Lesson plan
Objectives
- Students will be able to define author's purpose and identify its three main categories: Persuade, Inform, and Entertain.
- Students will be able to analyze short texts and determine the author's primary purpose using textual evidence.
- Students will be able to explain how an author's purpose influences text structure, word choice, and overall message.
- Students will be able to differentiate between texts written to persuade, inform, or entertain, even when purposes may overlap.
Materials
- Whiteboard or projector
- Markers or pens
- Handout: 'Author's Purpose PIE Chart' (blank or partially filled)
- Worksheet: 'Identifying Author's Purpose: PIE'
- Index cards or small slips of paper for exit tickets
- Various short text excerpts (e.g., advertisement, news article, poem, recipe, fable)
Warm-up
Display a short, engaging text snippet on the board, such as a catchy advertisement slogan ('Buy one, get one FREE – today only!') or a funny joke. Ask students: 'Why do you think the person who wrote this chose these words? What were they trying to achieve with this message?' Give students 2-3 minutes to jot down their thoughts or discuss with a partner. Bring the class together to share initial ideas.
Direct instruction
- Begin by defining 'Author's Purpose': the main reason an author writes a particular piece of text. Explain that authors always have a goal in mind when they write.
- Introduce the 'PIE' mnemonic: Persuade, Inform, Entertain. Explain that these are the three most common primary purposes, though sometimes purposes can overlap.
- Explain 'Persuade': The author wants to convince the reader to believe something, do something, or agree with an opinion. Discuss common features like strong opinions, emotional language, calls to action, and arguments. Provide examples: advertisements, political speeches, editorials.
- Explain 'Inform': The author wants to provide facts, teach, explain, or clarify a topic. Discuss common features like factual language, statistics, definitions, step-by-step instructions, and objective tone. Provide examples: news articles, textbooks, recipes, instruction manuals.
- Explain 'Entertain': The author wants to amuse the reader, tell a story, or evoke emotions (joy, sadness, suspense). Discuss common features like descriptive language, narrative elements (characters, plot), humor, and imaginative scenarios. Provide examples: fiction stories, poems, plays, song lyrics.
- Emphasize that to determine purpose, readers must look for textual evidence. This includes analyzing word choice, sentence structure, overall tone, and the type of information presented. Remind students that while a text might have secondary purposes, we are looking for the *dominant* purpose.
Guided practice
Display a short text excerpt on the board, for example: 'The majestic monarch butterfly undergoes a complete metamorphosis, transforming from a tiny egg into a caterpillar, then a chrysalis, and finally emerging as a beautiful winged insect. This process typically takes about 30 days.' Read the text aloud. Then, model the thinking process: 'First, I'll ask myself, is this text trying to sell me something or get me to change my mind? No. Is it trying to make me laugh or tell a fictional story? Not really. It seems to be giving me facts about something. The words 'undergoes,' 'transforming,' 'typically takes' sound like explanations. So, I think the author's purpose is to INFORM.' Next, prompt students: 'What specific words or phrases in this passage support my idea that the author wants to inform?' Guide them to identify phrases like 'complete metamorphosis,' 'transforming from...to...', and 'This process typically takes about 30 days' as evidence. Repeat with one more example, allowing students to contribute more actively.
Independent practice
Distribute the 'Identifying Author's Purpose: PIE' worksheet. Instruct students to read each short passage carefully. For each passage, they must identify the author's main purpose (Persuade, Inform, or Entertain) and provide at least two pieces of textual evidence that support their choice. Circulate around the room, offering assistance and clarification as needed. Encourage students to highlight or underline evidence directly in the passages.
Closure
Bring the class back together for a quick review. Ask students to share one key takeaway about author's purpose or one strategy they learned today for identifying it. Reiterate the importance of understanding author's purpose for critical reading and evaluating texts. For an exit ticket, have students write on an index card: 'Name one real-world example of a text whose author's purpose is to PERSUADE, and one whose purpose is to INFORM.' Collect cards as students leave.
Assessment
Mastery will be assessed through student performance on the 'Identifying Author's Purpose: PIE' worksheet, their contributions during guided practice, and the accuracy of their responses on the exit ticket. A formal quiz will be administered at the end of the lesson package to evaluate comprehension.
Differentiation
For struggling learners: Provide a graphic organizer with 'Persuade,' 'Inform,' and 'Entertain' categories and bullet points of common features for each. Pre-highlight key words or phrases in some passages on the independent practice worksheet to guide their evidence selection. Allow students to work in pairs. For advanced learners: Provide texts with more nuanced or slightly overlapping purposes, asking them to justify the *primary* purpose and acknowledge secondary ones. Challenge them to evaluate the *effectiveness* of the author's chosen purpose for a given audience, or to write a short paragraph with a specific, less obvious purpose.
Identifying Author's Purpose: PIE
Read each passage carefully. For each passage, determine the author's main purpose (Persuade, Inform, or Entertain). Then, provide at least two specific pieces of textual evidence from the passage that support your answer. Write your purpose and evidence in the spaces provided.
