Identifying an Author's Purpose

Why did Chinua Achebe write "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness" in response to Conrad's novel? As part of a study of Things Fall Apart, class members conduct a socratic seminar focused on Achebe's purpose and...

Analyze the author's stated or implied purpose in an informational text. Middle schoolers identify the loaded words in the example selections and determine the purpose. Use this activity as a preparation for finding the author's purpose...

The multi-lesson, 47-page packet contains everything you need to ensure kids can recognize the clues provided to identify the type of text, the intended audience, and the author's purpose in writing the passage.

Model for readers how to identify an author’s purpose in a nonfiction text.  Using a document camera, conduct a close reading and annotate a passage from N. Scott Momaday’s, “Riding is an Exercise of the Mind.” Groups then read and...

Have your class discuss the problems faced by those in war-torn nations using this resource about a librarian in Iraq. After reading Alia's Mission: Saving the Books of Iraq, learners answer cause and effect questions, summarize the...

Explore genre, subgenre, and author's purpose in this helpful learning exercise. Middle schoolers read several summaries of books and short stories, and identify the genre and subgenre. They also determine if the author's purpose is to...

Investigate how graphics in informational text enhance the author's purpose. Your class will discuss the benefits of graphics in informational texts such as text books, and use a rubric to evaluate the graphics. Additionally, they bring...

Determine the author's purpose in writing a memoir. Eighth graders work in groups  to elicit author's purpose in memoirs, taking care to note how subtle the message can be hidden throughout the work. This lesson plan is a good way to...

Examine author's purpose in newspaper articles, comic books, cookbooks, encyclopedias and other forms of written materials. Working in groups, middle and high schoolers read teacher-selected articles and write an explanation of the...

What does a text say? What does it do? Good readers use these questions to help them understand the structure of a problem/solution text. Model this approach by putting a copy of the included article on an overhead (or interactive white...