Multiple Accounts of Events
Analyse multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent
What a learner can do afterwards
- Compare two news articles about the same event and identify differences in perspective
- Explain how the author's background or purpose affects their account of an event
- Identify which facts are consistent across accounts and which details differ based on viewpoint
1 · Read
When something happens, more than one person might write about it. Each writer picks what to include, what to leave out, and what to focus on. That is called their point of view.
Two newspapers cover the same soccer game. The home team's paper writes: 'Our team fought hard and pulled off a thrilling last-minute win.' The visiting team's paper writes: 'A questionable referee call in the final minute cost the away team the game.' Both agree on the score, but they focus on different things.
The score, the date, and the final result are facts. They should match in every honest account. But which details a writer highlights, and how they explain what happened, often depends on the writer's background or purpose.
When you read two accounts of the same event, first find what matches. Those are likely solid facts. Then look at what differs. Those differences usually show you each writer's point of view.
Accounts can also carry feeling words, like 'amazing' or 'terrible'. Those words show how the writer felt, not what happened. Different accounts are useful for different jobs, so match the account to your purpose. And if two accounts disagree on a detail, look for a third account or another clue before you decide.
Facts should match across accounts, but each writer's point of view shapes what they choose to emphasise.
More to read
Analyzing and comparing authors' points of view | Guided practice
What is an author's point of view, and why does it matter?
An author's point of view is what they think or feel about the topic they are writing about. You can also call it their perspective or viewpoint.
Two authors can write about the exact same topic and say very different things. That is because each author has their own point of view. When you read both, you can compare them and build your own ideas about the topic.
How can you compare two authors' points of view on the same topic?
First, figure out what each author thinks. Ask yourself: does this author seem to like the thing they are writing about, or not? What words give you clues?
Next, look for what is the same in both pieces. Do both authors agree on the main facts?
Then, look for what is different. Maybe one author includes details the other left out. Maybe one sounds excited and the other sounds worried.
When you notice these similarities and differences, you understand the topic more deeply than if you had only read one side.
Determining an author's point of view | Guided practice
Imagine you read an article that calls a group of protesters "passionate and brave change-makers." Then you read another article that calls the very same group "a rowdy bunch of troublemakers." Same people, same event. So why do the two articles sound so different?
Because the writers have different points of view.
An author's point of view is their opinion about the topic they are writing about. It shows up in the words they choose, the facts they include, and the details they leave out.
Sometimes an author tells you their opinion directly. Other times you have to be a detective. Look for clue words. Words like "brave" or "troublemakers" tell you how the author feels, even when they never say "this is my opinion."
Why does this matter? When you know an author's point of view, you can think carefully about their account instead of just accepting it. You can ask: what does this writer want me to believe? What might another writer say about the same event?
Activity: Sourcing - Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire
People can live through the very same event and remember it in very different ways. It depends on who they are and what they believe.
Long ago, Spanish soldiers arrived in the Aztec Empire. The Spanish wrote down their version of what happened. The Aztec people had their own version too. These two accounts describe the same events, but they do not tell the story the same way.
In this activity, you read two primary sources. A primary source is an account written by someone who was actually there. One source comes from the Spanish side, and one comes from the Aztec side.
As you read, ask yourself three questions about each source. Who wrote this? Why did they write it? What is their point of view?
Then compare the two accounts. What facts show up in both? Those are probably things that really happened. What details are different? Those differences often come from each writer's point of view and purpose.
Historians do this kind of work all the time.
The media: lesson overview
Where do people learn about what is happening in the world? Mostly from the media: newspapers, TV news, websites, podcasts, and social media.
The media does more than just report facts. It helps decide which stories people pay attention to. It shapes how people understand those stories. Two news reports can cover the same event but focus on different details, use different words, and leave readers feeling very differently about what happened.
Today this is even more complicated. Traditional news organizations still matter, but so do social media posts, videos, and independent creators. Each one has its own point of view and its own purpose.
That is why smart readers compare accounts. If you only read one report about an event, you only get one side of the story. When you read two or three reports, you can spot which facts everyone agrees on and which details change depending on who is telling the story.
2 · Watch
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Where it sits
Where this leads
20 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.