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English lesson plan · 3rd grade (Year 4 in England) · 45 minutes

Who is telling the story? First person or third person

Reading Comprehension

CCSS RL.3.6England: Y3/4 Reading (narrative viewpoint)England: Y4 Writing (narrative)

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Who is telling the story? First person or third person.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Who is speaking? Reading dialogue; Characters and setting

Leads to: First-hand or second-hand account?

Materials: A short text or extract (one copy each), Highlighters, Question cards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 5 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Who is speaking? Reading dialogue; Characters and setting). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. "Woof!" barked Rex. "Shh, the baby is asleep," whispered Tom. Who whispered? (Mum / Tom / Rex / the baby) → TomPrompt: Find the words inside the speech marks.
  2. Rex the dog hid under the table every time it thundered. How does Rex feel about thunder? (brave / scared / happy / bored) → scaredPrompt: What does the character say and do?
  3. "I can't find my lunchbox anywhere," sighed Omar. How does Omar feel? (sleepy / proud / worried / excited) → worriedPrompt: Find the words inside the speech marks.

Hook · 5 min

  • Read the first lines of a short text aloud and ask what students predict will happen and why.
  • Share the objective: Who is telling the story? First person or third person. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 10 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Is this told in the first person or the third person? She opened the letter with shaking hands.
  • Step 1: In first person, a character tells the story (I, we). In third person, a narrator outside the story tells it (he, she, they).
  • Step 2: So the answer is: third person (he, she, they, names)
  • Answer: third person (he, she, they, names)
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 10 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Is this told in the first person or the third person? His heart thumped as he climbed onto the stage. (first person (I, me, we) / third person (he, she, they, names)) → third person (he, she, they, names)Prompt: Look at the pronouns. Is the narrator part of the story?
  2. Which sentence retells this in the THIRD person? I hid behind the sofa because I was scared. (Mia hid behind the sofa because she was scared. / She hid behind the sofa because we were scared. / Mia hid behind the sofa because I was scared. / I hid behind the sofa because she was scared.) → Mia hid behind the sofa because she was scared.Prompt: Every first-person word (I, my, we, our) must change.

You do: independent practice · 10 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Which sentence retells this in the THIRD person? We cheered when our team scored. (They cheered when our team scored. / We cheered when their team scored. / They cheered when their team scored. / They cheered when we scored.) → They cheered when their team scored.Prompt: Every first-person word (I, my, we, our) must change.
  2. Is this told in the first person or the third person? We built the biggest sandcastle on the beach. (first person (I, me, we) / third person (he, she, they, names)) → first person (I, me, we)Prompt: Look at the pronouns. Is the narrator part of the story?

Watch out for

  • Answering from memory or opinion instead of evidence in the text.
  • Copying a long quote without explaining what it shows.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Who is speaking? Reading dialogue.
  • Use concrete materials: a short text or extract (one copy each).
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: First-hand or second-hand account?.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-3.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Who is telling the story? First person or third person

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which sentence retells this in the THIRD person? I hid behind the sofa because I was scared.

    • A. Mia hid behind the sofa because I was scared.
    • B. Mia hid behind the sofa because she was scared.
    • C. I hid behind the sofa because she was scared.
    • D. She hid behind the sofa because we were scared.

The Camera in the Hedge

For my birthday, Aunt Jo gave me a wildlife camera. It is small and green, and it takes a photo whenever something moves in front of it. I strapped it to the fence post at the bottom of our garden, pointing at a gap in the hedge. The first morning, I ran outside in my pyjamas to check it. There were forty-two photos! Most of them were of leaves blowing in the wind. One was of our cat, Biscuit, looking very surprised. But on the second night, something different appeared. At 11:14 p.m., a hedgehog shuffled out of the hedge. At 11:16 p.m., it was sniffing at the flower bed. At 11:20 p.m., it was gone. I wanted to know where it went, so I read about hedgehogs in a library book. I learned that a hedgehog can walk more than a kilometre in one night, looking for beetles and worms. Walls and fences with no gaps can stop it from finding enough food. Dad and I cut a small hole, about the size of a CD case, at the bottom of our fence. Our neighbour, Mr Okafor, made one in his fence too. Now the hedgehog can travel from garden to garden. Last night, the camera caught the hedgehog again. This time, it was squeezing through our new hole, heading for Mr Okafor's garden. I think it was saying thank you.

  1. Question 2

    Read "The Camera in the Hedge". Who is telling this story?

    • A. Aunt Jo
    • B. a child in the story, using 'I' (first person)
    • C. the hedgehog
    • D. a narrator outside the story (third person)

  1. Question 3

    Is this told in the first person or the third person? Ellie grabbed her scarf and raced to the bus stop.

    • A. first person (I, me, we)
    • B. third person (he, she, they, names)

  2. Question 4

    Which sentence retells this in the THIRD person? I grabbed my scarf and ran to the bus.

    • A. Ellie grabbed her scarf and ran to the bus.
    • B. She grabbed my scarf and I ran to the bus.
    • C. Ellie grabbed my scarf and ran to the bus.
    • D. I grabbed her scarf and ran to the bus.

  3. Question 5

    Is this told in the first person or the third person? My little brother followed me everywhere I went.

    • A. first person (I, me, we)
    • B. third person (he, she, they, names)

  4. Question 6

    Is this told in the first person or the third person? His heart thumped as he climbed onto the stage.

    • A. first person (I, me, we)
    • B. third person (he, she, they, names)

  5. Question 7

    Which sentence retells this in the THIRD person? We packed our bags for the trip.

    • A. The twins packed our bags for the trip.
    • B. We packed their bags for the trip.
    • C. The twins packed their bags for the trip.
    • D. They packed our bag for the trip.

  6. Question 8

    Which sentence retells this in the THIRD person? We cheered when our team scored.

    • A. They cheered when their team scored.
    • B. We cheered when their team scored.
    • C. They cheered when our team scored.
    • D. They cheered when we scored.

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Answer key: Who is telling the story? First person or third person

  1. 1. B. Mia hid behind the sofa because she was scared.

  2. 2. B. a child in the story, using 'I' (first person)

  3. 3. B. third person (he, she, they, names)

  4. 4. A. Ellie grabbed her scarf and ran to the bus.

  5. 5. A. first person (I, me, we)

  6. 6. B. third person (he, she, they, names)

  7. 7. C. The twins packed their bags for the trip.

  8. 8. A. They cheered when their team scored.