What’s the purpose?

1. What’s the purpose?

2. What is Author’s Purpose? • Most writing is intended to inform or explain, persuade, entertain, or describe. • Critical readers can identify the author’s reasons for writing text and adjust their reading method to match the author’s purpose. • When students can identify an author’s purpose for writing a text, they are better equipped to evaluate its content as they make inferences and draw conclusions.

3. Reasons authors write: •  To tell a story •  To explain how to do something •  To persuade someone to believe as they do •  To describe an object, process or place •  To express feelings

4. Expository(to explain): shares information about a topic or explains how to do something • Descriptive writing (to describe): paints a picture in the reader’s mind often making use of sensory details (what the writer sees, hears, smells, feels)

5. • Persuasive writing (to persuade): states the opinion of the writer and attempts to influence or convince the audience. • You might think of persuasive writing as informational writing with an attitude. It is intended to convince the reader that a certain point of view is the right one to have, or that some action should be taken.

6. • Narrative writing (to entertain): tells a story. Creative narrative writing has a plot, setting, and characters who have motives for what they do. Good narrative writing also has tension – a problem to be solved or a challenge to overcome. There is a point to the story. • Informative writing (to inform):. An author may give you facts or true information about a subject. If so, they are writing to inform.

7. Modes of Writing/Examples • Expository Writing (to explain): •  How-to manuals •  Cookbooks

8. Persuasive Writing (to persuade): •  Book or film review •  Restaurant reviews •  Editorial articles •  Political position papers •  Advertisements and commercials

9. Narrative Writing (meant to entertain): •  Trade books and picture books •  Novels •  Plays •  Diaries

10. Descriptive Writing (to describe): •  Menus •  Catalogs •  Travel brochures •  Some poetry •  Technical manuals

11. Informative Writing (to inform) • Informational brochures • Newspaper articles • Write editorials supported by facts / research

12. Purpose: Describe, Entertain, Explain, Inform, Persuade? • It was a beautiful morning in Austin, Texas. The sun was just rising in the sky. Juan couldn't wait to find his fishing pole and call his friend Sammy to go fishing. They had a great time on these early morning fishing trips. They took their dogs with them and the dogs would swim in the lake while they fished. It was so funny to watch those dogs paddle around the lake. • To entertain

13. Purpose: Describe, Entertain, Explain, Inform, Persuade? • The Slim-O-Matic will help you lose pounds and inches from your body in only one month. This amazing machine helps you to exercise correctly. If you buy now, you will also receive an easy video to show you the proper way to exercise. Send $75.99 and begin exercising today. • To persuade

14. Purpose: Describe, Entertain, Explain, Inform, Persuade? • The Underground Railroad was a secret organization that helped slaves escape to freedom. Many slaves were able to escape because of the conductors and stationmasters. The northern states were free states and slaves were free once they arrived in the north. Secret codes and signals were used to identify the conductors and stationmasters. • To inform

15. Purpose: Describe, Entertain, Explain, Inform, Persuade? • Guitar Hero is the best of all of the Wii games. When you play Guitar Hero, you feel like a real rock star. This game is much more fun than any others. When you choose a Wii game, make sure that you choose Guitar Hero. • To persuade

16. Purpose: Describe, Entertain, Explain, Inform, Persuade? • Leah and her brother, Jesse were playing with the water hose outside one day. Jesse was hiding from Leah so she wouldn't squirt him with the water hose. The back door opened and Leah pointed the water hose toward the door. It was Mom and she was soaking wet! • To entertain

17. Purpose: Describe, Entertain, Explain, Inform, Persuade? • Our family stayed in a lodge near the active volcano, Arenal, in Costa Rica. Just after dark, we heard a noise that sounded like very loud thunder. When we looked at the volcano, a big puff of gray smoke came out of the top. Then it looked like bright orange fireworks flying out of the volcano. Streams of orange liquid oozed down the side of the volcano. We knew that must be lava. We could also hear the sound of large boulders rolling down the sides of the mountain. • To describe

18. Purpose: Describe, Entertain, Explain, Inform, Persuade? • The giant panda is a bear like animal that has thick white fur with black markings on its ears, limbs, shoulders, and around its eyes. The giant panda feeds on bamboo forests at high altitudes in western China. It also eats bulbs, roots, eggs, and some small mammals. The cubs are born in late winter. The giant panda is an endangered species and is protected by the Chinese government. • To inform

19. You also need to know your audience. • One thing to take into consideration is about whom you are writing to. • When beginning research on a topic or before you begin to write, you need to consider the audience you will be writing for, who they are, what they do and what they need to know.

20. Who’s the audience? • My dog, Hallie, may not be a bomb dog, a guide dog, but she is talented nonetheless. For example, she always knows when the mail carrier comes and lets us know with a special whine. Whenever someone she doesn’t know comes to the door that earns a gruff bark. However, the funniest thing she does happens when the telephone rings. She runs around in circles and makes a loud yipping noise. Needless to say, we answer the phone as soon as it rings. Who is probably the best audience for the passage? • A) people who know the author and Hallie • B) vets who treat small animals • C) people who like animal stories • D) people who raise guide dogs? C) people who like animal stories

21. Which of the following would not be an appropriate audience for the text below? • Gary Soto never imagined he would become a writer since he grew up in poverty in California. In fact, as a child, books were simply not readily available to him. After the death of his father, his mother took on the difficult responsibility of providing for Gary and his two siblings. It was a struggle. The lack of money was a continuous problem. Gary spent much of his childhood working as a field laborer to help support his family. This experience convinced him that he wanted an education. During college he discovered poetry and began writing. You can read about Gary Soto's struggles as a poor Mexican-American youth in the many poems, short stories, and novels he has published. • A)middle school students • B)a classroom of preschoolers • C)language arts teachers • D)librarians B)a classroom of preschoolers

22. Which of the following sentences would be most appropriate for an audience of young children? • A)You must make sure that all children in your car have seat belts fastened. • B)Those who do not wear seat belts when driving may be issued a ticket. • C)You should always wear a seat belt in order to be safe when riding in a car. • D)All infants riding in a car must be buckled into a child safety seat. • C)You should always wear a seat belt in order to be safe when riding in a car.

23. Wish you were here? • Imagine you have gone on vacation with your parents to Egypt. The weather is incredibly hot, the hotel is in the middle of nowhere, and you and your parents spend every day sight seeing. • You are going to write two postcards home. • To your best friend. • To your grandma who has bought the vacation as a Christmas present for you and your family.

24. Wish you were here? Before you begin think about the audience. How will it affect the content of your postcard, the layout and the language you use?