Determining What Author's Purpose REALLY Is [Before]
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This learning activity provided by:
Author:
Brooke Davis
Organization: 0
General Activity Information
Activity ID:
2983
Title: Determining What Author's Purpose REALLY Is [Before]
Digital Tool/Resource: Author’s Purpose in Informational Text PDF
Web Address – URL:
Overview: In this activity, students will be introduced to the different types of author's purposes as they relate to informational text. The students will brainstorm to determine which categories different types of informational text belong in - this is in preparation for citing evidence to explain author's perspective in an informational text. This learning activity was created as a result of the ALEX - Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) Resource Development Summit.
Associated Standards and Objectives
Content Standard(s):
English Language Arts 22. Analyze events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in informational texts, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
a. Cite evidence to explain the author's perspective toward a topic in an informational text.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
22.
Analyze
Events
Procedures
Ideas
Concepts
Informational texts
22a.
Cite
Evidence
Author's perspective
Topic
Informational text Knowledge:
22. Students know:
Informational text often describes events, procedures, ideas, or concepts.
22a.
Authors of informational text have personal perspectives or viewpoints that are reflected in their writing. Skills:
22. Students are able to:
Use specific information in informational text to describe events, procedures, ideas, or concepts.
Explain the causes and effects of the events described in text.
22a.
Identify and explain an author's perspective toward a topic in informational text.
Provide textual evidence to support their explanation of the author's perspective. Understanding:
22. Students understand that:
They can use information from the text to examine and interpret events, procedures, ideas, or concepts from informational texts.
Some informational text will explain the causes and effects of certain events.
22a.
Authors of informational text have views and opinions about the topics they write about, and their perspectives will be reflected within the text.
Learning Objectives: The students will categorize types of informational texts according to author's purpose.
Strategies, Preparations and Variations
Phase: Before/Engage
Activity:
The teacher will gather the students in a whole group setting. He/she will use the Author's Purpose for Informational Text PDF to introduce the concept of author's purpose. The teacher will introduce each category and explain what each means.
The teacher will list each category (persuade, inform, explain, entertain, describe) on a whiteboard, interactive board, or on chart paper. As the teacher introduces and explains each category, the students will brainstorm types of text that they think belong in that category. Have students write their ideas on sticky notes and place them on the chart paper under each category.
To persuade means that the author is trying to get the reader to do something. Examples: magazine advertisements, TV commercials, songs, campaign speeches
To inform means the author gives the reader information and teaches you facts. Examples: textbooks, nonfiction books/articles, dictionary, weather report, news stories
To explain means that the author writes the steps that the reader will follow. Examples: descriptions of products we buy, recipes, how-to manuals for putting something together, ACAP directions
To entertain means that the author is trying to get the reader to enjoy the text. Examples: fiction stories, comics, joke books, songs, fairy tales, poems, gossip magazine articles
To describe means that the author uses some of the senses to describe an object. Examples: scary story that describes a haunted house, poem that describes what an object smells, sounds, looks like
Assessment Strategies:
The teacher will monitor each student's brainstormed responses (on the sticky notes) to verify that they analyzed the concepts in various informational texts in order to categorize them correctly.
Advanced Preparation: *This activity should take approximately 15 minutes.
Students should be familiar with classroom procedures for the group brainstorming activity.
Teacher should download the Author’s Purpose in Informational Text PDF and decide how to share PDF with students. The PDF can be shared on an interactive whiteboard/TV, printed as a hard copy for students, or printed on a poster.
Teacher should write the categories on a whiteboard or interactive board/TV or chart: persuade, inform, explain, entertain, describe.
Materials needed:
Variation Tips (optional): The teacher will provide a "bank" of examples on notecards for extra practice for those who are struggling with this concept. The teacher can call these students to sit in a small group or one-on-one setting and have them categorize the notecards according to the author's purpose category. Have the Author's Purpose PDF pulled up for students to reference.
Acceleration: For students that need an acceleration strategy, provide the same "bank" of examples . Challenge these students to think of examples that are not on the list and write them on blank notecards.
Intervention: For students that may be struggling with the concept of the categories, give specific examples and ask specific questions. For example: Student, why do you think someone would write a recipe? Answer: To give directions or to explain how to make a meal/food.
Notes or Recommendations (optional):
Keywords and Search Tags
Keywords and Search Tags:
authors purpose, informational text
