Mini-Lesson Planning For Author'S Purpose (Page 3 of 5) in pdf

Day Two: Modeled Instruction

How will I show my students what they are expected to do to

answer the essential question(s)?

Read Aloud – Through My Eyes or The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Cole (or other

familiar text)

1. Use a familiar trade book (Through My Eyes (Ruby Bridges) and The Story of Ruby Bridges or

other familiar selections from Trophies, etc.). Include passages, stories and other text read in class

as examples (can be from science, social studies, math, reading lessons, etc.).

2. Review with students the definition of author's purpose. Also, review the three purposes for writing

(persuade, inform, entertain).

3. Explain that authors don't usually state a purpose, so you need to pay close attention to the details

that are given in the text in order to be able to determine the author's purpose for writing.

4. Tell students that an easy way to remember the three purposes for writing is to use the mnemonic

device P.I.E.

5. Remind students that if they know the author's purpose for writing, they will become better readers

6. Use the familiar trade book to do a think-aloud of the clues that help the reader determine the

author’s purpose. List the title under the appropriate heading on the P.I.E chart on the board.

7. Repeat this with more trade books that, articles, stories, non-fiction pieces already read with

students (familiar text). List the title under the appropriate heading on the P.I.E chart on the

board.

Special Note: It is imperative that the teacher complete this process through a think-aloud model.

Day Three: Guided Practice:

How will I help students practice answering essential question(s)? How will I

incorporate collaborative structures and checks for understanding?

Practice 1:

When determining the author’s purpose, it is helpful to pay attention to facts and opinions in the text. If the passage

has more facts than opinions, it is usually a passage that informs. If the passage has more opinions than facts, the

author probably wrote it to entertain or to persuade.

Read the passage below. Display it for students using an overhead or doc camera.

Passage:

In Tarpon Spring, Florida, there are people who work underwater. These people are called sponge divers. The kind of

treasure they look for is call sponges. Sponge diving is not an easy job. The diver has to breathe under water, and be

careful of extreme water pressure.

Practice 2:

Read and post the statements below. Determine whether each statement is a fact or opinion. Determine the author’s

purpose for writing.

In Tarpon Springs, Florida, there are people who work underwater.

These people are called sponge divers.

The kind of treasure they look for is sponges.

Sponge diving is not an easy job.

The sponge diver has to breathe under the water and be careful of extreme water pressure.

Reference:

Mini-Lesson Planning For Author'S Purpose Page 3