Grade 9 · English Language Arts · Unit 6 of 6
Voices & Perspectives
Whose story is it?
What your child practises
How point of view and background shape a text, why oral traditions and the protocols around them matter, and asking whose voices are present or missing. This unit introduces ideas only; teachers and local First Peoples communities lead deeper learning.
NWT Curriculum learning standard: Perspectives and First Peoples texts: point of view, oral storytelling, bias and respectful use of sources
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
Which is an example of a text being shaped by its time and place?
- A list of numbers
- A recipe
- A story that reflects the attitudes of the period in which it was written
- A dictionary entry for a new word
A story that reflects the attitudes of the period in which it was written
Hint: Texts often reflect the values and assumptions of their world.
Question 2
“Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story” is one of the…
- Core Competencies for Grade 3
- Rules of grammar
- Parts of a poem
- First Peoples Principles of Learning
First Peoples Principles of Learning
Hint: The First Peoples Principles of Learning are guiding ideas about how learning works that are used in BC schools.
Question 3
Why is it important to ask whose voice is missing from a text?
- Leaving out some perspectives can give an incomplete picture.
- Every text has all voices.
- It makes the text longer.
- It is not important.
Leaving out some perspectives can give an incomplete picture.
Hint: Asking who is absent helps us find a fuller understanding.
Question 4
In many First Peoples cultures, some knowledge and stories are shared only by those who have permission. What does this tell us?
- All stories are free to retell however we like.
- Stories are not valuable.
- Permission is only for books.
- Stories and knowledge can belong to families or communities, and sharing them involves responsibility.
Stories and knowledge can belong to families or communities, and sharing them involves responsibility.
Hint: Respecting protocols is part of respecting the people and the knowledge.
Question 5
A text says “Everyone knows teenagers don’t care about the environment.” What is the problem?
- It is a good thesis.
- It is a stereotype that makes a sweeping claim about a whole group.
- It uses statistics.
- It quotes an expert.
It is a stereotype that makes a sweeping claim about a whole group.
Hint: Words like “everyone” and “don't” ignore individual differences.
Question 6
What does it mean to listen actively to someone's story?
- Correct their grammar
- Pay attention, ask thoughtful questions and avoid interrupting
- Look at your phone while they talk
- Wait to talk about yourself
Pay attention, ask thoughtful questions and avoid interrupting
Hint: Active listening shows respect and helps you understand.