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ELA 5: Author’s Purpose 1371 Views
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Description:
If you're lucky, you'll find text written by an author trying to inform and entertain you. That's definitely the best combination right there. No, we're not biased at all.
Transcript
- 00:04
[Coop and Dino singing]
- 00:13
Authors can write for lots of reasons… [JK Rowling typing on a iMac]
- 00:15
...boredom, insanity…in hopes of somehow getting paid for their work…
- 00:19
…but usually an author’s purpose can be narrowed down to three things. [Coop discussing author's purpose]
- 00:22
To inform us.
Full Transcript
- 00:24
To entertain us.
- 00:25
Or to persuade us.
- 00:26
We can rely on clues within a text to get an idea about which one a particular author [Girl reading Harry Potter book]
- 00:30
is going for.
- 00:31
Let’s see what clues should tip us off when the author’s intent is to inform.
- 00:35
First, think about the things you’ve read that give you information or teach you about [Man holding magnifying glass]
- 00:38
something. This might include textbooks, newspapers, dictionaries, even a website.
- 00:43
Now think about what these texts have in common.
- 00:45
Well, for starters, they’re all non-fiction. [Dino discussing non-fiction]
- 00:48
Because non-fiction texts present documented facts, they often have citations, like footnotes
- 00:53
or a Works Cited page.
- 00:54
If they don’t, you may want to question the source. Especially if the text was handed
- 00:58
to you from the back of an unmarked white van. [Woman holding newspaper]
- 01:02
Included with a text, you might also find informative graphics, charts, or glossaries.
- 01:06
Now think of things you’ve read that are entertaining.
- 01:08
This might include novels, comic books, poetry…basically anything you read for your own enjoyment.
- 01:14
Preferably material you don’t have to hide under your pillow. [Boy hides book under pillow]
- 01:17
These texts can also clue us in to their author’s purpose.
- 01:21
First, think about whether the text has a plot. You know…like almost every story you’ve
- 01:26
ever read. Your math textbook? Not so much.
- 01:29
Not all texts that are meant to entertain have characters, but many do. Characters are [Harry Potter and Professor Snape on a book]
- 01:32
a great way to engage and entertain a reader. Plus, it’s always nice to have some folks
- 01:36
you can kill off at the end of your novel…
- 01:39
Texts meant to entertain almost always use interesting language, with sentences that [Coop discussing entertaining texts]
- 01:43
are constructed in creative ways…which can also be a clue.
- 01:46
The last tip-off that a text is meant to entertain is the use of humor.
- 01:49
If a text makes you laugh, it’s probably doing so on purpose. If not, our condolences [Girl laughs while reading]
- 01:54
to the author.
- 01:55
The third category, texts that persuade, are those that try to influence your opinion.
- 02:00
In the same way that, in real life, you might try to convince someone to do something... [Girl asks boy to clean the room]
- 02:04
… or believe something.
- 02:05
What’s tricky about texts that persuade…
- 02:07
… is that they’re often also entertaining…
- 02:10
… and can include information and facts.
- 02:12
So one key thing to look for in texts that are trying to persuade is whether or not the [Woman with lots of cats]
- 02:15
author seems to have some sort of opinion.
- 02:17
Does the author seem to pushing an agenda?
- 02:20
An author can sometimes be sneaky, too. She may try to convince you that her opinion is
- 02:25
actually right
- 02:25
Shady, huh?
- 02:26
So, remember to look for clues that might tell you about an author’s purpose.
- 02:30
Because no one writes a book by accident.
- 02:32
Not unless they’re taking some serious medication. [Man in hospital bed writing a book]
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