Worksheet

The Pancake Flip: Two Points of View

Read two original stories about the same pancake mix-up, one in first person and one in third person, and compare what each narrator tells.

Grade 4ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toRL.4.6

Play online Play as a game

PrintLetter-size worksheet Answer keyPrintable answers

Assign to classAssign to your classes, or get a join code

What’s included

Single worksheet
Auto-graded online
1 Common Core standard
Printable answer key
10 questions
Classroom-ready

Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 4
Subject: ELA
Question types: Multiple choice, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students tell whether a story is narrated in first person or third person.
Students compare what a first-person narrator and a third-person narrator can tell readers.

How to use

Read both stories aloud, then have students find the narrator's words (I, my, he, she) in each before they answer the questions on their own.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

RL.4.6

Compare and contrast the points of view from which different stories are told, including first-person and third-person narration.

Preview

OwlSheets.com

Name Date

The Pancake Flip: Two Points of View

Compare a first-person story and a third-person story about the same morning.

Read two stories

Both stories tell about the same Sunday morning. Read them both.

My Brother the Pancake Flipper

1Last Sunday, my little brother Kwame and I decided to make breakfast for Mom's birthday. Dad stayed by the stove to keep us safe, but the cooking was up to us. I was in charge of the batter, and Kwame was supposed to set the table. That was the plan, anyway.

2I had just poured the first pancake into the pan when Kwame grabbed the spatula. "Watch this, Nia!" he shouted. Before I could stop him, he flipped the pancake high into the air. It sailed right over the pan and landed on the floor with a splat.

3I groaned. I was sure he was just showing off, the way he always does. "Kwame, you're going to ruin everything," I said. He looked down at his shoes and didn't say a word.

4Then I remembered something. Mom loves silly pancakes. So I handed the spatula back to Kwame and showed him how to make a pancake shaped like a smiley face. When Mom came downstairs, she laughed and said it was the best birthday breakfast ever.

Breakfast Surprise

1On Sunday morning, Nia and her younger brother, Kwame, tiptoed into the kitchen to make a birthday breakfast for their mom. Dad stayed by the stove to keep them safe. Nia mixed the batter carefully. Kwame watched her, wishing he could help with the cooking instead of setting the table.

2Kwame had been practicing pancake flips all week, using a paper plate in an empty pan. He wanted to surprise his big sister with his new trick. When Nia poured the first pancake, he picked up the spatula and flipped it with all his might. The pancake flew past the pan and flopped onto the floor.

3Nia groaned and told him he was going to ruin everything. Kwame stared at the floor. He had only wanted to show his sister he could help, and now he felt like the smallest kid in the world.

4When Nia saw her brother's sad face, her frown softened. She remembered that Mom loved silly pancakes, so she handed Kwame the spatula and helped him make one shaped like a smiley face. As they worked together, Nia felt proud of her brother. Mom laughed when she saw the plate.

Who is telling the story?

Use the two stories to answer each question.

Who is the narrator of "My Brother the Pancake Flipper"?

A. Kwame, the younger brother
B. Mom, who has a birthday
C. Nia, the older sister
D. A narrator outside the story

From which point of view is "Breakfast Surprise" told?

A. First person, told by Nia, who is in the story
B. Third person, told by someone outside the story
C. First person, told by Kwame, who is in the story
D. Third person, told by Nia, who is in the story

Underline the two sentences that use first-person words such as I, me, or my.

Nia mixed the batter carefully.I groaned.Kwame stared at the floor.Mom laughed when she saw the plate.Then I remembered something.Nia groaned and told him he was going to ruin everything.

Each detail is told in only one of the stories. Sort the details by the story that tells them.

Kwame practiced flipping with a paper plate.Nia is sure Kwame is just showing off.Mom says it is the best birthday breakfast ever.Kwame wishes he could help with the cooking.Kwame shouts, "Watch this, Nia!"Nia feels proud of her brother.

My Brother the Pancake Flipper	Breakfast Surprise

Compare the points of view

Think about what each narrator knows and tells.

In "My Brother the Pancake Flipper," why does Nia think Kwame flipped the pancake?

A. He wanted to help Mom with the cooking.
B. He thought the pancake was starting to burn.
C. He wanted to make a smiley-face pancake.
D. He was just trying to show off.

In "Breakfast Surprise," what is the real reason Kwame flips the pancake?

A. He wants to show his sister his new trick.
B. He wants to make his mom laugh at breakfast.
C. He thinks the first pancake is starting to burn.
D. He wants to take a turn mixing the batter.

Read paragraph 3 of "Breakfast Surprise." Underline the sentence that tells what Kwame is thinking and feeling inside.

Nia groaned and told him he was going to ruin everything.Kwame stared at the floor.He had only wanted to show his sister he could help, and now he felt like the smallest kid in the world.

Why does the reader learn Kwame's thoughts in "Breakfast Surprise" but not in "My Brother the Pancake Flipper"?

A. Nia does not notice her brother while she cooks.
B. Kwame is the narrator who tells "Breakfast Surprise."
C. Nia can tell only her own thoughts, not Kwame's.
D. Kwame hides his feelings from the outside narrator.

How are the two stories alike?

A. Both are told by Nia, using the words I and me.
B. Both explain that Kwame practiced his flip all week.
C. Both are told by a narrator outside the story.
D. Both tell about the same birthday breakfast.

10.

How does reading "Breakfast Surprise" change what you think about Kwame? Explain how the two points of view are different. Use details from both stories.