Day ONE:
On day one I introduce perspective by explaining that students and teachers have different perspectives. I ask students these questions:
- What were you thinking when you woke up this morning? I don’t want to go to school! Let me sleep a little more!
- What were you thinking when you walked into the room today? My friends aren’t here yet. I need to get my cursive work out. What’s for lunch?
- What did you do when you walked into the classroom today? I put my book bag away, I got out my cursive work, read my book, talked to my friends, etc.
and then I ask them the same questions…but instead about me!
- What were you thinking when you woke up this morning? Did I hear Owen (my son)? I need to get up and get ready! Where’s my purse? Did I finish my lesson plans?
- What were you thinking when you walked into the room today? Where’s my coffee? I need to help _____with their spelling work today. I should read ______ to my students today. Why is _________talking? Why is ______leaving the room?
- What did you do when you walked into the classroom today? I sipped my coffee, graded papers, picked up trash off the floor, gave DOJO’s to student who are doing what they are suppose to do.
I explain that we are in the same place, looking at the same things….but we have a different PERSPECTIVE. We are thinking and experiencing different things because we are different people. “If you and I wrote a story about our day…..they would be completely different!”
I then place 2 sticky notes on each students desk. We imagine we are looking at a fish inside a fish bowl. We discuss what we are thinking about that fish and then write one thought on a sticky note: Fish are great pets, I like to eat fish, I need to feed you, etc.
Next, We read the story Memoirs of a GoldFish. I always stop after reading the first sentence and ask the question, “From whose perspective is this story written?!” and they usually shout, “a fishes!!” 🙂
After we finish reading the story, students write what the FISH in the fishbowl (that we are imagining) is thinking on the last sticky. My students responses were: get me out of here, I am lonely, I need some friends, feed me, don’t eat me, who are you? etc.
We had just a little time today to view some clips from Finding Nemo on YouTube! I told them before we watched that I would be asking them to tell me about the scene from a certain characters perspective. Here a links to clips I showed (I don’t always show the whole thing…sometimes I will stop a few times):
DAY TWO:
I will continue to update throughout the week! 🙂 CHECK BACK TOMORROW!