Author’s Viewpoint

Mrs. Naft, Reading Specialist, anaft@bcps.org

Not all people see things the same way. Look at the next picture for a few seconds.

A quick look….

Tell someone next to you what you saw.

Look at the details. What do you see now? There are

really two pictures here.

What do you think the artist might think or feel about the people and themes in this picture?

Viewpoint Every author and artist writes or draws about people and things in their own special way in order to show what they think or feel about a subject. This is called the author’s or artist’s viewpoint.

As you read, notice

words authors use to show their opinions. Words like most amazing, wonderful, important, and exciting will give you a good idea of how the author feels and thinks about the subject.

What words might authors use to show they don’t like, approve, or agree with the ideas and things he or she is writing about?

Objective

Students will interpret authors’ and painters’ viewpoints in readings about trips to a Mexican market and by viewing Diego Rivera’s murals about Mexican history in order to identify, discuss and write about viewpoints.

Story 1A Shopping TripTo a Market in

Mexico(Look for words that

show the author’s viewpoint.)

When my wife and I were in Mexico, we took an awful trip to the central market to buy food for dinner. We first went down steep steps and entered a smelly underworld of color, crowds, loud music and noise!

What a crowded place! Why isn’t anything wrapped in

plastic?

This place is disgusting! Food isn’t even packaged or wrapped. What if flies land on the food?

This man sold corn of every size and color you can imagine! Who needs so many kinds?

I am thinking I would love to escape this place. I would

never eat these live bugs. I feel sick.

The tortilla maker has a plastic hat on his head, but no plastic

gloves! He is touching the food with his bare hands. Gross!

I sure hope my wife isn’t going to buy cactus for dinner tonight. It looks

frightful.

Please don’t buy these peppers. I will burn my mouth

on spicy hot vegetables.

Those tomatoes might be sweet, but have these men washed their

hands? Where is the hand sanitizer?

No comment. This is horrible. Are we done yet?

This meat is nauseating. It can’t be healthy! Are there germy flies on it?

What is this gross stuff? Do people actually eat it? Please

don’t tell me this is cow’s stomach!

Now I have seen everything. Who would ever eat a pastry covered with bees? My mouth hurts just

thinking about it!

At last, we are done! Next time I am going to the Supermarket where everything is wrapped in plastic. I trust it more, even though it may not be as fresh.

Look! We are passing a supermarket! Lets go there!

Now this is what I call food shopping!

Discuss the author’s viewpoint about the market. Be sure to support your opinion with details, words and descriptions from the text.

Story 2A Shopping TripTo a Market in

Mexico

When my husband and I were in Mexico, we took a wonderful trip to the central market to buy food for dinner. From the busy street, we walked down steep steps to enter an exciting underworld of color, sound, crowds, smells, music and noise! How nice!

What a busy place! It is alive with colors and so many

products!

Look at all this

wonderful fresh

food! My mouth is watering

!

This man sells corn of every size and color you can imagine! I never knew so many types of corn existed! Fabulous!

Wow, these are live bugs that people eat. I hear they are

crunchy and yummy!

Freshly made nice, warm tortillas! My mouth is

watering! They smell so good!

At last the fresh food. Maybe I should buy these delicious looking nopales (cactus) and fry them up with salt.

Yummy hot peppers and tomatoes! I’ll make tasty spicy

salsa tonight.

These sweet ripe tomatoes will be delicious in a salad.

Some sad poor pigs went to market, but I am not going to

eat any pork today.

This beef looks and smells so fresh! Forget about McDonalds for dinner. I’ll take this fresh meat.

Beautiful tripe, that is cow’s stomach! I haven’t a clue how

to cook this.

Oh my, these pastries are covered with live bees! I hope

people don’t eat them and sting their mouths.

What a fabulous trip! I smelled wonderful fresh smells, enjoyed seeing the crowds, colors, and having fun shopping.

I can’t wait to get home and start cooking the food I purchased.

I am so glad we didn’t go to the boring supermarket! Food there is not as fresh and it can be so

tasteless!

I prefer the food fresh from the market to this packaged

food!

What is the author’s viewpoint about the market? Be sure to support your opinion with details and descriptions from the text.