The interesting point of “Autumn Gardening” is that it provides a very different perspective of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima than most students in the United States have heard. Most know the bombs brought an end to World War II, but many do not realize at what cost. Mariko’s flashbacks give a very detailed, human take on the effects of living through an atomic bomb, and many students likely will begin to wonder about other perspectives on world events.
“Autumn Gardening” is a great way to teach perspective in literature. A way to have fun with perspective is to have students also read The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka. After reading Jon Scieszka’s version of this famous children’s tale, have students take a story they are familiar with, either from a movie, a book, or a child’s tale like the one above. Have them use the Storyboard Creator to do a plot diagram of the same tale told from the bad guy’s perspective. For example, from Sleeping Beauty, the students might choose Maleficent; from Little Red Riding Hood, students might choose the wolf, and so on.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Summarize the plot of the story from the bad guy's perspective.
Gather and share firsthand accounts—such as survivor interviews, diaries, or letters—from historical events discussed in class. Discuss these sources with students to help them connect emotionally and understand how different perspectives shape narratives.
Assign students different roles or perspectives related to a story or historical event. Organize a structured debate where each student advocates for their assigned perspective, fostering critical thinking and empathy.
Select two or more news articles covering the same event from different sources or countries. Read them together and analyze how language and details differ. This activity helps students recognize bias and the importance of perspective in storytelling.
Ask students to write a journal entry imagining themselves as a character from the text or a real person affected by the event. Prompt them to focus on feelings, motivations, and reactions to deepen understanding of diverse perspectives.
“Autumn Gardening” offers students a unique view on the atomic bombings of Japan, making it ideal for teaching perspective. Have students analyze Mariko’s flashbacks and compare them to typical U.S. narratives, then guide them in exploring other stories from alternative viewpoints.
Let students pick a well-known story and retell it from the antagonist’s perspective, using tools like the Storyboard Creator for plot diagrams. This encourages empathy, creativity, and critical thinking about different points of view.
Exploring multiple perspectives helps students develop critical thinking and empathy. It challenges assumptions, deepens understanding of complex events, and equips students to analyze bias in sources.
The Storyboard Creator is a digital tool for illustrating and summarizing stories. It lets students visually map out plot events from a chosen character’s perspective, deepening their grasp of point of view in literature.
For example, in The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, the Wolf claims he’s misunderstood and only searching for sugar for his granny. Students can try this approach with other tales, like telling Sleeping Beauty from Maleficent’s point of view.