Kimberly Nobili

Authors Purpose Lesson Plan

Objective
Students will be able to know, identify, and create the 3 aspects of authors purpose.
Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and
when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas
and expressing their own clearly.
Materials

chart paper

markers

computer, projector, power point on authors purpose

sample short excerpts to practice

Pie worksheets

Story excerpts

Paper

pencils

Introduction (5 minutes)
They will watch a video that will draw them in and introduce them to authors purpose.
The video can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0XziDwFE-g. After the
video they will tell me the 3 reasons that an author writes.
Mini-Lesson: Number Draw (15 minutes)
Together we will use the website
http://www.studyzone.org/testprep/ela4/h/authorpur.cfm to go through the three reasons
that an author writes. As we discuss each one we will add them to our anchor chart.
They will also come up with some examples of when we would see that type of writing.
Small Group Practice/Centers (35 minutes)

Kimberly Nobili
Authors Purpose Lesson Plan

The students will be working in learning center groups. There are 3 different stations.
At the first station they will be reading some excerpts of different texts. They need to
determine if the author is trying to persuade, inform, or entertain. At the second station
that will create 3 different types of writing, one that persuades one that informs, and one
that entertains. They will be working as a group so the group will only need to produce
one example of each. The third group rotation will be them creating a pie with the
definitions of each kind of authors purpose listed.
Closing (5 minutes)
After they have rotated to each center we will bring it back together to review as a whole
group. Some groups will share out their writing and the other groups will decide what
the authors purpose is. They will be given a homework assignment to work more on
authors purpose.