Students are often asked to identify the author’s purpose or mode of writing on standardized reading assessments. Three of the choices will invariably be to entertain (narrative, poetry, drama), to persuade (advertisement, speech, or essay), and to inform (instructions, nonfiction). First, I teach students to recognize the author’s purpose with the following lesson.
Author’s Purpose Lesson – Slide show presentation on author’s purpose and modes of writing. Includes a 10 questions review activity after the lesson.
Author’s Purpose Lesson PPT
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Author’s Purpose Lesson 2 – I revised my original presentation to make what I believe is an improved version. This slide show also contains ten practice problems after the lesson.
Author’s Purpose Lesson 2 PowerPoint
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Answers
After reviewing one of the above lessons with your students, give them some Author’s Purpose Worksheets to help reinforce what they have learned.
Common Core State Standards Related to Author’s Purpose
Expand to View All Common Core State Standards Related to Author's PurposeCCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.6 – Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.4 – Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.4 – Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Reading: Informational Text Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2.6 – Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.6 – Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.7.6 – Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.6 – Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.6 – Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.6 – Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness or beauty of the text.
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Common Core Lesson and Unit Plans
Understanding Common Core State Standards
Looking for more reading worksheets?
Characterization Worksheets
Point of View Worksheets
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Carmen Reyes
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