hour, I finally gave up and went to the kitchen. A glass of warm milk should do the trick. I almost jumped when I saw the refrigerator in the darkness. The light from the street poured through the window. It cast a scary shadow on the refrigerator. A movement in the darkness caught my eye. Was there someone in the kitchen with me?

Which of these sentences from the passage helps the reader identify which point of view it is being told from?

• "The light from the street poured through the window."

• "A glass of warm milk should do the trick."

• "It cast a scary shadow on the refrigerator."

• "A movement in the darkness caught my eye."

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.6

A fifth grader's comments about a movie:

Last night, my friends and I went to see the movie Attack of the Giant Vegetables. This movie was both exciting and funny. I have never seen so many explosions and car chases. Every time a giant vegetable was destroyed, it would blow up into a million pieces. Then everyone was dripping with soggy vegetables. It was so funny. The best part of the movie was the battle between the people of Earth and the vegetable army. I want to buy this movie as soon as it is released.

A parent's comments about a movie:

I took my son and his friends to see the movie Attack of the Giant Vegetables last night. The friends' parents and I had heard this animation was very funny, but I was not aware of the amount of fighting and dangerous situations in the movie. Even though it was an animated movie, it had too many exploding vegetables. Now, all my son wants to talk about is how gooey tomato sauce and slimy spinach dripped off of everything. I wish I had done more research on Attack of the Giant Vegetables before agreeing they could see it.

Based on this passage, how would the parent most likely describe this movie?

• too boring for a parent to watch

• too loud in the movie theater

• too scary for a young person

• too much fun for a school night

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.4.6

The mother walked into her sons' room and grimaced. She could smell their dirty laundry peeking out of the hamper all the way down the hall. Though it was technically out of sight, it still fouled up the room. She glanced at the dusty shelves and soda spilled on the carpet and considered calling them in to clean their room right this second. She couldn't believe they didn't mind living like this. A peek under the bed revealed candy wrappers and other assorted junk. The boys entered the room noisily and started talking at once.

"What do you think, Mom? We put away all of our clothes and books!"

"Yeah, aren't you impressed? Our room is so clean, you can even see the carpet!!"

The mother just sighed and shook her head. She gestured at the spilled soda and then asked them if they could please do their laundry before tomorrow.

"Aww, Mom. All we ever do is clean!"

How does the room seem from the mother's point of view?

• impressive

• fresh

• clean

• disgusting

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.4.3

Sally has been very athletic her whole life. She played catch with her dad when she was little and ran around with her mom and brothers every weekend. She has always loved shooting hoops after school or practicing her golf swing. Sports come so easily to her; she is practically the star of every team at school. When she participates in gym class, she impresses her teacher. That's why she gets confused when she hears other students complain about gym class.

How would gym class seem from Sally's point of view?

• embarrassing

• tiring

• a waste of time

• fun

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.1

CCSS.RL.4.3

CCSS.RL.4.6

"I have come to the conclusion that I am allergic to strawberries," I said to my mother.

"What gave you that bright idea, Chelsea?" Mom asked, drying her hands.

"I have this red rash on my arm and my stomach hurts," I said.

Mom turned from washing the dishes and said, "Let me look at your arm."

"Mom told you to stop eating all those strawberries, but you didn't listen," Nedra chimed in.

Little sisters, I thought to myself. They're only good for borrowing things without asking and chiming in at the wrong moment.

"Is it my fault I'm tempted by these delicious berries? They're so fresh and ripe and. . . ."

Mother began rubbing my arm with a wet rag. The redness disappeared. "Good news, Chelsea. You do not have an allergy, you have a strawberry juice stain."

"Then, why does my stomach hurt?" I asked.

"Well, you've eaten too many strawberries. I told you to stop."

What words from the above passage tell the reader that it is written in first person?

• "to," "is," and "third"

• "fresh," "ripe," and "berries"

• "arms," "bright," and "idea"

• "I," "me," and "my"

Tags

CCSS.RL.4.6

Dear Student Council,

I am writing a letter to bring up an issue that is very important to me. Our school does not offer any healthy lunches for students. All we have to eat are greasy hamburgers, french fries, or pizzas. It would be nice to have a fresh salad every now and then. The students at this school would be healthier and feel better if they ate fruits and vegetables at lunch. I would like you to consider providing more healthy choices for students. Thank you for taking the time to read my letter.

Sincerely,

Jane Whitefeather

Which sentence best expresses the author's point of view in this letter?

• The only healthy food to eat at lunch is a fresh salad.

• Only rich students can afford to eat healthy food.

• It is important for students to eat healthy lunches.

• It is a lot of trouble to bring fruits and salads for lunch.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.8

CCSS.W.4.1A

CCSS.W.4.1B

When you visit California, don't miss Hearst Castle. Located near San Simeon, this estate of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst features the world's largest private collection of Greek vases. Although much of the art is fake, like concrete statuary and artificially aged tiles, this site is worth your time. Choose between five tours, each about two hours long, and be sure to catch the short film which explains some of the monument's history and construction.

The author of this passage likes to visit Hearst Castle. How does his point of view affect the information he gives readers?

• He discourages a visit.

• He encourages a visit.

• He never mentions the castle.

• He mentions the location.

Tags

CCSS.RI.4.1

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.4.8