Grade 9 · English Language Arts · Unit 7 of 10
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.
Ontario Curriculum expectation: C1.6, C3.5 · point of view, perspectives and bias
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
Show answer
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
Show answer
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.
Show answer
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.
Show answer
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.
Show answer
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
Show answer
Pay attention, ask thoughtful questions and avoid interrupting
Hint: Active listening shows respect and helps you understand.