aUTHOR'S pURPOSE

Grade 5 Read/Write

Unit 3: Early American Civilizations: Maya,
Aztec, and Inca

October 29, 2024

7

“Author’s Purpose” Anchor Chart from HMH Into Readingadapted and usedwith permission © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publishing Company

Authors write informational

texts with the purpose of…

Author Purpose…

Besides “P.I.E,”
what other purposes
do authors have when
writing informational texts?

12

Let’s Practice How to Explain

the Author Purpose and Message!

21

A.

To explain how trade
connected different parts of
the Maya civilization

B.

To describe how the Maya
built their cities near rivers
and seas

C.

To list all the animals and food
that could be found in the
Maya region

D.

To suggest that the Maya did
not trade with anyone outside
their region

What is the most
likely reason the
author includes

the information in

the section

“Trading from

Highlands

to Lowlands”?

22

Which sentence best states a
message in the text?

A. Changes are challenges

difficult to overcome.

B. Adaptation is a way to

survive in the
environment.

C. Learning new skills can

shape your future.

D. Planting helps farmers to

keep them occupied.

Read the following
paragraph from page 13.

In highland areas, the Maya
cut terraces into the slopes of
mountains. They practiced
multicropping on this flat land,
planting and harvesting the
land multiple times throughout
the year. Their crops included
beans, tomatoes, squash, chili
peppers, and pumpkins.
Maize, or corn, was the main
food throughout Mesoamerica.

(Amplify Reader Unit 3 p.13)

23

What is the main reason the author
included the information in the text?

A. To show that the Maya only

grew maize in the highlands

B. To share how the Maya used

rivers to water their crops

C. To prove why the Maya

stopped farming in the
mountains

D. To highlight how the Maya

adapted their farming
methods

Read the following

paragraph from page 12.

It is important to remember
that the Maya were not the
first civilization to live in
Mesoamerica. The way they
lived was often very
similar to the way others in
the area lived. The Maya did
not invent the pyramid, nor
were they the first to practice
writing. Instead, the
Maya often improved upon
practices originally borrowed
from other cultures.

(Amplify Reader Unit 3 p.12)

24

In forested areas, the Maya
used a technique known as
slash and burn. They
slashed, or cut down, trees
and then burned the area.
Then they planted new
crops. Ashes left from the
fire added nutrients to the
soil. After several years, the
crops used up the nutrients
in the soil. The Maya then
repeated the process in
another area. (Amplify Reader Unit 3 p.13)

Read the following paragraph from page 13. What is the most likely
reason the author includes the information? Provide evidence to
support your answer.

The most likely reason the author
includes the information is to explain
how the Maya used the slash and
burn technique to manage and farm
forested land. According to the text,
the Maya followed a step-by-step
process. This shows how their
agricultural system helped sustain
crops over time.

25

Closing

What is the

difference between
author purpose and

message?

26

Given an informational

text, students will
correctly explain the
author’s purpose and
message within a text in
at least 4 of 5 questions.

Demonstration of Learning