5.10 A Author's Purpose

Grade 5

Reading Lesson

5.10 A

The student will be able to explain the author’s purpose to include a specific stanza or line using

verbs from “Why author’s write chart” and a constructed response.

Poetry Genre Study

Suggested Text: “Voice From Home”(A Movie in My
Pillow HMH Grade 5 Module 8 Week 1)

∙ In previous units, we have discussed author’s
purpose. We know that the author can have a main
purpose for writing the entire text, but when we
break it down and look at smaller portions, the
purpose can be more specific. We know stories are
usually told to entertain and informational texts are
written to inform, but there is more to it than that.

∙A lot of time poetry is written to express emotions or
teach a lesson or even make us laugh or think. But
we want to look at specific reasons why a poet
might write or include something.

∙To do this, we have to look at the vocabulary used
and make sure we understand it.

.

“Author’s Purpose” Anchor Chart from HMH –

used with permission © Houghton Mifflin

Harcourt Publishing Company.

“Author’s Purpose” Anchor Chart from HMH – used

with permission © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publishing Company.

5.10 A Review Anchors

Suggested Text: “Voice From Home”(A Movie in My
Pillow HMH Grade 5 Module 8 Week 1)

.

“Author’s Purpose” Anchor Chart from HMH –

used with permission © Houghton Mifflin

Harcourt Publishing Company.

“Author’s Purpose” Anchor Chart from HMH – used

with permission © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publishing Company.

Graphic Organizer created by the Houston ISD Elementary Curriculum Department using MS Word

5.10 A Author’s Purpose - Check out my Thinking!

Suggested Text: “Voice From Home”(A Movie in My Pillow HMH Grade 5 Module 8 Week 1)

.

∙Let’s look at some examples from poems and see why the author might choose to include specific stanzas or
lines.

∙ Read “Voice from Home”. I will give everyone a chance to read it on your own and you can think about the
structural elements and what the title tells you.

∙Think aloud about stanza 4 – what is the purpose of including these lines? What do we the reader get from
these lines?

Graphic Organizer created by the Houston ISD Elementary Curriculum Department using MS Word

Line/Stanza

Stanza 4

What do I understand from this? I can hear his grandmother’s voice reminding him of certain words in Nahuatl. She

chose the word stone and heart to remind him of.

What is the most likely reason

the poet includes the information

in stanza 4?

I think the poet is showing the reader that his Grandmother is worried he will
forget the language he spoke in El Salvador with her. I think it also highlights how
much his grandmother doesn’t want him to forget. She might feel like if he forgets
the language, he will forget her as well. The poet might have included those
specific words to help the reader visualize how his grandmother feels. She has a
heavy heart without him.

5.10 A Author’s Purpose-

Suggested Text: “Voice From Home”(A Movie in My Pillow HMH Grade 5 Module 8 Week 1)

.

∙Now I can take my thinking from the graphic organizer and add it to my constructed response.

What is the most likely reason the poet includes the information in stanza 4?

The most likely reason the poet includes the information in stanza 4 is poet is to show
the reader that his Grandmother is worried he will forget the language he spoke in El
Salvador with her. I think it also highlights how much his grandmother doesn’t want
him to forget. She might feel like if he forgets the language, he will forget her as well.
The poet might have included those specific words to help the reader visualize how
his grandmother feels. She has a heavy heart without him.

Make sure to include your evidence!

5.10 A Author’s Purpose - Check out my Thinking!

Suggested Text: “Voice From Home”(A Movie in My Pillow HMH Grade 5 Module 8 Week 1)

.

∙Let’s look at some examples from poems and see why the author might choose to include specific stanzas or
lines.

∙ Read “Voice from Home”. I will give everyone a chance to read it on your own and you can think about the
structural elements and what the title tells you.

∙Think aloud about stanza 3 – what is the purpose of including these lines? What do we the reader get from
these lines?

Graphic Organizer created by the Houston ISD Elementary Curriculum Department using MS Word

Line/Stanza

Stanza 3

What do I understand from this?

What is the most likely reason

the poet includes the information

in stanza 3?

5.10 A Author’s Purpose- YOU DO!

Suggested Text: “Voice From Home”(A Movie in My Pillow HMH Grade 5 Module 8 Week 1)

.

∙Let’s reread “Voice From Home” and think about stanza 3 and why the author might have written these
lines. Using the poem, “Voice From Home”, students answer the following question.

What is the most likely reason the poet includes the information in stanza 3?

The most likely reason the poet includes the information in stanza 3

Open Ended

5.10 A

What is the most likely reason the poet includes the information in stanza 3?