Character POV on Plot

lesson: 45 minutes / work time: as needed

Granite Standards in Progress

I can write for a variety of tasks, audiences, and purposes. (W4)

Content Objective(s)
Students will
Critically evaluate characters to create storylines from different perspectives

Language Objective(s)
Students will
Write using evidence of characters drawn from original texts.

Materials
- POV definition/examples powerpoint
- partially filled comic strips
- chromebooks for writing

Additional Materials for Accommodations

- brainstorming graphic organizer

Vocab Tier II Vocab

- point of view - perspective
- fourth wall - narrator

I. Building Background (10 minutes)

A. As a class, students will watch the the 2 min trailer of Lion King 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0germ7pQeVI
1. Questions:
a) This came out after the 2nd Lion King, so why is this called 1 and not
Lion King 3?
 (guide students to the idea that this is technically the same
general plot as the first movie)
b) Why is this movie different than the first movie? (Tie this to the first
lesson in the unit where we watched the dramatic recap of Lion King to
introduce plot lines)
B. Introduce concept: Point of View
1. Explicit definition:
2. Example
a) Watch this 4 minute short film that changes into second-person point of
view (the rarest POV, as its the most difficult to make
smooth/believable) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNWRr2nUmvg
3. The point of view in most movies is of the onlooker (third person), whether the
story breaks the fourth wall or not. However, although it seems the story of Lion
King 1 is still told as Simon and Pumbas story through a third person POV, it
expands outwards to show that Simon and Pumba are the one telling the story, so
watching it actually puts us in their first person point of view. This is what
happens when the narrator is the main character(s).
Questions to lead students to this idea:
Who is telling the story in Lion King 1 ? Who is the
story being told to? What shoes are we stepping into
watching this?
II. Learning Activity (35 minutes)
A. As a class, students will watch clips comparing scenes from Lion King (1994) and Lion
King 1 (2004)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDrQlssQnGc
1. 0:05-2:53 - Opening scene/circle of life
2. 5:21-6:27 - Stampede/simbas rescue
3. 8:56-12:08 - Return to pride rock
4. Questions:
a) Similarities, differences?
b) How did the differences change/clarify the plot from the first movie?
c) Was the mood the same as the first movie?
B. Students will be given partially-filled comic strip panels
 1. The filled panels will be pieces of the story from the first movie
2. Students will be asked to fill in the panels as if it were in Lion King 1
(essentially, tell it through Simon and Pumba POV)
C. Accommodations
1. This drawing activity is vital to measuring the understanding of ELL and certain
SPED students since the summative assessment is a writing assignment.
III. Assessment (remainder of class period plus a second class period for workday)
A. Using the same short film the had in the character bubble activity, students will chose a
character and rewrite the story in their POV.
1. Story must be written in first person POV. One full page, 12 point font.
2. Students are writing their own story within a story, therefore they should be
creating new detail, however it must not change what happens in the original
story (essentially their details fill in the gaps)
3. Students should consider whether the character is round or flat when writing in
their perspective.
* If a student wants a different short film, that is fine, just dont announce that option on
the forefront or students will waste time watching all of the films before choosing. It is
better for them to work with one they have already seen, so only let kids switch if they
really didnt enjoy it.
B. Workshop day
1. At the beginning of class, in the pairs that they had watched the films in, students
will read each others stories and look for the following:
a) Is it consistently in first person?
b) What details are being added by the writer? Do they still allow the story
to get to the same ending?
2. Finish writing and submit IN CLASS.
C. Accommodations
1. For students who need extra guidance, provide a brainstorming graphic organizer
to get started on their story.