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Identifying the Author’s Purpose – Why do authors write? – Types of author’s purpose – Authors write to Persuade, Inform, or Entertain – PIE: Persuade, Inform, Entertain – Examples: Ads to persuade, articles to inform, stories to entertain – Analyzing text for purpose | In today’s Language Arts class, we’ll delve into understanding the author’s purpose behind writing a text. It’s crucial for students to recognize that authors write with different intentions: to persuade the reader to adopt a viewpoint, to inform or educate the reader about a particular topic, or to entertain the reader with stories or poetry. Introduce the acronym PIE to help students remember these purposes. Provide examples of each type, such as advertisements for persuasion, informational articles for informing, and novels or comics for entertainment. Encourage students to think critically about the texts they read and to look for clues that signal the author’s primary purpose. This understanding will enhance their comprehension and analytical skills.

Understanding Author’s Purpose – Define Author’s Purpose – Why an author writes a text: to Persuade, Inform, or Entertain – Reasons Authors Write – Persuade: to convince readers, Inform: to educate, Entertain: to amuse – Examples: Persuade, Inform, Entertain – Ads persuade, textbooks inform, novels entertain – Analyzing Text for Purpose – Use clues in the text to determine the author’s main goal | This slide introduces the concept of author’s purpose, which is a fundamental aspect of reading comprehension. Understanding why an author has written a text helps students to engage more deeply with the material. The three main purposes are to persuade, inform, or entertain. Provide examples such as advertisements for persuasion, textbooks for information, and novels for entertainment. Encourage students to look for specific clues in the text that signal the author’s intent, such as the use of facts, emotional language, or storytelling elements. This understanding will enhance their ability to analyze and appreciate various texts.

Understanding Author’s Purpose: Persuade – Authors aim to convince – Search for persuasive language – Words that evoke emotions or opinions – Recognize convincing arguments – Claims supported by reasons and evidence – Example: Toy advertisement – ‘The must-have toy of the year!’ | This slide focuses on the persuasive purpose of authors. When authors write to persuade, their goal is to convince the reader to adopt a certain viewpoint or to take action. Teach students to identify persuasive language, which often includes emotionally charged words or phrases designed to influence. They should also learn to recognize arguments that are structured with clear claims and supported by logical reasoning and evidence. Use an advertisement for a new toy as a concrete example, highlighting how the ad uses persuasive language and arguments to entice buyers. Discuss the effectiveness of these strategies and encourage students to think critically about the persuasion they encounter in everyday media.

Understanding Author’s Purpose: Inform – Authors inform to provide information – Search for facts and figures – Data, statistics, and concrete details indicate informative intent – Recognize logical structure – Information is presented in a clear, organized way – Example: History textbook excerpt – A section explaining a historical event with dates and impact | This slide aims to help students identify when an author’s purpose is to inform the reader. Emphasize that informative texts are filled with factual information, such as data and statistics, to increase the reader’s knowledge on a subject. Show students how to look for a logical structure that guides the reader through the information. Use an excerpt from a history textbook as a concrete example, pointing out how it presents events in a chronological order with key dates and the impact of those events. Encourage students to think critically about the text and ask questions about the information presented to deepen their understanding.

Understanding Author’s Purpose: Entertain – Authors write to entertain – Stories to amuse and engage – Look for fun, imaginative elements – Creative plots and characters – Think Harry Potter or Percy Jackson – Example: Novel excerpt – Analyze an excerpt for entertainment value | This slide aims to help students recognize when an author’s primary purpose is to entertain the reader. It’s important to convey that entertainment can come in many forms, such as humor, drama, or suspense. Encourage students to think about what makes a story enjoyable for them personally. Use examples from popular novels that are known for their creative plots and engaging characters to illustrate this point. An excerpt from a well-liked novel can be a practical example to analyze in class, discussing how the author uses language and storytelling techniques to entertain. Have students share their favorite books and what they find entertaining about them to foster a connection with the material.

Identifying the Author’s Purpose – Clues in text for author’s purpose – Look for the author’s intent, statements, or the conclusion. – Analyze word choice and tone – Words carry emotions; tone can be serious, humorous, or sarcastic. – Practice with short texts – We’ll review examples together to identify different purposes. – Understanding ‘to inform, persuade, entertain’ – Authors write to inform, persuade, or entertain readers. | This slide aims to teach students how to determine why an author wrote a text. Start by discussing the different reasons an author might write: to inform, persuade, or entertain. Explain that clues to the author’s purpose can be found in the text, such as the thesis statement or the conclusion. Discuss how an author’s word choice and tone can reveal their intent. For example, persuasive texts may use strong, emotional language, while informative texts use clear, factual language. Provide short texts for students to practice identifying the author’s purpose, and discuss as a class. Encourage students to justify their answers with evidence from the text.

Class Activity: Discover the Author’s Purpose – Group activity with text handouts – Analyze texts to determine purpose – Look for clues in the text that hint at why the author wrote it – Identify reasons behind the writing – Is it to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain? – Share findings with the class | This activity is designed to engage students in collaborative learning. Provide groups with handouts containing various short texts. Each group’s task is to read their texts and discuss among themselves to identify the author’s purpose. They should consider whether the author aims to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain. After the analysis, each group will present their findings to the class, explaining the clues that led them to their conclusions. For the teacher: prepare diverse texts that clearly exemplify different purposes. Possible activities include analyzing excerpts from articles, advertisements, narratives, and instructional texts. Encourage students to justify their answers with evidence from the text.

Wrapping Up: Author’s Purpose – Recap of author’s purpose – Why it’s important – Homework: Analyze an article – Find any interesting article – Write a paragraph on purpose – Explain the author’s intent and reasoning | As we conclude today’s lesson, remind students of the three main purposes an author may write: to inform, persuade, or entertain. Emphasize how recognizing the author’s purpose enhances reading comprehension and critical thinking. For homework, students should find an article of their choice and write a paragraph explaining the author’s purpose, providing evidence from the text to support their analysis. This exercise will help solidify their understanding and apply what they’ve learned in a real-world context. Encourage them to consider the language and tone of the article to infer the author’s intent. In the next class, be prepared to discuss some of the articles and paragraphs students bring in.