In this activity, students will examine the narrator’s point of view. The point of view is from an African American baseball player playing between the 1920s and 1947. Knowing the narrator's point of view helps us understand the knowledge, background, and any biases that the narrator might have. This narrator experienced the events first-hand, and he shares his experience with the reader.
Examples:
"Those major leagues learned a lot by playing us, and we learned a lot by playing them. They learned we were men just as they were, and would shake our hands and look us in the eye after we beat them, as did we."
"We played on some of the worst fields you could imagine...Some ol' pasture. You had to pray the ball wouldn't land in some cow stuff."
“In Latin America, if you were a good ballplayer, they treated you like a king. Kids followed us in the streets asking for autographs.”
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Student Instructions
Motivate students to create original stories from a character’s point of view. This hands-on approach helps them internalize what it means to tell a story through someone else’s eyes, deepening their understanding of perspective in literature.
Demonstrate how to list out key events, thoughts, and emotions that a character might have. Thinking aloud shows students how to get inside a character’s head and consider their unique point of view as they write.
Teach students to add realistic speech and vivid details that reflect the character’s background and setting. This brings their narratives to life and strengthens the reader’s connection to the character’s perspective.
Organize opportunities for students to read their narratives aloud or share in pairs. Encourage positive, specific feedback that focuses on how well the writer captured the character’s point of view.
The narrator in 'We Are the Ship' shares a first-person point of view as an African American baseball player from the Negro Leagues, offering personal insights and experiences from the 1920s to 1947.
Students can identify the narrator's perspective by selecting quotes that reveal personal experiences, opinions, and emotions, then illustrating scenes that reflect these unique viewpoints.
Understanding the narrator’s point of view helps students grasp the context, background, and possible biases affecting how the story is told, deepening their comprehension of historical events and perspectives.
Examples include: “Those major leagues learned a lot by playing us…” and “We played on some of the worst fields you could imagine...” These quotes reveal the narrator’s personal experiences and feelings.
An effective method is to have students choose quotes that show the narrator's feelings and then create illustrations that depict those moments, helping them connect text to visuals and deepen understanding.