Developing the ability to understand different perspectives and points of view is a crucial skill for middle school students. These 20 point of view activities not only help students improve their critical thinking skills but also foster empathy and a broader understanding of the world around them.
1. Perspective Walks – Students walk around the school, observing situations from different perspectives (e.g., someone sitting vs. someone walking).
2. Character Monologues – Students create monologues for characters they’re studying in literature, demonstrating an understanding of their unique points of view.
3. Debate Club – Students divide into teams and argue opposing sides of a topic, switching positions after each round to understand different perspectives.
4. Fairy Tale Flip – Students rewrite fairy tales from the perspective of a different character (e.g., writing Cinderella’s story from the point of view of the evil stepmother).
5. Comic Strip Point-of-View – Students create comic strips telling the same story from multiple viewpoints.
6. Hometown Narrative – Students write about their town or city from the perspective of a tourist, sharing what they think would be interesting or surprising to visitors.
7. Two Truths and a Lie – Students write three statements about themselves from different points of view, challenging classmates to guess which is false.
8. Journal Swap – Students anonymously swap journals with one another, documenting their daily experiences for others to better understand their point of view.
9. Historical Figures Role-play – Students role-play famous historical figures in debates or discussions as if these leaders were alive today.
10. Film Scene Rewrite – After watching a movie scene, students rewrite it from the viewpoint of another character who was not center stage.
11. Letter Writing as a Historical Figure – Students compose letters as an individual from history, expressing that person’s beliefs and viewpoints.
12. Diary Journal Comparison- Compare an entry written in Anne Frank’s diary from another student’s journal, discussing the differences in their point of views and personal experiences.
13. Poetry Perspectives – Students read poems that explore different perspectives, then write an original poem from a unique point of view.
14. Social Media Influencer – Students create content for a social media influencer persona who has a specific viewpoint on an issue, debating others who may have contrasting opinions.
15. Artistic Interpretations – Students examine the same piece of artwork separately and then discuss how their interpretations differ based on their own points of view.
16. Observing Nature – Students observe different plants or animals and document how each species experiences its environment, examining life from multiple perspectives.
17. News Analysis – Compare news articles from opposing sources covering the same event, discussing different viewpoints and biases presented.
18. Day in the Life – Students follow someone else’s schedule for a day, experiencing and reflecting on life from another person’s perspective.
19. Peer Editing Perspective Shift – Students edit one another’s writing using color-coded edits (e.g., blue for clarifications/red for point-of-view enhancements) to demonstrate how different readers can interpret the same text in varying ways.
20. Cultural Collages – Each student creates a collage of pictures or words representing their cultural background to better understand and appreciate differences among peers.
By implementing these engaging point of view activities into your middle school curriculum, you’ll enable students to think critically, build empathy and gain insight into various perspectives, enhancing their overall ability to communicate effectively in today’s diverse world.
