What Is the Author Trying to Say?


ELAR-Grade-5 Author's Craft What Is the Author Trying to Say?
Students identify three purposes of writing—to persuade, to inform, and to entertain. Then, they examine text features and determine how they help the author convey purpose and meaning. They work in groups to identify what text features can be added to a text to make it easier for readers to understand. Finally, they read a passage and identify what essential information is missing from the text and revise the piece to improve it.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

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Here are the teacher pack items for What Is the Author Trying to Say?:

Preview - Scene 1
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Engage


Overview

In this experience, students identify three purposes of writing—to persuade, to inform, and to entertain. Then, they examine text features and determine how they help the author convey purpose and meaning. They work in groups to identify what text features can be added to a text to make it easier for readers to understand. Finally, they read a passage and identify what essential information is missing from the text and revise the piece to improve it.

Students will collaborate in small groups for Scene 3 to Scene 5.

Objectives

  • Explain the author's purpose as to persuade, to inform, or to entertain.
  • Identify text features and why authors use them in a text.
  • Analyze how the author uses text features to achieve purpose.

Duration

Two class periods.

Vocabulary Words Used in “Ruby Bridges”

  • marshals: police officers
  • escort: walk with someone for protection
  • segregated: separated
  • protesting: complaining about something publicly


Girl writing

People write for different reasons. They may write in a journal to record their thoughts, or write a text message to cheer up a friend. They can write to their mayor to request changes in their towns or cities. They can write a recipe to explain how to make a favorite dessert. 


What type of writing do you enjoy doing the most? To post more than one item, separate them with commas, like this: notebook, postage stamp

Post your answer

Examples of what students write may include sports commentary, poems, song lyrics, Tweets, stories.

Ask students why they write. Possible answers include school assignments because they have to, messages to friends because they enjoy it, and poems to relieve stress.


Just like you write for several reasons, so do other authors. In this experience, you will learn about three different writing purposes—to persuade, to inform, and to entertain—and when authors use them.

Objectives

  • Explain the author's purpose as to persuade, to inform, or to entertain.
  • Identify text features and why authors use them in a text.
  • Analyze how the author uses text features to achieve purpose.


Read the first two stanzas of the poem “Jabberwocky,” from Lewis Carroll’s novel Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There.


`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!" 


Why do you think that Lewis Carroll wrote this poem?

A) to persuade the reader to help protect the endangered jabberwock
B) to inform the reader how to hunt a jabberwock
C) to entertain the reader with nonsense verse
D) to describe the jabberwock for readers who have never seen one

When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.

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The Complete List of Learning Experiences in Author's Craft Unit.
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