Name: Hannah Reeves (Reese) Grade/Subject: Reading Mini lesson
Date of Lesson: 3/28/19
Lesson Title: Author’s Purpose
State Standard: Standard 10: Analyze and provide evidence of how the author’s choice of
purpose and perspective shapes content, meaning, and style.
Learning Objective(s): The student will be able to find the author’s purpose in a Scholastic
order and write the title, author’s purpose and give an explanation for their findings on a graphic
organizer.
Essential Question(s)/Learning Target: How do I find the Author’s purpose and back it up
with evidence from the text?
Assessment:
-Students will find the author’s purpose in scholastic orders. They will then explain why they
knew that was the author’s purpose by using evidence from the text to back it up. The trifold will
be taken as a grade.
Materials and Supplies/Technologies and Outside Resources:
-Author’s purpose flipchart
-Flocabulary video https://www.flocabulary.com/unit/authors-purpose/
-Scholastic orders
-Blank pieces of paper to make the PIE trifold
Opening:
-Good morning class. Go ahead and glue in your notes and then come have a seat on the carpet.
-In the past couple of weeks we have looked at the theme and the main idea of a book.
Remember that the theme is the moral or lesson and the main idea is the big idea that is specific
to a particular text.
-This morning we are going to be talking about Author’s purpose. The question that I want you
to be thinking about as we go through today’s lesson is: How do I find the Author’s purpose and
back it up with evidence from my text?
Instructional Input:
-Let’s begin by watching a Flocabulary Video on Author’s purpose.
-As we saw from the video there are three different purposes that an Author might write a book.
What are those three purposes?
-How is the author’s purpose related to the theme?
-An author writes to persuade, inform, or entertain. We can remember these three things by the
acronym, “P.I.E.”
-To persuade is to convince the reader of a certain point of view. To inform is to teach or give
information to the reader. Lastly, to entertain is to hold the attention of the reader through
enjoyment.
Why is the Author’s purpose valuable/ important?
-Good readers consider the Author’s Purpose as they read. Finding the Author’s Purpose helps us
understand what the text is about.
Modeling:
-Today we will be using Scholastic orders to find the author’s purpose. I am going to model for
you how to do this. Sit quietly and watch as I think out loud to myself. Your thoughts should be
following my thoughts as I find the author’s purpose.
-Hmmm. I see that this book is titled, “The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors.” I know that there
are three different purposes that authors could have. I can see that the author is not trying to
inform me of something because this is a fictional book. I can see that the author is not trying to
persuade me one way or the other. That leaves one more option. I think the author’s purpose is to
entertain the readers. I know this because the excerpt says, “Read the legend of the warriors who
started it all,” meaning it is going entertain the reader.
Development of Critical Thinking and Problem Solving:
Question Level
How is the author’s purpose related to the theme? Analyze
Why is the Author’s purpose valuable/ important? Analyze
What is the Author’s purpose behind this excerpt? Analyze
Why?
Guided Practice:
-Alright class, now I want you to go back to your desks. Let’s look this excerpt together. This
book is called, Instagraphics: A Visual Guide to Your Universe. I want you to turn and talk with
the person next to you and answer this question: What is the Author’s purpose behind this
excerpt? Why/ How do you know?
*Call on a few groups to check for understanding
Auditory: Read it outloud to them
Visual: Have it displayed on the board along with the organizer
Kinesthetic: Pass out orders so they can have it in front of them
Accommodations- Students needing accommodations are placed in the front of the classroom;
close to the teacher and close to the board.
Closure:
-Great job today. My question from the beginning was, “How do I find the author’s purpose and
back it up from the text?” We learned that we must think like the author and try to understand
what his/her purpose behind writing the text is. Good readers always think about why the author
has written the text while reading.
Independent Practice:
-Now it’s your turn. You are going to search in these Scholastic orders to find the three different
types of Author’s Purpose. You are looking for one excerpt where the Author is trying to
persuade you, one excerpt where the author is trying to inform you and one excerpt where the
author is trying to entertain you.
-You will fill out this graphic organizer. You must include the title of the book, the Author’s
purpose, and an explanation of why you think that.
-This is a grade, so turn it into reading when you’ve finished.
-Once you have finished, you need to move back into independent reading.
Types of Accommodation:
ESOL: Placed in the front of the class
Early Finishers: continue with independent reading
Adept 4.0 Reflection
The planning and execution of this lesson took time and thought, but I think it went very
well. During my preconference, Dr. Aust discussed my lesson with me. She brought up a
development that I could make to my lesson that would enhance the learning objective I wrote
for my students. She explained that the learning objective should be something that is easy to
measure. My original learning objective stated: The student will be able to find the author’s
purpose in a Scholastic order and fill out a corresponding graphic organizer to explain the
purpose. My improved learning objective states: The student will be able to find the author’s
purpose in a Scholastic order and write the title, author’s purpose and give an explanation for
their findings on a graphic organizer. Thus giving specific ways that I would measure their
knowledge, it was a better learning objective.
My instruction was beneficial because I modeled how to find the author’s purpose in the
orders, we did one together and then they were sent out to find 3 individually. My instruction
was effective because my final scores on this assignment showed mastery. I had 9 students who
scored between a 90-100 to get an A, 7 students who scored between an 80-90 to get a B, 4
students who scored between a 70-80 to get a C, and 2 students who scored between 60-70 to get
a D. As I was monitoring my students progress, I answered few questions and observed the
majority understanding what was asked of them. Before I sent them off to do the assignment on
their own, I checked for understanding by having them look at an excerpt I had on a flipchart and
turning and talking with the person next to them to come up with the author’s purpose.
During my post conference with Dr. Aust, I felt very encouraged about this lesson. The
only suggestion that she gave me was to not say “fantastic” as much. When the students would
answer a question correctly or if I saw the progress they were making on the assessment, I would
affirm them with “fantastic.” For the lessons to come, I will enhance my vocabulary and use a
variety of affirming words. This was great feedback to make me start thinking about the
feedback I give my students. I am learning to give them more specific feedback more than
general feedback. Along with this improvement, I think that next time I could differentiate
instruction better. It was difficult for me to work with my two lowest learners because I felt that
more of my bubble group needed my assistance. In the future I could place these two at the
teacher table. I could start them on the assignment while I circulate around the room, then I could
come back and check on them. This way they are both in the same location and I could help both
of them at the same time. The last improvement that I could make to this lesson is pacing. My
pacing wasn’t drastically off but I wasn’t able to have much of a closure with the class; however,
I was able to carry the lesson on to the next day. I could set timers for my students on the board
so that they know how long they are able to work on the assignment. It would also help me to
keep my pacing on track.
In conclusion, I think this lesson went very well. My students learned the material and the
instruction was effective. There were a couple of improvements that I could make for the next
lesson. I understand the responsibility of reflection and positive change for impacting student
growth.
