Learning Activity

Determining What Author's Purpose REALLY Is [After]

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

4

Overview

"Dolphins and Porpoises" is a nonfiction text that students will read via a URL provided. Students will determine the author's purpose, which they will record on an exit ticket. 

This learning activity was created as a result of the ALEX - Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) Resource Development Summit.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.22

Analyze events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in informational texts, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.4.22

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Events
  • Procedures
  • Ideas
  • Concepts
  • Informational texts

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Informational text often describes events, procedures, ideas, or concepts.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use specific information in informational text to describe events, procedures, ideas, or concepts.
  • Explain the causes and effects of the events described in text.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • They can use information from the text to examine and interpret events, procedures, ideas, or concepts from informational texts.
  • Some informational text will explain the causes and effects of certain events.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 4

ELA21.4.22a

Cite evidence to explain the author’s perspective toward a topic in an informational text.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.4.22a

Vocabulary

  • Cite
  • Evidence
  • Author's perspective
  • Topic
  • Informational text

Knowledge

  • Authors of informational text have personal perspectives or viewpoints that are reflected in their writing.

Skills

  • Identify and explain an author's perspective toward a topic in informational text.
  • Provide textual evidence to support their explanation of the author's perspective.

Understanding

  • Authors of informational text have views and opinions about the topics they write about, and their perspectives will be reflected within the text.

Phase

After/Explain/Elaborate
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

The students will:

  • analyze an informational text to decide the author's purpose for writing the text.
  • cite evidence from the text to support their answer.

Activity Details

- The students will access the text 'Dolphins and Porpoises' via the chosen learning platform. The teacher will pull the same text up on the interactive TV or projector screen and point out the different levels and the read-aloud and highlighting tools for student use.

- The students will read the assigned level (1 or 2), highlighting evidence that supports the author's purpose as they read. 

- The students will complete the exit ticket to demonstrate their understanding of the author's purpose to inform about dolphins and porpoises. The students will answer questions about the text and list reasons that support the author's purpose. 

- The students will turn the exit ticket into the teacher at the end of the activity. If this is a digital copy of the exit ticket, have students turn it in via the online learning platform. If it is a hard copy, students will turn in the hard copy. 

Assessment Strategies

Assessment Strategies

Students will turn in an exit ticket when they complete the reading of the text so the teacher can determine if the students understand the purpose of the text.

The teacher will verify that students cited evidence from the text to support their answers.

Acceleration

These students will choose the level 2 text. 

**You cannot switch between the two Lexile levels. Students must click on "keep reading" to see the entire article, and students must click on the correct Lexile level at the top of the article.

Intervention

These students will choose level 1, and will be encouraged to use the read-aloud and highlight features located in the right-hand corner. The digital highlight feature can be located in "Highlights & Notes" at the top right of the article. Students can use a mouse to highlight text, and then change the color and add notes as they read. 

Variation Tips

- This article could be used to compare/contrast dolphins and porpoises. 

 

 

Approximate Duration

Total Duration

16 to 30 Minutes

Related Learning Activities

Learning Activity (Before)

Determining What Author's Purpose REALLY Is [Before]

Learning Activity (During)

Determining What the Author's Purpose REALLY Is [During]

Learning Activity (After)

Determining What Author's Purpose REALLY Is [After]

Background and Preparation

Background / Preparation

- The teacher will need to know which Lexile and/or reading level each student will need to choose once they have accessed the link - level 1 or level 2 is located in the left-hand corner of the article. 

**You cannot switch between the two Lexile levels. Students must click on "keep reading" to see the entire article, and students must click on the correct lexile level at the top of the article.

- Students should be familiar with how to highlight text with the mouse. Encourage students to use the read-aloud and highlight features located in the right-hand corner. The digital highlight feature can be located in "Highlights & Notes" at the top right of the article. Students can use a mouse to highlight text, and then change the color and add notes as they read.  

- The teacher will need to provide the exit ticket for students to use after they have read the text. This can be done via a learning platform (each student will need his or her own copy) or the teacher can distribute hard copies to the students. 

- The teacher will need to have the author's purpose poster pulled up as a reference for students to look at on the interactive TV or projector screen. 

- The students need to be familiar with the various reasons an author writes a text.

Materials and Resources

Materials and Resources

-The teacher will need to post the URL on a learning platform for students to access. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/HSDLTW041226465/ITKE?u=avlr&sid=bookmark-ITKE&xid=42e994d3 

- hard copies of the text if needed

- exit tickets printed/copied

- author's purpose poster

- Teacher can sign up for a free educator's account with Canva here. https://www.canva.com/education/

Digital Tools / Resources

Dolphins and Porpoises
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/HSDLTW041226465/ITKE?u=avlr&sid=bookmark-ITKE&xi…

Approved Date

Owner (Author)

Brooke Davis
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