1. Author’s Purpose, Bias, and Fact vs. Opinion

2. Author's Purpose  In order to effectively evaluate a passage, it is essential to determine the author's purpose. There are three main purposes to an author's passage:  To inform  To entertain  To persuade

3. Want a Way to Remember it?  P (persuade) I (inform) E (entertain) S (share feelings)

4. Author's Purpose: To Inform  When writing to inform, it is the author's goal to enlighten the reader with subjects that are typically real and factual. Few opinions are expressed.  The facts in an informational passage are used to teach, not to persuade. Examples of informative texts include: cookbooks, textbooks, and historical accounts.

5. Author's Purpose: To Entertain  When writing to entertain, one goal may be to tell a story or to describe characters, places, or events (real or imaginary).  Examples of entertaining texts include: plays, poems, stories, jokes, or even comic strips.

6. Author's Purpose: To Persuade  When writing to persuade, the goal is to get the reader to agree with the writer's opinion. This type of writing is opinionated, but the author may provide facts and examples to support the opinion.  Examples of persuasive texts include: commercials, advertisements, and editorials.

7. Author’s Purpose: Sharing Feelings Sharing feelings means to tell the reader what you are thinking. Examples journals, diaries, letters

8. A title can often set the tone of the passage. Reading newspaper headings is one way to practice determining the author's purpose. In the next activity, read each headline and then select the purpose for the passage.

9. Headline #1  "Life found on Mars. Scientists discover new forms of life that once lived on Mars."  Inform  Entertain  Persuade

10. Headline #2  "The Secret of the Mysterious Pendant"  Inform  Entertain  Persuade

11. Headline #3  "A Laugh a Minute"  Inform  Entertain  Persuade

12. Fact vs. Opinion  In surveying a passage, it is sometimes helpful to notice facts and opinions. If a passage has more facts than opinions, it is more than likely an informative passage. If a passage has more opinions than facts, the passage will either be a persuasive passage or an entertaining one.

13. FACT vs. OPINION Practice FACTOPINIONPassage In Tarpon Springs, Florida there are people who work underwater. These people are called sponge divers. The kind of treasure they look for is called sponges. Sponge diving is not an easy job. The diver has to breathe under the water, and be careful of extreme water pressure.

14. What’s the Author’s Purpose?  In Tarpon Springs, Florida there are people who work underwater. These people are called sponge divers. The kind of treasure they look for is called sponges. Sponge diving is not an easy job. The diver has to breathe under the water, and be careful of extreme water pressure.  Persuade  Entertain  Inform

15. Author's Purpose Activity Use the information on the medicine bottle to determine the author's purpose. What is the purpose of this text?  To Inform  To Persuade  To Entertain

16. Use the information on the left to determine the author's purpose. What is the purpose of this text?  To Inform  To Persuade  To Entertain

17. What is Bias?  A bias is when you are partial to something over something else.  EXAMPLE: Say you like Coke over Pepsi. If you were somewhere, and wanted a soda and they only had Pepsi and you decided to drink water instead you would be showing your bias towards Coke.

18. What is bias? Tell me again-  Bias- is when you favor one side over another.  Bias means that someone is unfairly partial to one side or in has favoritism to one side. EX: The team's coach thought that the referees were biased when they made many bad calls for their team, but none for the other even though the plays were similar.

19. Remember Author’s Purpose?  Get ready…

20. Practice Time—Are you ready?  Directions: On a piece of paper number from 1 to 16. For each of the next 16 slides determine the author’s purpose for the type of writing. Write P for persuade I for inform E for entertain S for share feelings

21. PIES 1. a poster about a community walk-a-thon for charity

22. PIES 2. appointment card from the dentist

23. PIES 3. an advertisement for Coca-Cola

24. PIES 4. a book report

25. PIES 5. a story read to students by the librarian

26. PIES 6. knock knock jokes

27. PIES 7. an e-mail that tells a friend you are going to be late

28. PIES 8. diary

29. PIES  instructions booklet on how to assemble a bicycle

30.  step by step recipe

31. 11. half price ad from Wal-Mart

32.  crossword puzzle

33.  short story

34. 14. directions for taking medication

35. 15. encyclopedia

36.  letters

37. EXTRA CREDIT  How many pies were in the ENTIRE presentation? 12