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.
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.