First or third person? A 25-minute 4th grade point of view activity
What it is: a 4th grade reading activity where students sort short passages by narrator, first person (I, we) or third person (he, she, they), and then retell a short scene from the other point of view to see what changes.
Time: about 25 minutes. Grade: 4th grade.
Materials: 8 short passage cards (a few sentences each, some first person and some third), highlighters, and a two-column sorting chart.
- Read two short versions of the same moment: "I tripped on the step" and "She tripped on the step." Ask: "Who is telling each one?"
- Name first and third person and the pronoun clues for each.
- Pairs highlight the pronouns on each card and sort them.
- Pairs choose one third-person card and rewrite it in first person, adding one thought the character could have.
- Discuss: "What can a first-person narrator tell us that a third-person narrator might not?"
Differentiation: students who need support sort cards with pronouns already underlined. Students who are ready look for third-person narrators who know every character's thoughts. English learners can sort pronoun cards (I, she, we, they) before reading the passages.
Quick check: give a student a new sentence and ask for its point of view and the clue word.
Need it for another grade or subject? Ask us on the request page and our team will write it.
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About this resource
- Shared by
- @UpOnlyLearning · Curriculum team
- Posted
- Oct 30, 2026
- Type
- Lesson plan
- Grade
- Grades 3–5
- Subject
- Reading
- Language
- English
- License
- Free for classroom, co-op and tutoring use. Please don't resell.