Unit 1: Shifting perspectives Senior English

Activity 1.3 – importance of perspective Entry Task

Activity 1.3 – importance of perspective Today’s Learning Target… Examine the idea of critical perspective.

Activity 1.3 – importance of perspective How Are Perspectives Different? (page 7) Everyone has a unique perspective from which they view the world. A number of factors, including life experiences, education, significant relationships, occupations, and religious and political affiliations help shape individual attitudes and influence that perspective. Think about your everyday interactions with other people. Some interactions can look very different, depending on the points of view of the different participants. Your perception of an event or interaction depends on your unique perspective, a perspective that has been influenced in many ways over the course of your life.

Activity 1.3 – importance of perspective In order to illustrate this idea, consider the following scenario: On your way to school, you see another student who has been pulled over by a police officer. You perceive the student’s frustration as the officer writes out a traffic ticket.

Activity 1.3 – importance of perspective Complete the graphic organizer on the following page, imagining the response of each individual in the situation. Consider these points when responding: Each person in the scenario will have a distinctly different perspective on the situation. Each person in the scenario will have a different level of connection to the consequences of the situation, which will in turn influence the response. For example, one person will have to pay for the ticket. Each person in the scenario will also be subject to a variety of factors that are unrelated to the ticket and that will also influence the response. For example, if the traffic is moving more slowly due to the ticket distraction, someone may be late for work.

Activity 1.3 – importance of perspective Assignment: As a group, come up with your own scenario (one that involves multiple people). Create a graphic organizer and complete the sections for each person involved in your group scenario. Be prepared to share with the class.

Activity 1.3 – importance of perspective Extension Activity: “The Blind Man and the Elephant” http://urila.tripod.com/Elephant.pdf

Activity 1.3 – importance of perspective Debriefing The following questions will guide discussion of how differences in perspective can make it difficult for people to communicate. Apply the moral of the folk tale to real-life situations. How does it feel when another person doesn't "see" something the same way you do? What happens in the story when each blind man "sees" the elephant? Why were there six different ideas about the elephant? Were any of the men right about the elephant? Were any of them completely wrong? What did the blind men learn from the Rajah? What does the storyteller want us to learn from this tale? Do problems like this happen in real life? Think of times when arguments or misunderstandings have occurred because people saw situations from different points of view. Describe what happened. What if the men in this story were not blind? Would they still have different ideas about elephants? Does the story give you any ideas about how these problems can be solved? What are some steps you can take to understand why another person doesn't see things the way you do?