Power & Perspective: Whose Story Gets Told? — Grade 5
In this unit, students grapple with one of the most important questions in literacy: who gets to tell the story — and what happens to everyone else? Inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's concept of "the danger of a single story," students explore how narratives shape what we believe, who we see, and what we think is possible. Through murals, protest songs, youth activists, and diverse storytelling, they discover that art is not decoration — it is resistance. And every person who speaks their own truth is adding to the story of the world.
Who gets to tell the story — and what is lost when only one story is told?
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Lessons
The Story Only They Tell
What happens when only one version of your neighborhood gets told?
Walls That Speak
How murals and visual art tell stories that refuse to be erased
The Songs We Sing
How protest songs carry messages when words alone are not enough
Who Gets to Tell the Story?
Youth activists, narrative power, and claiming your own voice
Writing Assignment
The Counter-Story
Unit Writing Assignment · Unlocks with full unit purchase
Standards Alignment
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