Exploring characters' perspectives
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can understand different characters' perspectives.
Key learning points
- When exploring a character’s point of view, we experience life as if through their eyes; this is called perspective.
- Paikea feels a deep spiritual and ancestral connection to her Maori heritage.
- Despite Koro's disapproval, Paikea is determined to prove herself worthy of carrying on the leadership of her tribe.
- Koro is deeply entrenched in the traditional beliefs and customs of the tribe.
- Koro sees her desire to lead as a challenge and he dismisses her abilities based on her gender.
Keywords
Perspective - the point of view of the character, influencing the way events or ideas are portrayed and understood
Compare - to identify similarities between two or more things, ideas or themes
Contrast - to identify differences between two or more things, ideas or themes
Common misconception
One character (Paikea or Koro)'s perspective is entirely right or wrong.
Both Paikea and Koro have valid reasons for their beliefs and actions because of their backgrounds, experiences and the cultural context of their community.
Teacher tip
Prepare visuals of Paikea and Koro at different points of the film as stimuli for discussion.
Equipment
You need a copy of the 2002 film version of ‘Whale Rider’ produced by South Pacific Pictures for this lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is the word for the person, animal or being in a story?
Q2.Who looks after Paikea after her father leaves for Germany?
Q3.At which point in a narrative would you be introduced to the setting and charcters?
Q4.Which of the following statements is true about Paikea in 'Whale Rider'?
Q5.True or false? Paikea does not manage to save the whales on the beach.
Q6.Order the six key moments of 'Whale Rider' chronologically.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the correct definition of perspective?
Q2.Which of the following is not true about Pai's character?
Q3.Why does Pai's grandfather believe Paikea is not capable of becoming chief?
Q4.Which of the following are true about Koro?
Q5.Why does Koro sometimes act harshly towards Paikea?
Q6.Which of the following is true of the end of 'Whale Rider'?
To help you plan your 4 English lesson on: Exploring characters' perspectives, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 English lesson on: Exploring characters' perspectives, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 English lessons from the 'Whale Rider': narrative writing unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.