Perspectives

Fairness is hearing all sides to a story, even when it’s hard to see there is another side. Being open-minded to different perspectives allows someone to understand a situation in a new and more complete way.

Grade Level: K-5

Character Skills

Fairness

SEL Skills

Self-Awareness
Relationship Skills

Academic Skills

Effective Problem-Solving

Definitions

Fairness

Play by the rules.
Take turns and share.
Be open-minded. Listen to others.
Don’t take advantage of others.

Self-Awareness

Identify and understand emotions, values, attitudes, motivations, mindsets, and personal attributes.

Relationship Skills

Interpersonal and social skills to guide appropriate behavior and create positive relationships and meaningful connections .

Effective Problem-Solving

Employ critical and creative thinking skills to solve problems and make rational, ethical, and effective decisions that produce the best possible result.

Learn more about our character, SEL, and academic outcomes.

Share This Activity

This lesson is designed for students to explore perspectives in stories where there is an apparent good and bad side. Students will be encouraged to think about how a familiar story looks different when they consider a different perspective.

Materials/Preparation

Choose a classic good vs bad story like Hansel and Gretel, Three Little Pigs and The Big Bad Wolf, The Three Billy Goats Bluff, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, etc.

Instructions

Large Group

Read or tell the story you chose. Pick a story where there is a good vs. bad dynamic with the characters.
Explain to the students that every story has two sides. To be fair, you need to hear both sides. Share with students that the story you just read only shares one side of the story. We know this because the story focuses on the one character and we know what that character does before, during and after the main events.
The other side of the story is the “bad guy’s” story. For example: In Hansel and Gretel there is only the story of the children and the witch’s story goes untold.
Explain to the students that they will be creating another story to show the view point of the other character in the story.

Small Group

You can also do this in a large group depending on the developmental level of your students.
Students will write and/or draw a short story that involves telling the side of the other character in the story. The story will need to include the following:
- The main plot points of the story.
- Why do you think the character did what they did?
- What did this character do before the event?
- What was the character thinking during the event?
- How did the character feel after the main events?
- What did the character do after the main events?
1. - Have the groups share their short story out to the large group.

Discussion Questions

When you first read the story, did you think about the side of the other character? Why or why not?
Did writing the other character’s side of the story change how you felt about the character? If so, how?
What would happen if you didn’t think about the other person’s side of the story?