Author's Purpose | Standard Lesson
Students will identify and analyze an author’s purpose in a short text, then justify their thinking with evidence from the text. The lesson emphasizes how purpose shapes tone, word choice, and content.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| author’s purpose | The reason an author writes a text. |
| persuade | To convince the reader to believe or do something. |
| inform | To teach or explain facts or ideas. |
| entertain | To amuse, engage, or interest the reader. |
| text evidence | Words, phrases, or details from a text that support an idea or claim. |
Display a short excerpt and ask: What is the author trying to do here? Students write a one-sentence response.
Read the excerpt silently and write an initial claim about the author’s purpose.
Review PIE: persuade, inform, entertain. Model identifying purpose using two specific clues: word choice and details. Think aloud: 'This word sounds convincing, so the purpose may be to persuade.'
Listen, take notes, and respond to quick oral questions.
Provide a new short passage. Ask students to highlight 2–3 clues that reveal purpose. Then guide a brief discussion using evidence-based questions.
Highlight clues, discuss with a partner, and state the author’s purpose using the sentence frame: 'I think the author’s purpose is __ because __.'
Ask students to complete a short written response identifying purpose and supporting it with one quotation or detail.
Write a concise analysis in complete sentences.
Collect responses and review for accuracy and evidence use.
Submit an exit ticket identifying the author’s purpose and one piece of evidence.
Revisit the class anchor question: How do clues in a text reveal what an author wants the reader to think, learn, or feel? Have students answer orally or in writing in one sentence.
Students complete an exit ticket identifying the author’s purpose in a short passage and supporting their answer with one specific piece of evidence. Responses will be checked for accurate identification and textual support.
Read a short article, editorial, or blog post and write 3–4 sentences identifying the author’s purpose, including at least one quotation or detail as evidence.