The Perspectives Grade 2 kit spans five reading levels. At each reading level, a pair of related books is accompanied by a teacher guide that includes support for up to five days of instruction.

Level J: Learning about the Moon

In Iyla Learns about the Moon and Derek Learns about the Moon, Iyla and Derek are in the same class, studying about the Moon, but each of them thinks about the Moon in a different way. The teacher guide leads students to compare character traits and make inferences about the characters, while also exploring how something can be interpreted differently by people who have different interests, backgrounds, and learning styles.

Level K: Goldilocks and the Three Bears

The Three Bears’ Bad Day and Goldie’s Bad Day are adaptations of the folktale “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” The teacher guide engages students to see how a reader’s point of view can change as the reader gains a fuller understanding of the situation. Students explore how understanding a character’s intentions can affect a reader’s point of view and the judgments a reader might make about the characters.

Level L: Jack and the Beanstalk

These two stories are versions of the fairy tale “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Jack Helps His Mother parallels the traditional story, while Mick the Giant Gets Robbed is told from a point of view that is sympathetic to the giant. The teacher guide leads students to compare the two stories and examine how the author’s choice of words can influence how the reader feels about the characters and how the same event can be interpreted differently by different people.

Level M: Getting a Dog in the City

In Mrs. McGurdy Gets a Dog and Josh and Carrie Get a Dog, the main characters welcome a new dog into their city homes for the first time, with mixed success. The teacher guide engages students to think about the amount of time and attention required to properly take care of different kinds of pets. Students explore how pet owners’ circumstances affect which pets are best for them.

Level N: Whale Hunting

Searching for Whales is the story of a girl who likes whales and can’t understand why people would want to hunt them. Gifts from the Sea is the story of a Makah boy whose grandfather teaches him about the whaling tradition of their people. The teacher guide helps students explore how culture and traditions affect point of view and engages students to see different people’s point of view on a particular issue.