Title:

Grade:

Authors Purpose Overview

Subject:

4th
Designer:

Language Arts- Authors Purpose

Sarah Worth
Stage 1 Desired Results
Established Goals: Students will demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts through
identifying an authors purpose (4.5j).
Understandings:

Essential Understanding

Students will understand:

Being able to pick out the authors purpose in

different types of texts can help create analytical,
forward thinking learners.

That being able to identify the

authors purpose can help the
There are three main types of authors purpose: to
reader achieve a deeper
persuade, to inform, and to entertain.
understanding of the text.
Identifying cause and effect
relationships help the reader getter
Essential Questions:
a better understanding of why
the author wanted to write a
What are the three different types of authors
particular piece of writing.
purpose?
What are the differences between
persuading, informing, and entertaining?
How can you tell the difference between a
piece of writing that is meant to persuade,
inform, or entertain

Students will know

Basic text structures that can be

found in fictional texts.

Students will be able to

List and define the three different types of
authors purpose
Give examples of different types of texts that
fit into each type of authors purpose.
Apply how an authors purpose for a piece
of writing can be important in their own
lives.

Stage 2 Assessment Evidence

Performance Tasks: This week we will
Other Evidence:
begin talking about what an authors
purpose may be for writing a particular
Throughout the week, student comprehension will be
piece. Throughout the week you will learn assessed through small group observation and
what the three types of authors purpose
whole group instruction. Students will be prompted
are and different ways they can be
to recall, review, and explain the differences
identified within a variety of texts.
between persuading, informing, and entertaining the
reader. They will need to be able to differentiate
between the three types of authors purpose for
various texts. At the end of the week, an exit slip will
be given to assess student comprehension at the end
of the mini-unit.
Stage 3 Learning Plan
Learning Activities:

Monday: Introduction to Authors Purpose

Explain that we will be discussing authors purpose this week and ask if they have any ideas
as to why an author might choose to write a certain piece of writing. Write down the answers
given by students on the white board. Based on student responses, categorize the answers into
three different groupings: persuading, informing, and entertaining. Explain to the students that
these are the three main types of author purpose that will be discussed.
Pass out one of the note taking sheets to each student. Encourage the students to remember
PIE when thinking of the three different types of authors purpose: persuade, inform, and
entertain. Fill in the definition and key words for each of the types as well as examples of
different types of passages for each.
Tuesday: Authors Purpose Dice Game
For this activity, students will be randomly assigned a number 1-4. This will determine which
group they will be working in. Each student will be given a recording sheet, and each group will
have a green die and an orange die. Each side of the green die has an authors purpose on it.
Each side of the orange die has a topic. One student in the group will roll both dice, giving his or
her group the topic and purpose for that round. Each student in the group will write their own
sentence based on that criteria. A different student in the group will roll the following turn and
the process will continue for 10-15 minutes.
Wednesday: Easy as PIE Board Game
For this board game, students will again be divided into groups by randomly based on an
assigned number 1-4. Each group will have a board game, one game board token, and a Ziploc
back of author purpose cards. Explain that the students will be working together in order to get

their game piece from the beginning of the board, all the way through to the finish. Place a copy
of the game board on the Elmo and explain the rules to the students. Each student will have a
turn flipping a card and reading it to the group members. Each of the cards has a different
situation or scenario on it that would describe a different type of authors purpose. The group
members must decide and agree on which type of authors purpose it is. If they are correct, they
move their game piece to the next square with the letter of that authors purpose. (For example, if
their card was meant to inform, they would move to the next open I space). Students will
continue to work on the game in a group for 10-15 minutes.
Thursday: Paper Plate Book Activity
For this activity, students will work in pairs. Each student will need a paper plate, scissors, a
glue stick, a marker, and a copy of the Scholastic book order. Have a model ready on the Elmo.
Explain to students that they will be using the marker to section off their plate into three sections.
Each one will be labeled with one of the different types of authors purpose. Next, each student
will look through the Scholastic book order and cut out books they think would fit in each
category. Finally, they will glue the books onto the plate and make a small collage for each of the
sections.

Friday: Review and Exit Slip

Spend a few minutes reviewing the important aspects of authors purpose that have been
discussed throughout the week. Ask students to recall some of the key vocabulary terms that can
give away an authors purpose, as well as what the three major author purposes are. Once the
review has been completed, hand out the exit slip and have students work independently on the
assignment and turn it into the turn in basket when complete.