Page 91 - Point 5 Literature Program Option 1 Teachers Guide (2) (1)

Distinguishing different perspectives
Teen-parent argument
• Ask students to think of a typical topic of disagreement they or their siblings might have with their
parents (for example, tidying their room, staying out late, spending too much time on hobbies or
earning money, rather than on studies). Ask students to list what they think the parents might say
and then have them work in pairs and write down all the possible reasons why the parents might
say this. It will give them the parents’ point of view, or perspective, of the issue at hand.
Point out how important it is, when dealing with other people in any situation in life, to be
able to see the other party’s perspective, even if you do not agree with it. This makes reaching a
compromise so much easier.

Problem solving
The riddle of choices
• Tell the students the following:
You are driving along on a stormy night. You pass a bus stop where you see three people
waiting: an old lady who seems to be dying, a doctor who once saved your life, and the
man/woman of your dreams. There is room for one passenger in the car. What do you do?
This activity can be done individually or in pairs and leads to interesting insights as to different
personality types. If you do use this example, when reading the literature pieces or even
discussing film or TV characters, you can ask what the students think that person would have
done in this situation.
The most elegant solution is that you give the car keys to the doctor so he can take the old lady
to the hospital while you stay at the bus stop with the man/woman of your dreams.

Inferring motives
1. Jacob and Esau / Lavan the Aramite / Joseph and His Brothers
• Ask students to look at the relevant biblical story and, in pairs, think of reasons that might
explain the behavior of the protagonists. For example, what reason could Jacob have had for
deceiving his father? What reason could Lavan have had for wanting Jacob to marry Leah and
not Rachel? What reasons could Joseph’s brothers have had for selling him?
• Events from other traditional texts can be used in a similar fashion.
2. Show the class photos of faces and ask them to infer what these people are feeling / thinking
/ planning to do.

Generating possibilities
1. A new character
• Take a story that everyone in the class knows. This could be a story read in class, a biblical story
or other traditional text, a myth or legend, or a well-known film. Suggest the introduction of
a new character (an aunt, a brother, a visitor), giving some information about this character.
Ask the students how this new character might have affected the outcome of events.
2. A continuation
• Take a story that is known to the class and ask them to work in pairs or groups to suggest a
different but plausible ending to the story, i.e., one in which the characters do not suddenly
start behaving completely differently.
3. Bring in a couple of everyday objects and ask students to think of other uses for them.

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