- Passage 1: The majestic humpback whale, known for its haunting songs and acrobatic breaches, can grow up to 52 feet long and weigh as much as 40 tons. These incredible marine mammals migrate thousands of miles each year from cold feeding grounds to warm breeding waters.
- Passage 2: You absolutely must visit 'The Enchanted Forest' theme park this summer! With thrilling roller coasters, dazzling live shows, and delicious food, it's the perfect destination for family fun. Don't miss out on the adventure of a lifetime – buy your tickets today!
- Passage 3: Once upon a time, in a land where candy grew on trees and rivers flowed with lemonade, lived a tiny dragon named Sparky. Sparky wasn't very good at breathing fire; instead, he sneezed glitter, which made him the most popular dragon at birthday parties.
- Passage 4: To properly bake a chocolate chip cookie, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time, then gradually add dry ingredients. Drop spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes.
- Passage 5: Voting is not just a right, it's a responsibility. Every citizen has the power to shape our future by participating in elections. Your voice matters, and ignoring the ballot box means letting others decide for you. Make sure you register and cast your vote!
- Passage 6: The annual town picnic featured a three-legged race, a pie-eating contest, and a highly competitive game of musical chairs. Old Mr. Henderson won the pie-eating contest for the fifth year in a row, much to the delight of the cheering crowd.
- Passage 7: The Earth's atmosphere is composed of roughly 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon, and trace amounts of other gases. This protective layer shields the planet from harmful solar radiation and maintains temperatures suitable for life.
- Passage 8: Don't let unsightly dirt and grime ruin your home's curb appeal! 'SparkleClean' power washing service offers fast, affordable, and incredibly effective cleaning for your siding, driveway, and deck. Call us today for a free estimate and see the difference!
- Passage 9: The old lighthouse keeper, a man with a beard as white as seafoam, told tales of phantom ships and mermaids that sang lullabies to lost sailors. His eyes would twinkle as he spun each yarn, making the children shiver with delight and fear.
- Passage 10: The average human heart beats about 100,000 times a day, pumping approximately 2,000 gallons of blood through the body. This tireless organ works constantly to deliver oxygen and nutrients to every cell.
- Passage 11: If you care about the environment, you simply must switch to reusable shopping bags. Plastic bags pollute our oceans, harm wildlife, and take hundreds of years to decompose. Make a positive impact – choose reusable!
- Passage 12: In a realm where dragons soared and magic was real, a young knight named Elara embarked on a quest to retrieve the lost Sunstone. Her journey led her through whispering forests and over treacherous mountains, encountering mischievous sprites and wise old wizards.
Author's Purpose Quiz
- What is the primary purpose of a commercial advertising a new brand of sneakers?
- To inform the public about shoe manufacturing.
- To persuade consumers to buy the sneakers.
- To entertain viewers with a funny story.
- To describe the history of athletic footwear.
Answer: To persuade consumers to buy the sneakers. - A newspaper article reporting on the results of a local election is most likely written to:
- Persuade readers to vote for a specific candidate in the next election.
- Entertain readers with dramatic stories about the candidates.
- Inform readers about the facts and outcomes of the election.
- Analyze the psychological impact of voting on citizens.
Answer: Inform readers about the facts and outcomes of the election. - Which of the following texts most clearly has the author's purpose to entertain?
- A scientific paper explaining the life cycle of a frog.
- A travel brochure promoting a vacation destination.
- A children's fairy tale about a talking bear.
- A user manual for assembling a bookshelf.
Answer: A children's fairy tale about a talking bear. - When an author uses strong emotional language, calls to action, and presents arguments, their primary purpose is usually to:
- Inform
- Entertain
- Persuade
- Describe
Answer: Persuade - A recipe for baking a cake has which primary author's purpose?
- To persuade you that baking is fun.
- To inform you how to bake a cake.
- To entertain you with a story about a cake.
- To describe the ingredients of a cake.
Answer: To inform you how to bake a cake. - What type of evidence would you look for if an author's purpose is to inform?
- Humorous anecdotes and vivid imagery.
- Facts, statistics, and clear explanations.
- Emotional appeals and calls to action.
- Figurative language and suspenseful plot twists.
Answer: Facts, statistics, and clear explanations. - An author writes a poem describing the beauty of a sunset. What is the most likely author's purpose?
- To inform readers about the scientific process of a sunset.
- To persuade readers to watch more sunsets.
- To entertain readers by evoking emotion and imagery.
- To document the exact time and location of the sunset.
Answer: To entertain readers by evoking emotion and imagery. - If an author includes a section titled 'Why You Should Adopt a Pet' with statistics on shelter animals, their purpose is most likely:
- To inform about pet care.
- To entertain with pet stories.
- To persuade readers to adopt a pet.
- To describe different pet breeds.
Answer: To persuade readers to adopt a pet.
