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Year 4

Exploring characters' perspectives

I can understand different characters' perspectives.

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New
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Year 4

Exploring characters' perspectives

I can understand different characters' perspectives.

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Share activities with pupils
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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. When exploring a character’s point of view, we experience life as if through their eyes; this is called perspective.
  2. Paikea feels a deep spiritual and ancestral connection to her Maori heritage.
  3. Despite Koro's disapproval, Paikea is determined to prove herself worthy of carrying on the leadership of her tribe.
  4. Koro is deeply entrenched in the traditional beliefs and customs of the tribe.
  5. Koro sees her desire to lead as a challenge and he dismisses her abilities based on her gender.

Keywords

  • Perspective - the point of view of the character, influencing the way events or ideas are portrayed and understood

  • Compare - to identify similarities between two or more things, ideas or themes

  • Contrast - to identify differences between two or more things, ideas or themes

Common misconception

One character (Paikea or Koro)'s perspective is entirely right or wrong.

Both Paikea and Koro have valid reasons for their beliefs and actions because of their backgrounds, experiences and the cultural context of their community.


To help you plan your year 4 english lesson on: Exploring characters' perspectives, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Prepare visuals of Paikea and Koro at different points of the film as stimuli for discussion.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

You need a copy of the 2002 film version of ‘Whale Rider’ produced by South Pacific Pictures for this lesson.

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is the word for the person, animal or being in a story?
setting
Correct answer: character
plot
Paikea
Q2.
Who looks after Paikea after her father leaves for Germany?
her brother
Correct answer: Koro (her grandfather)
her friends
her uncle
Q3.
At which point in a narrative would you be introduced to the setting and charcters?
Correct answer: opening
build-up
climax
resolution
Q4.
Which of the following statements is true about Paikea in 'Whale Rider'?
Paikea is allowed to join the after school club to learn how to be a chief.
Correct answer: Paikea is desperate for her grandfather to see that she could be a good chief.
Paikea does not want to be a chief.
Girls are allowed to be chief leaders.
Q5.
True or false? Paikea does not manage to save the whales on the beach.
Correct Answer: false, False
Q6.
Order the six key moments of 'Whale Rider' chronologically.
1 - A baby girl is born named Paikea.
2 - Koro starts an after school club to teach boys in the tribe.
3 - Paikea wants Koro to see that she could be a good chief of the tribe.
4 - One night, some whales get stranded on the beach.
5 - Paikea climbs on the back of the whale and guides it to sea.
6 - Her grandfather recognises her as the successor of the tribe.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is the correct definition of perspective?
imagining how a character feels
finding characters funny
Correct answer: characters' points of view
Q2.
Which of the following is not true about Pai's character?
Correct answer: Pai does not want to practise Maori traditions.
Pai respects and values the traditions and customs of her people.
Pai has grown up learning traditional Maori songs and chants.
Pai is committed to preserving and honouring her cultural heritage.
Q3.
Why does Pai's grandfather believe Paikea is not capable of becoming chief?
She is too young.
Correct answer: She is a girl.
She does not value the cultural traditions.
She is not big enough to be a chief.
Q4.
Which of the following are true about Koro?
Koro is committed to modernising traditions and beliefs.
He does not care if the Maori traditions are preserved.
Correct answer: Koro is deeply committed to the beliefs and customs of his Maori tribe.
Correct answer: He expects the next male leader to embody the qualities of their ancestors.
Q5.
Why does Koro sometimes act harshly towards Paikea?
He does not care about his granddaughter.
He gets frustrated with his granddaughter.
Correct answer: He wants to protect her from what he thinks is a role she is not meant to take.
Q6.
Which of the following is true of the end of 'Whale Rider'?
Koro does not accept that Pai can be the leader of their tribe.
Koro would rather there was no chief than a female chief.
Correct answer: Koro recognises Pai's leadership qualities and he learns to embrace change.
Koro continues to train the boys to become chief leader.