“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
In this activity, students will examine the author’s point of view and make inferences based on details from the text.
In this example, the text reveals Mr. Popper’s feelings, Mrs. Popper’s thoughts, and the penguin’s feelings:
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard showing the author's point of view Mr Popper's Penguins.
Grade Level 4-5
Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)
Type of Assignment Individual or Group
Type of Activity: Understanding Point of View vs. Perspective in Literature
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 25 Points | Emerging 19 Points | Beginning 13 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identify the Points of View | The student identified all points of view the author employed in the novel correctly. | The student identified most of the points of view. | The student did not identify the correct point of view, |
| Written Explanations | Text descriptions clearly explain the points of view used in the novel and described the differences in their perspectives. | Text descriptions explain the points of view, but may lack clarity. | Text descriptions do not accurately describe the points of view. |
| Storyboard Images | Illustrations show scenes clearly connected to the point of view and perspective described and use visual elements to show a difference between perspectives. | Illustrations show scenes connected to the point of view and perspective described but may be simplistic or lack detail. | Scenes do not clearly describe the points of view employed in the novel. |
| Effort and Editing | Work is complete, thorough, and neat. Spelling and grammar are correct. | Most of the sections of the storyboard were at least attempted and work is presentable. The text contains some errors in spelling and/or grammar. | Storyboard is unfinished and/or disorganized. The text contains many errors in spelling and/or grammar. |
In this activity, students will examine the author’s point of view and make inferences based on details from the text.
In this example, the text reveals Mr. Popper’s feelings, Mrs. Popper’s thoughts, and the penguin’s feelings:
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard showing the author's point of view Mr Popper's Penguins.
Grade Level 4-5
Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)
Type of Assignment Individual or Group
Type of Activity: Understanding Point of View vs. Perspective in Literature
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 25 Points | Emerging 19 Points | Beginning 13 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identify the Points of View | The student identified all points of view the author employed in the novel correctly. | The student identified most of the points of view. | The student did not identify the correct point of view, |
| Written Explanations | Text descriptions clearly explain the points of view used in the novel and described the differences in their perspectives. | Text descriptions explain the points of view, but may lack clarity. | Text descriptions do not accurately describe the points of view. |
| Storyboard Images | Illustrations show scenes clearly connected to the point of view and perspective described and use visual elements to show a difference between perspectives. | Illustrations show scenes connected to the point of view and perspective described but may be simplistic or lack detail. | Scenes do not clearly describe the points of view employed in the novel. |
| Effort and Editing | Work is complete, thorough, and neat. Spelling and grammar are correct. | Most of the sections of the storyboard were at least attempted and work is presentable. The text contains some errors in spelling and/or grammar. | Storyboard is unfinished and/or disorganized. The text contains many errors in spelling and/or grammar. |
Role-playing brings the story to life and helps students internalize different perspectives. By acting as Mr. Popper, Mrs. Popper, or a penguin, students gain a deeper understanding of each character's feelings and thoughts.
Choose students to represent Mr. Popper, Mrs. Popper, and a penguin. Assigning roles gives each student a specific perspective to focus on and prepares them to share their character's point of view.
Ask each student to create a brief speech expressing their character’s thoughts and feelings, using quotes or details from the story. This builds text-based reasoning and supports close reading.
Invite students to perform their monologues in character. Afterward, discuss how each point of view differs. Encourage the class to compare interpretations and reflect on how the story changes from each perspective.
Point of view in 'Mr. Popper's Penguins' refers to the perspective from which the story is told and how the author reveals the thoughts and feelings of different characters, like Mr. Popper, Mrs. Popper, and the penguins.
Students can identify different points of view by looking for clues about what each character thinks or feels, such as direct quotes or actions that reveal their perspectives within the text.
Examples include Mr. Popper’s fear (“Mr. Popper's heart was frozen with terror”), Mrs. Popper’s confusion, and the penguins’ excitement as they wave their flippers. These quotes show how each character experiences events differently.
To create a storyboard, select key quotes that reveal character thoughts and feelings, then illustrate each scene with the appropriate characters and settings to visually represent their perspectives.
Understanding point of view helps students analyze how each character experiences the story, deepening comprehension and encouraging empathy for diverse perspectives.
“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
“I'm doing a Napoleon timeline and I'm having [students] determine whether or not Napoleon was a good guy or a bad guy or somewhere in between.”–History and Special Ed Teacher
“Students get to be creative with Storyboard That and there's so many visuals for them to pick from... It makes it really accessible for all students in the class.”–Third Grade Teacher