Summary
Students begin the lesson by exploring book titles and discussing why authors write the books they do. Students will use a card sort activity and view a video clip to discover three purposes for writing. Students create individual anchor charts in the form of a paper plate Purpose PIE. The Purpose Pies help students understand three purposes for writing; persuade, inform or entertain an audience. Students then write short paragraphs using one of the writing purposes.
Essential Question(s)
Why is it important to know your audience and purpose for writing?
Snapshot
Engage
Hook students with a persuasive letter you read to them to engage them in a conversation about the writer’s purpose for this letter.
Explore
Students use a card sort of 10 different book covers to categorize into groups
Explain
Students watch a video and make a Paper Plate Purpose PIE anchor chart. They revisit their card sort and label the categories.
Extend
Students write a short paragraph using one of the purposes learned.
Evaluate
Students share their paragraphs while their classmates discuss and determine the purpose of the writing.
Materials
Prewritten purpose centered letter by the teacher (choose any topic for the letter that will engage your students)
Cheap white paper plates
Note/index cards
Card Sort (attached) or book order forms can take the place of the attached card sort.
Markers to write on the paper plates
Pencils
Author’s Purpose with PIE video https://youtu.be/Sr9MU0xuW5M
Computers or short informational books for students to use for researching their topic
Engage
5 Minute(s)
After reading the letter to the class, give the class the impression that you are wondering about the purpose of this letter.( Try to really emphasize your wondering by putting on your actor hat). Then have the students share with their Elbow Partner what they think the purpose of the letter might be?
Ask a few pairs of students to share their ideas with the class then continue the discussion by telling students that this letter has a purpose, just like books and stories do.
Explore
15 Minute(s)
The begin the Card Sort activity, divide your students into groups to sort the cards. Give each group a set of cards to sort and categorize any way they want. The students should be able to explain to the class how and why they grouped the books the way they did. Have each group select a spokesperson to share their grouping strategy and categories with the class. Record on the board or chart paper the categories students used to sort the books.
Explain
20 Minute(s)
Procedure for making the Paper Plate Purpose Pies while watching the video.
Before watching the video, give each student a paper plate.
Students divide the plate into three even sections. Some guidance will be needed here if they have never divided something into thirds before.
Students will use a thin marker to fill in their pie while watching the video.
While watching the video, stop at specific intervals to discuss each purpose.
Allow time for students to label each section and record ideas and examples from the discussion of the video on their Paper Plate Purpose Pie.
Students will be using their Paper Plate Purpose Pies throughout the rest of the lesson.
Next have students revisit their card sort and resort the cards into three categories: Entertain, Inform Persuade.
Students add labels for each group or place them on their paper plate pies.
Extend
40 Minute(s)
Students will use what they learned from the video and discussion to help them write a paragraph or letter that communicates a specific purpose. Ask students to decide which of the following purposes they are going to write:
Is it to convince or persuade someone of a point of view
To inform or give information to the reader
To entertain by holding the attention of the reader through enjoyment
Students write their paragraphs individually or in pairs on a large note-card or piece of paper. Their paragraphs should be concise and able to fit on a 5x7 notecard.
Allow for time to research information, especially if they have chosen to write an informative paragraph.
As student are writing they should keep their purpose secret or only known to only those within their group. Later, in the Evaluate part of this lesson, students will determine through the writing clues, what purpose the writing shows.
Evaluate
20 Minute(s)
Students or pairs will read their letters or paragraph out loud to the class. The class should use their Paper Plate Purpose Pies to help them decide the purpose of the writing. This leads to a class discussion as students share their evidence and reasoning behind their decisions. If each student individually wrote a paragraph and if your class is large, you may want to split the class into three groups and then follow the procedure above.
For a final evaluation, students can be given another set of book cards or actual books to sort into these three purposes. As students share, why they sorted their books as they did, check for mastery and understanding during this time.
Revisit the essential question and have students complete an Exit Ticket answering the question. Why is it important to know your audience and purpose for writing?
Opportunity for Differentiation
Three Topics for One Purpose
Talk about how a topic might be presented in several different ways, depending upon what the author wanted to say. Use the example of a dog, because most kids like dogs and are familiar with them. Make an anchor chart showing how we might persuade someone using this topic. It might be that dogs are the best pets, or maybe it's to persuade their parents to get them one.
Then talk about how an author would write to inform us about dogs. Maybe he/she might write about different types of dogs, or how dogs are related to wolves.
Then, discuss how an author would write to entertain us using the topic of dogs. Could they write a poem, joke, or a comic to tell the story of a talking dog? Or maybe it's a fairy tale about a dog?
Resources
Aaker, B. (2020, April 18). Author’s Purpose with PIE [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr9MU0xuW5M
K20 Center. (n.d.). Bell ringers and exit tickets. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/125
K20 Center. (n.d.). Card sort. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/147
K20 Center. (n.d.). Elbow partners. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/116