Perspective Shift Worksheet
7th Grade ELA • Close Reading
Perspective Shift Worksheet
Article: "Police Stop Changed This Teenager's Life"
Name:
Date:
Class:
Period:
1
The Central Idea (The Big Takeaway)
Skill: Main Idea
Remember: The central idea is the main point the author wants you to learn. It connects the events of the story to a larger truth about life.
A. Check the box next to the BEST statement of the article's Central Idea:
A stressful encounter with law enforcement inspired a teenager and police officers to work together, building mutual empathy and real community change.
Police officers and young people in big cities face too many obstacles to ever understand one another's perspectives.
Riding bicycles in public parks can lead to misunderstandings with local authorities.
2
Key Detail & Evidence Tracker
Skill: Supporting Details
Trace how the story develops by finding direct evidence or key facts from the beginning, middle, and end:
A The Incident (Beginning) What happened during the initial stop?
Direct quote or detail showing how the stop began and how the teenager felt:
B The Turning Point (Middle) What conversation or decision changed things?
Direct quote or detail showing how dialogue replaced anger or fear:
C The Lasting Impact (End) What positive result occurred?
Direct quote or detail showing how the teenager’s life and future goals were changed:
Page 1 of 2 • Flip page for Tone & Author's Purpose
Part 2 • Author's Craft & Viewpoint
Tone, Perspective & Author's Purpose
Grade 7 ELA
3
Tone Word Detective
Skill: Tone & Diction
💡 Tone Word Bank (Author's Attitude):
Tense / Frightening Hopeful / Inspiring Confused / Surprised Determined / Brave
Passage A: During the Police Stop
What tone word from the bank best describes this moment?
Which specific word or phrase proves this tone?
Passage B: After the Resolution
What tone word from the bank best describes this moment?
Which specific word or phrase proves this tone?
4
Perspective Shift Tracker
Skill: Point of View Change
BEFORE: The Teenager's View
How did the teenager feel about police before or right during the stop?
AFTER: The Shift in View
How did the teenager's attitude change after dialogue & community work?
5
Author's Purpose & Takeaway
Skill: Author's Reason
Why did the author write this story about one teenager rather than just listing statistics? Complete the sentence stem:
"The author shared this specific story because it shows readers that..."
Page 2 of 2 • 7th Grade ELA Standards-Aligned Worksheet
