“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
In this activity, students will examine the author’s attitude and make inferences based on details from the text.
The first example is when Grandpa Joe says, "That ticket'll go to some nasty little beast who doesn't deserve it!" This demonstrates the author’s point of view on spoiled and selfish children.
The second example is when the oompa-loompas sing, "Augustus Gloop! Augustus Gloop! The great big greedy nincompoop!" Through the song of the oompa-loompas, the author shares his opinion of greedy children.
The last example is when Willie Wonka says, "So I have to have a child. I want a good sensible loving child, one to whom I can tell all my most precious candy-making secrets - while I'm still alive." The author believes in rewarding the "good" children by giving Charlie the factory.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard examining the author's point of view as seen through various characters in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Grade Level 4-5
Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)
Type of Assignment Individual
Type of Activity: Understanding Point of View vs. Perspective in Literature
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 25 Points | Emerging 19 Points | Beginning 13 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identify the Points of View | The student identified all points of view the author employed in the novel correctly. | The student identified most of the points of view. | The student did not identify the correct point of view, |
| Written Explanations | Text descriptions clearly explain the points of view used in the novel and described the differences in their perspectives. | Text descriptions explain the points of view, but may lack clarity. | Text descriptions do not accurately describe the points of view. |
| Storyboard Images | Illustrations show scenes clearly connected to the point of view and perspective described and use visual elements to show a difference between perspectives. | Illustrations show scenes connected to the point of view and perspective described but may be simplistic or lack detail. | Scenes do not clearly describe the points of view employed in the novel. |
| Effort and Editing | Work is complete, thorough, and neat. Spelling and grammar are correct. | Most of the sections of the storyboard were at least attempted and work is presentable. The text contains some errors in spelling and/or grammar. | Storyboard is unfinished and/or disorganized. The text contains many errors in spelling and/or grammar. |
In this activity, students will examine the author’s attitude and make inferences based on details from the text.
The first example is when Grandpa Joe says, "That ticket'll go to some nasty little beast who doesn't deserve it!" This demonstrates the author’s point of view on spoiled and selfish children.
The second example is when the oompa-loompas sing, "Augustus Gloop! Augustus Gloop! The great big greedy nincompoop!" Through the song of the oompa-loompas, the author shares his opinion of greedy children.
The last example is when Willie Wonka says, "So I have to have a child. I want a good sensible loving child, one to whom I can tell all my most precious candy-making secrets - while I'm still alive." The author believes in rewarding the "good" children by giving Charlie the factory.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard examining the author's point of view as seen through various characters in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Grade Level 4-5
Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)
Type of Assignment Individual
Type of Activity: Understanding Point of View vs. Perspective in Literature
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 25 Points | Emerging 19 Points | Beginning 13 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identify the Points of View | The student identified all points of view the author employed in the novel correctly. | The student identified most of the points of view. | The student did not identify the correct point of view, |
| Written Explanations | Text descriptions clearly explain the points of view used in the novel and described the differences in their perspectives. | Text descriptions explain the points of view, but may lack clarity. | Text descriptions do not accurately describe the points of view. |
| Storyboard Images | Illustrations show scenes clearly connected to the point of view and perspective described and use visual elements to show a difference between perspectives. | Illustrations show scenes connected to the point of view and perspective described but may be simplistic or lack detail. | Scenes do not clearly describe the points of view employed in the novel. |
| Effort and Editing | Work is complete, thorough, and neat. Spelling and grammar are correct. | Most of the sections of the storyboard were at least attempted and work is presentable. The text contains some errors in spelling and/or grammar. | Storyboard is unfinished and/or disorganized. The text contains many errors in spelling and/or grammar. |
Invite students to share their interpretations of the author’s attitude using evidence from the text. This deepens understanding and lets students see how others analyze point of view.
Read a short excerpt aloud and think aloud as you spot clues about the author’s feelings or opinions. Demonstrating this process helps students develop independent analysis skills.
Provide prompts like ‘I think the author feels… because…’ or ‘The author shows their attitude when…’. These tools scaffold critical thinking and support all learners.
Ask students to relate the author’s perspective to situations from their own lives. This makes literary analysis more meaningful and memorable.
The author's attitude in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is critical of greedy and selfish behavior but supportive of kindness and honesty. Roald Dahl uses characters and their actions to show that good, sensible children are rewarded, while spoiled or greedy children face consequences.
To teach point of view, have students identify quotes from different characters and discuss what these reveal about the author's opinions. Use activities like creating storyboards or illustrating scenes to help students analyze and visualize the author's perspective as it comes through in the story.
Examples include Grandpa Joe's comment about undeserving children, the oompa-loompas' song criticizing greed, and Willy Wonka expressing his wish to reward a kind, loving child. These moments demonstrate the author's values regarding behavior and character.
Roald Dahl rewards Charlie because he represents goodness, humility, and love. By making Charlie the heir to the factory, the author emphasizes that positive traits are valued and ultimately rewarded over selfishness or greed.
An easy activity is to have students use a template to identify and illustrate three instances showing the author's point of view in the story. They can describe each example and create a matching scene, helping them connect text details to author attitude.
“By using the product, they were so excited and they learned so much...”–K-5 Librarian and Instructinal Technology Teacher
“I'm doing a Napoleon timeline and I'm having [students] determine whether or not Napoleon was a good guy or a bad guy or somewhere in between.”–History and Special Ed Teacher
“Students get to be creative with Storyboard That and there's so many visuals for them to pick from... It makes it really accessible for all students in the class.”–Third Grade Teacher