1. Author’s Purpose

2. An author write a piece for 3 main reasons:
1. to inform or teach
2. to entertain people
3. to persuade or convince

3. Author’s Purpose Questions
To identify the author’s purpose, try asking:
Why did the author write this anyhow? OR
What was the reason this piece was written?

4. Are you ready to give it a try?
Let’s read the paragraph on the next slide together and determine the author’s purpose!

5. There are several reasons that authors write things
There are several reasons that authors write things. They write to inform or teach someone about something. Authors sometimes write things to entertain people. Still another reason is to persuade or convince, their audience to do or not do something.

6. The main reason or purpose of this paragraph was to....
Entertain you with a story about authors’ purpose questions
Inform you about author’s purpose questions
Persuade you to enjoy taking tests that include author’s purpose questions

7. The Answer is…TO INFORM
See? You knew that my purpose in writing this was to inform you about author's purpose questions.

8. There are many pets that a child can have, but a dog is the best one of all! There are several reasons why dogs make better pets than other animals. They are always willing to play with you when you need a friend. Snakes are interesting, but they don't play with you. They just sit there coiled around your arm. Dogs can be trained to do many tricks, unlike cats who just stare at you when you try to get them to do anything that you want them to do. They are also very loyal animals that will try to protect you and your household from danger! Have you ever seen a hamster try to protect its master? If you are thinking of getting a pet remember that a dog makes the best one of all!

9. The author wrote this to…
Entertain you with a story about why dogs are wonderful pets
Inform you that dogs are the best pet a child can have
Convince you that dogs make better pets than other animals

10. The answer is…TO CONVINCE
The author was not trying to entertain you or to make you laugh. Her reason for writing this was not to inform you about what great pets dogs make, or to tell you why they make great pets. The author's purpose in writing this was to convince you that a dog makes a better pet than other animals."There are several reasons why dogs make better pets than other animals." and "If you are thinking of getting a pet remember that a dog makes the best one of all!" are two clues in the text that tell you the author's purpose was to convince you that dogs make better pets than other animals. When an author writes to convince, or persuade, s/he is trying to talk you into (or out of), doing or believing something!

11. The Day Ralph Packed His Suitcase With Snowballs!
Sammy and Ralph were snowmen. Sammy was Ralph’s cousin. Sammy was a very proper little snowman and Ralph was a rebel. Ralph always wanted to be different and Sammy always wanted to do what he was supposed to do. One day Ralph decided to pack his suitcase full of snowballs. His cousin, Sammy, told him not to. He told Ralph that all the snowballs would melt and ruin his suitcase. Ralph packed his suitcase full of snowballs anyway, and they all melted. Ralph figured out a way to solve his problem. He put his suitcase in the freezer, and the water in his suitcase turned to ice!

12. The author wrote this to…
Entertain you with a story about two snowmen who were cousins
Inform you about how Ralph solved his problem
Convince you that you should not pack snowballs in your suitcase

13. The answer is…TO ENTERTAIN
The author was not trying to persuade or convince you not to pack your suitcase with snowballs. She didn't write this to inform you about two snowmen who were cousins. The author wrote this story to entertain you with a funny tale about two snowmen!

14. Joe had been fishing for over two hours without a single bite
Joe had been fishing for over two hours without a single bite. Suddenly there was a nibble at the end of his fishing line.  He stood up on the boat and leaned out too far.  Just then there was a sharp yank on the line.  Joe fell overboard and landed head first into the water. Joe and his friends laughed and laughed.

15. To ENTERTAIN

16. The Underground Railroad was a secret organization which helped slaves escape to freedom. Many slaves were able to escape because of the conductors and station masters. 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 station masters.

17. To INFORM

18. Judy Glen's amazing Wrinkle Remover cream will make you look younger in thirty days or less. This remarkable cream has special ingredients to make your wrinkles disappear. The cost for a thirty day supply is $ Send your check to P.O.Box 00002, Shelton, CA 74836

19. To PERSUADE

20. How does knowing author’s purpose help the reader?
1. It helps prepare your mind for the type of information in the reading.
2. It makes the article easier to summarize.
3. It makes it easier for you to determine the article's main idea and important details.
Can you think of any other ways it helps?

21. CONGRATULATIONS!!! You are almost experts on determining author’s purpose! Your next mission is to work with a partner to identify passages in your Author’s Grab Bag!
GOOD LUCK!

22. References Created by V. S. Bell H. H. Beam Elementary School
Gastonia, NC

23. Games