First person point of view is when a character who is part of the action tells the story. Middle schoolers often read "The Outsiders," a novel by S.E. Hinton, in which Ponyboy narrates the story from inside the Greaser gang, explaining events from his own perspective. Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" also has the main protagonist, Scout, telling the story. Middle schoolers can identify first person point of view by the personal pronouns "I," "me" and "we."
Second person point of view occurs when the author is talking directly to the audience and using the imperative voice or command tone, using pronouns like "you" and "your." Persuasive speeches or self-help books are often written in second person. For example, middle school students can see that Steven Covey's "Highly Effective Habits for Teens" is written in second person, like coaches' locker room speeches.
Third person point of view is often used in fiction and nonfiction. Middle school students can identify third person, characterized by the pronouns "he," "she" and "they," as a story told by a narrator who is not involved in the story. For example, the Harry Potter series tells the story of Harry and his friends at Hogwarts, narrated by someone outside of the scene. Likewise, Mark Twain's "Tom Sawyer" tells of Tom's adventures via third person point of view.
Middle schoolers reading "The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson, can see that author just telling the facts without feelings, in an objective third person voice. Limited or subjective point of view reveals the thoughts and feelings of one particular character, such as middle school favorite "The Most Dangerous Game," which features main character Rainsford's thoughts and feelings while he is being chased. Middle schoolers can identify omniscient point of view when the internal workings of more than one character are revealed.