Understanding Perspective in Wonder by RJ Palacio

Activity Overview

Wonder is told from multiple points of view. First Auggie, then Via, then other characters. As students read, they'll notice how each of the points of view are important to understanding both Auggie and the people around him. In this activity, students can analyze one of the points of view or they can assess all of them and compare and contrast each element. The example above and the template provided showcase one point of view.

Have students identify quotes from each section of the book that illustrate which point of view the story is being told from, as well as quotes that showcase that character's views on themselves, Auggie, and other students in the school. Students will illustrate key scenes or moments or a general depiction for each quote.

Extended activity: Students may want to integrate Mr. Browne's Precepts into this activity by identifying which precepts the character follows and provide an example of where they do in their section.

Copy Activity*

Template and Class Instructions

(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that examines the perspective of each character in Wonder who gets a section in the story.

Click "Start Assignment".
In the title boxes, type "View of Self", "View of Auggie", and "View of Others".
Label each row with the characters. Start with Auggie and Via, and add additional rows as necessary for other characters.
Describe each character's views in the appropriate description boxes. Use quotes from the text!
Create illustrations to go with each description, using appropriate scenes, items, and characters.

More options

Copy This Storyboard

Lesson Plan Reference

Grade Level 6-8

Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)

Type of Assignment Individual

Type of Activity: Point of View vs. Perspective

Copy Activity*

Rubric

(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)

Points of View in a Novel

Identify the point(s) of view in the novel:
First person point of view. First person is when “I” am telling the story. The character is in the story, relating his or her experiences directly.
Second person point of view. The story is told to “you.” This POV is not common in fiction, but it’s still good to know (it is common in nonfiction).
Third person point of view, limited. The story is about “he” or “she.” This is the most common point of view in commercial fiction. The narrator is outside of the story and relating the experiences of a character.
Third person point of view, omniscient. The story is still about “he” or “she,” but the narrator has full access to the thoughts and experiences of all characters in the story.

Create a storyboard that identifies each point of view and describes each using a written explanation and an illustration.

	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.

Copy Activity*

How To Understand DIfferent Perspectives with a Storyboard

1 Discuss Point of View

Lead a full class discussion of point of view. Give examples of students and how they might see the same thing differently in a classroom, or if one person tells the story, what details might be left out. Point of view is a specific character's version of events.

2 Discuss How Characters See Themselves, Auggie, and Other Characters

To get students more fully engaged, lead a discussion on how each character sees themself in the book, how they view Auggie, and how they interact with any other characters. Pay close attention to how different characters can see the same event but experience it quite differently.

3 Use Quotes to Back Up Ideas

When you help students solidify their thinking about different perspectives in the text, teach them how to use quotes to back up what they are thinking. This is concrete evidence from the text to show different perspectives.

Frequently Asked Questions about Different Points of View in Wonder

What is point of view?

Point of view refers to whose vantage point the story is being told from. Often stories will feature a narrator that tells the story, and these would have an all-knowing point of view. If one character tells their version of the story, this would express only certain aspects of the story that they see in their little corner of the world.

What is added to a story if it is told in multiple points of view?

If a variety of characters tell the story from their point of view, you get a richer explanation of what is going on in the story. You get a wider view and understand how the actions of the story affect multiple characters, and not just one.