ACTIVATE: 
Investigating Perspectives

Select a text that can be used to investigate perspective. The text can either be selected by the student or by the instructor as required reading for the course.

Provide copies of Student Resource: SOAPSTone Graphic Organizer  and model how to use the resource.

GIVE CONSUMABLE COPIES TO TEXT:  Provide copies of the selected text. If it’s nonconsumable, consider providing text overlays and whiteboard pens so that students can mark on the text 

STUDENTS READ AND MARK THE TEXT:  Have students read through the text and mark essential elements, such as the main idea, events, mentions of time, or interesting word choices that show emotion.

STUDENTS COMPLETE SOAPSTONE GO:  Have students complete Student Resource: SOAPSTone Graphic Organizer. 

PAIR UP AND COMPARE WORK:  After completion, have students pair up and compare their work. This should include discussion and editing of the student resource or the use of focused note-taking.

REVIEW RESPONSES:  Review the graphic organizer responses as a class, focusing on the author’s voice and the other voices presented in the text.

START A CONVERSATION ABOUT BALANCE:  Use Educator Resource:  Assessing for Balance  to start a conversation about balance and the voices represented as well as missing perspectives.

CONSIDER QUESTIONS ABOUT BALANCE:  Depending on the intent or desired learning objective, students can work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to consider the questions posed about the balance of perspectives.

CHART RESPONSES:  Complete the lesson by charting student responses to the questions posed about balance: Was it present? What was missing? How could it be supplemented, if necessary?

Start with a classic reading, such as The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone (1984), charting the voices heard in the story. Who is telling the story? What are the major events? Then, read The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith (1996), charting the perspectives given. How did the change in perspective change the story? This experience can be used as a springboard into discussing perspectives present (or not present) in other texts.

Have students develop a One-Pager on why it is important for content to have a balanced perspective. Consider doing this digitally so that students can reference it from home and at school, or develop an anchor chart that is visible in the classroom.

If the selected text is not balanced, create an opportunity for students to research and find additional texts that provide alternative perspectives. Have students work through Student Resource: SOAPSTone Graphic Organizer for the new texts, reflecting on whether the addition of new perspectives alters their view of the events being discussed.