Your Point of View and the Narrator's
A 40-minute Grade 3 lesson on distinguishing your own point of view from that of the narrator or the characters.
Your Point of View and the Narrator's is a free 40-minute Grade 3 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RL.3.6 — separate what you think from what the narrator or the character thinks. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 3
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- RL.3.6
Grade 3 · Reading: Literature
RL.3.6
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
Objective
Students will be able to state a character's view and their own about the same event, and keep them separate.
Students are successful when they can
- States the character's view from the text.
- States their own view.
- Says where the two differ.
What you need
- A story where a character does something questionable
- A three-column sheet: narrator, character, me
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — who thinks that?
5 min- Read four sentences from a story. For each, ask whose view it is.
- Some are the narrator's, some a character's.
Teach — three columns
13 min- Read the story. Fill the narrator column from the text.
- Fill the character column from what they say and do.
- Fill your own column — and say that this one is not in the text at all.
- Compare the three. Note where the narrator seems to agree with the character.
- Say the risk: reading your own view back into the story as though the book said it.
“That is what you think. Show me where the book thinks it too — or admit it does not.”
Guided practice — fill three
12 min- Pairs fill all three columns for one event.
- Columns one and two need text support; column three does not.
- They say one place their own view differs from the character's.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the point-of-view page.
- The passage is on the sheet.
Close
2 min- Take one place where their view and the character's differ.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Reports their own view as the character's.
Why: The character is a person and the reader is a person, so the views merge.
Fix: Column two needs text support. Column three does not, and that difference is the lesson.
Assumes the narrator agrees with the main character.
Why: The narrator follows them and tells the story from near them.
Fix: Find a line where the narrator describes the character from outside. That is the narrator's own position.
Refuses to give their own view.
Why: School answers are supposed to come from the text.
Fix: Column three is explicitly not from the text. Naming it as separate makes it safe to give.
If they are not there yet
- Two columns — character and me.
- An event with an obvious right and wrong.
If they finish early
- Find a place where the narrator disagrees with the character.
- Argue the character's view even though you disagree.
- Say what the author seems to think.
Exit ticket
What does the character think about what happened? What do you think? Where do you differ?
What to look for: Two distinct views. Identical columns usually mean column three was filled from column two.
Printable practice for RL.3.6
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- My View and the Narrator'sTick the right answer.
Questions about Your Point of View and the Narrator's
How long does the Your Point of View and the Narrator's lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does Your Point of View and the Narrator's teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.6 — RL.3.6, Reading: Literature for Grade 3: “Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.” In plain terms, separate what you think from what the narrator or the character thinks.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
A story where a character does something questionable, a three-column sheet: narrator, character, me and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: reports their own view as the character's; assumes the narrator agrees with the main character and refuses to give their own view. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “What does the character think about what happened? What do you think? Where do you differ?.” Two distinct views. Identical columns usually mean column three was filled from column two. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with Your Point of View and the Narrator's?
Yes — 1 printable RL.3.6 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is Your Point of View and the Narrator's free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to RL.3.6 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.