Author’s Purpose and Message

PRESENTATION

Author’s Purpose and Message

LESSON STANDARDS

9.8(A)9.6 9.11

WHAT WILL OUR LESSON LOOK LIKE?

Language Objective

Learning Intention

Success Criteria

Today, we will explore the concept of author's purpose and message in literature. We will learn how to identify the author's purpose and analyze the message conveyed by the author in a given text.

• I can correctly identify the author's purpose and message in a given text.
• I can use appropriate academic language to express my analysis.

I will be able to use academic language to discuss and analyze author's purpose and message.

Do Now:

• Write down the definition of author's purpose and provide an example of a situation where you have encountered it in your reading.

DEFINE

While reading a text, readers evaluate and analyze the choices authors make in order to understand how authors communicate meaning. These choices include the author’s purpose, audience, and message.

• Author’s purpose is the author’s reason for writing. Authors typically write for one or more of the following purposes: to entertain, to inform, or to persuade.
• An author’s audience is comprised of his or her listeners or readers. The author’s message is the main meaning or idea that the author is trying to express to his or her audience.
• Analyzing and evaluating an author’s purpose and audience helps you develop your own writing and thinking.
• *Watch Concept Definition Video

Vocabulary

audience

author’s purpose

author’s message

noun the people who read a written text, listen to an oral response or presentation, or watch a performance

noun an author’s reason for writing, such as to entertain, to inform, or to persuade

noun the main meaning or idea that the author is trying to express

For example, read the passage and answer the questions.

Our Carbon Footprint

Characters

• XAVIER: A high school student
• VANESSA: A high school student
• CARLOS: A high school student

[SCENE: A park bench. XAVIER and VANESSA, riding bikes, slowly come to a stop, dismount their bikes, and park them near the bench. They remove their backpacks and sit down on the bench. ]

XAVIER: [A little out of breath.]Whoo! That bike ride sure gave us a workout. VANESSA: Yeah, it was really exhilarating. I wish more of our friends would ride their bikes to places rather than get their parents to drive them everywhere. Riding bikes is good exercise and better for the planet. I read somewhere that just a two-mile car trip emits two pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. XAVIER: Wow. I bet a lot of my friends don’t even think about how their actions affect Earth. [Chuckling.]They probably don’t even know that the term carbon footprint refers to the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air because of our own energy needs—like traveling everywhere in gas-powered vehicles. VANESSA: And like using incandescent light bulbs instead of the new compact fluorescent light bulbs. Did you know they use only twenty-five percent as much electricity to give the same light? And they last ten times longer.

XAVIER: No, I didn’t. I’m going to let my parents know about that. They’re interested in reducing their carbon footprint, too. There are so many ways people can reduce their use of electricity if they just make the effort—turning off lights, TVs, computers, or any electronic gadget when they don’t need them. VANESSA: [Looking serious.]I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I and other kids our age can reduce our carbon footprint. Like how many times do my friends and I sit in a line of cars in the drive-thru with the engine running and polluting the air? Next time I’m going to ask my friends to park the car and walk inside. XAVIER: Great idea! There are habits my friends and I need to change, too, and my family ...like being more conscientious about recycling. We’ve gotten sort of lazy in my house about it lately. [Pauses and looks to the distance.]Hey, look who just drove up. It’s Carlos. [CARLOS walks up to XAVIER and VANESSA .]

CARLOS: What’s up, guys? VANESSA: [Glancing at XAVIER.] Oh, we’re just resting after a little bike ride and enjoying the fresh air. You should join us next time. It’ll do you good and prevent some carbon dioxide from polluting the air. We all need to reduce our carbon footprint on Earth. Right, Carlos? CARLOS: [A blank look.]What? XAVIER: [Laughing.]Never mind. [Grabs his lunchbox from his bike and opens it up. ]Here, Carlos; I have two sandwiches. Take one. I hope you like veggies—they’re fresh from my garden. I’m reducing my consumption of meat and dairy products. Did you know that meat and dairy produce sixty percent of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions? CARLOS: [Another blank look.]What? XAVIER: [Laughing again.]Don’t worry about it. Just eat. We can talk about your carbon footprint later. [Everybody bites into their sandwich. CARLOS smiles and gives his sandwich a thumbs-up. ]

Question Example Now look at this assessment item that deals with author’s purpose. What is the primary purpose of the stage directions in paragraph 1? A. To indicate that Xavier and Vanessa are friends B. To provide a place that Xavier and Vanessa can talk C. To introduce the two main characters in a pleasant setting D. To emphasize that Xavier and Vanessa arrive at the park on bikes

Then, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the focus of the question?
• It is asking you to determine why the author included the information in the stage directions at the beginning of the drama. You must review the language in paragraph 1 and make an inference about how it relates to the remainder of the selection.
• What is the correct answer?
• The correct answer is choice “D.” The play is about reducing one’s carbon footprint, and the information that Xavier and Vanessa arrive at the park on their bikes, not in a car, relates to that overall message.
• Why are the other choices not correct?
• Answer A is incorrect because the park setting does not show that Xavier and Vanessa are friends.
• Answer B is incorrect because Xavier and Vanessa could talk anywhere—it does not have to be a park setting.
• Answer C is incorrect because although the setting is pleasant, the purpose of the stage directions in paragraph 1 is not to introduce the characters in a pleasant set

Author’s Purpose and Message

YOUR TURN

Thanks!