Author's Purpose in the Real World
Dear Families, This week in English Language Arts, we learned about 'author's purpose' – the reason an author writes a text. We focused on three main purposes: Persuade (to convince), Inform (to teach/explain), and Entertain (to amuse/tell a story). Understanding author's purpose is a crucial skill for becoming a critical reader and consumer of information in our everyday lives. For this homework, your child will apply what they learned by identifying author's purpose in various real-world texts they encounter outside of school. Please encourage them to think critically about why different messages are created.
- Find a news article (online or in print). Read it and identify if its primary purpose is to Persuade, Inform, or Entertain. Write down the title and author, state the purpose, and list two sentences from the article that serve as evidence.
- Watch a commercial on TV or online. What product or service is it advertising? What is the author's purpose (usually persuade)? What specific techniques (music, slogans, images) does it use to achieve that purpose?
- Read a short story or a chapter from a novel. What is the author's primary purpose? How do you know? Write down two sentences that show the author is trying to entertain you.
- Look at a product review (e.g., for a movie, a restaurant, or a gadget). Is the reviewer's purpose to Persuade (you to buy/avoid it), Inform (about its features), or Entertain (with a witty review)? Explain your reasoning with evidence from the review.
- Find a recipe or a set of instructions for building something. What is the author's purpose? How does the author's word choice and text structure (e.g., numbered steps) help achieve this purpose?
- Find a social media post (e.g., from a celebrity, a brand, or a friend). What is the author's purpose? Could it have multiple purposes? If so, which is the dominant one? Explain.
- Choose a song you like. What do you think the songwriter's main purpose was in writing the lyrics? To tell a story, express an emotion, or try to convince you of something? Provide specific lyrics as evidence.
- Look at a public service announcement (PSA) – for example, one about wearing seatbelts or recycling. What is its main purpose? How does it try to achieve that purpose?
Vocabulary
- Author's Purpose · noun
- The main reason an author writes a particular piece of text.
- "Understanding the author's purpose helps readers interpret the text more effectively."
- Persuade · verb
- To convince someone to believe or do something, or to agree with an opinion.
- "The advertisement tried to persuade me to buy the new smartphone by highlighting its amazing features."
- Inform · verb
- To provide facts, teach, explain, or clarify a topic.
- "The science textbook aims to inform students about the principles of physics."
- Entertain · verb
- To amuse the reader, tell a story, or evoke emotions (joy, sadness, suspense).
- "The comedian's goal was to entertain the audience with his witty jokes."
- Evidence · noun
- Facts, details, or information from a text that supports a claim or idea.
- "The student used specific textual evidence to prove the author's purpose."
- Textual · adjective
- Relating to or found in a text.
- "We must always look for textual evidence to support our interpretations."
- Analyze · verb
- To examine something in detail, typically for purposes of explanation and interpretation.
- "Readers analyze the author's word choice to understand the tone and purpose."
- Audience · noun
- The person or group of people for whom a piece of writing is intended.
- "An author considers their audience when deciding on the purpose and style of their writing."
- Opinion · noun
- A belief or view about something, not necessarily based on fact.
- "Editorials often express the author's strong opinion on a current issue."
- Fact · noun
- A piece of information that is known or proved to be true.
- "News reports typically present facts, while opinion pieces present views."
- Bias · noun
- Prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair.
- "Understanding author's purpose helps identify potential bias in a persuasive text."
- Evaluate · verb
- To form an idea of the amount, number, or value of; assess.
- "Critical readers evaluate a text's claims based on the author's purpose and evidence."
Activities
- Purpose Charades · 10 minutes
Divide students into small groups. Provide each group with a slip of paper indicating one of the three purposes (Persuade, Inform, Entertain) and a type of text (e.g., 'a TV commercial,' 'a news report,' 'a joke'). Groups then silently act out a scene representing their assigned purpose and text type. The other groups guess the purpose. This helps kinesthetic learners connect actions to purposes.
- Text Sort Challenge · 10 minutes
Prepare 6-8 short text snippets (1-2 sentences each) on separate cards, each representing one of the PIE purposes. Give each small group a set of these cards. Students must quickly sort the cards into three piles labeled 'Persuade,' 'Inform,' and 'Entertain.' The first group to correctly sort all cards wins. This reinforces quick identification and categorization.
- Purpose Scavenger Hunt · 10 minutes
Students work individually or in pairs. Instruct them to find one example of a text whose purpose is to Persuade, one to Inform, and one to Entertain within the classroom (e.g., a poster, a textbook definition, a book on the shelf). They should jot down where they found it and one piece of evidence. This connects the lesson to their immediate environment.
- Purpose Partner Share · 10 minutes
Provide each pair of students with a new, short text excerpt (different from the worksheet). One student identifies the author's purpose and explains their reasoning with evidence. The other student listens, challenges, and adds to the explanation. Then, they switch roles with a new text. This encourages peer teaching and deeper analysis.