Author's Purpose and POV

AUTHOR'S PURPOSE & POINT OF VIEW (POV)

HINT - IT'S AS EASY AS ... PIE!

What Will We Learn Today?

1. We will learn how to identify the author’s purpose for writing different texts.​

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2. We will learn that one author’s position can differ from another.​

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3. We will learn how the author’s point of view affects the text.

What is the Author's Purpose?

-the main reason for writing the text.

Multiple Choice

What are the main reasons for writing the text?

• Entertain, Share, Dedicate

• Persuade, Inform, Entertain

• Persuade, Inform, Engage

• Enhance, Share, Declare

When the author’s purpose is to persuade, the author wants the reader to side with their position.​

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A persuasive text contains facts and the author’s opinion. With persuasive texts, the author’s position is for or against the issue or topic.

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​To Persuade:

Multiple Choice

The author of which informational article BELOW on modern technology tried to persuade us that it was harmful?

• "Teens and Technology Share a Future," by Stefan Etienne

• "The Black Hole of Technology," by Leena Khan

To Inform

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If the author’s purpose is to inform, the reader learns something from the text.​

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Informational texts often include Facts, Details, Instructions, Descriptions, Explanations.​

To Entertain

If the author’s purpose is to entertain, an author writes to interest the reader.

Multiple Choice

What do you think was the author's purpose for writing A Wrinkle in Time?

• To persuade readers that modern technology is needed to make progress.

• To entertain readers with a fictional story about technology and science fiction.

• To inform readers about mysterious disappearances.

Author's Point of View (POV)

An author’s point of view on a topic refers to what the author thinks about the topic, or their perspective on the subject.

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Point of view (POV) is what the character or narrator telling the story can see (his or her perspective). ​

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Author’s point of view is the perspective the author is writing from. It is their OPINION. Think to yourself: How do they think and feel about this topic?​

Open Ended

What is the author's PURPOSE in the passage below?

There are actually a number of different opinions on how the seven days of the week were named. The most common explanation is that in the year 700 BCE, astrologers assigned planet gods to the days of the week. Hundreds of years later, the powerful Roman Empire replaced the original day names with their own, based on their planet gods. Many languages have kept that custom, relating the seven days of the week with the sun, the moon, and the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. However, the English language long ago replaced the Roman planet names for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with those of Norse gods. (It kept the Roman planet names for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.) A number of Asian languages have a similar relationship between the days of the week and the planets.

Open Ended

What is the author's point of view (POV) in the passage below?

Are the world's oceans polluted (contaminated)? This is a question many experts have asked. There are signs of pollution in our oceans, such as a large floating body (mass) of plastic and garbage in the Pacific Ocean. There have also been oil (petroleum) spills around the world that have caused harm. However, I don't feel like these issues (problems) have hurt the oceans to the point of worry. Animals and fish are still surviving, and when I go to the beach, I don't find myself swimming in plastic.