Author's+purpose+and+point+of+view

[|Quiz 1- Author's purpose]

Watch the following Power Points regarding Author's Purpose:









[|I Escaped a Violent Gang Open-ended Checklist]

Author's Purpose and Point of View

[|Three Article Selection Checklist]



__Author's Point of View:__ 

Everything you read is affected by the author’s viewpoint. An author’s viewpoint is his or her attitude or feelings toward a subject he/she is writing about. It is very important that we as good readers are able to identify the author’s beliefs in order to know where he or she is coming from. The author’s point of view and opinions are expressed in a number of ways:


 * The words they choose
 * The writing style and language
 * The format and organization of the text
 * The tone in the writer’s voice as they are speaking to us
 * The choice of details included and excluded

For Classroom Discussion: Read the following selections. Circle the words in the selection which give the reader a clue to the author's point of view.

Deer are beautiful creatures. They are so graceful to watch as they run through the forest. It’s hard to understand how anyone could harm these beautiful animals.


 * The author favors deer hunting
 * The author is not in favor of deer hunting

The deer population has grown tremendously in recent years. Each year at hunting season, hunters are able to help control the deer population and prevent many deer from starving.

 Dolphins have suffered from the carelessness of humans. Many dolphins are killed each year in fishing nets. Oil has been spilled into the ocean water, polluting the dolphin’s environment.
 * The author favors deer hunting
 * The author is not in favor of deer hunting

 Many cities have aquariums that have adopted orphaned dolphins found in the ocean. Many of these dolphins were wounded and would not have survived alone. Because of the kindness of humans these animals are alive today.
 * The author thinks people have helped dolphins.
 * The author thinks people have harmed dolphins.


 * The author thinks people have helped dolphins.
 * The author thinks people have harmed dolphins.

Read the following selections. Circle the words in the selection which give the reader a clue to the author's point of view. Then after you read, in your own words, write the author's point of view below. <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">

a. I love to watch birds! It amazes me how they can build those nests! I like to leave scraps of hair and yarn out for them to find. They’ll use these things and weave them into a nest. Being a parent is a hard job, and the birds can use all the help they can get.

<span style="background-color: #ff00ff; color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">What is the author’s point of view about birds? <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">

b. This is the time of year when many young birds are preparing to leave the nest. If you find a young bird on the ground peeping and looking deserted, leave it alone! Birds often leave the nest before they can fly. Too often well- meaning people will interfere with nature. The sounds the bird makes are not cries for help. The calls help parents locate the bird when they come back alone.

<span style="background-color: #ff00ff; color: #800080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">What is the author’s point of view about birds?

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 170.352%;">Hunting, stalking, and killing animals has been an American tradition since early man lived here. Today it exists as a “sport.” There is no longer an excuse or reason for stalking and killing an animal in his or her habitat. However, people continue to hunt animals today and they feel they have every right to continue to do so. Animals need to be protected for this attack by humans. <span style="background-color: #00ff00; color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 170.352%;">

What is the author’ purpose?
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Entertain
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Inform
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Persuade

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">What is the author’s point of view about the hunting of animals?

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 104%;">I remember my first hunting trip with my dad. He taught me to aim and shoot straight. I remember how proud I was when I brought that first rabbit home and the family feasted on my “achievement.” Today I continue to tramp through the fields or the woods. It brings back such fond memories of those trips with Dad. And I still get a feeling of satisfaction out of being able to bring something home --- whether a small rabbit or a graceful deer. Hunting brings me great joy! I wish everyone had the opportunity to experience that feeling of accomplishment.

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">What is the author's purpose?
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Entertain
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Inform
 * <span style="color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Persuade

<span style="background-color: #00ff00; color: #008000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 143%;">What is the author's point of view about the hunting of animals?

[|Author's purpose and point of view pretest]

Author's Purpose and Point of View Pretest <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 130%;">1. All of the following are three main reasons why an author writes a story, EXCEPT to a. inform.

b. persuade.

c. entertain.

d. scare his audience.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 130%;">2. What is it called when the author expresses his opinions and views?

a. entertainment

b. point of view

c. climax

d. characterization

//**<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 130%;">Identifying the author's purpose. Read the following passages and answer the questions. **// <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 130%;">3. The day began like any other school day, except she really wanted to run to the bus and get to school. She had a feeling that she was going to be named homecoming queen. The author's purpose is to

a. entertain.

b. persuade.

c. inform.

d. scare his audience.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 130%;">4. One of the most harmful creatures on earth is the fly. Flies spread harmful diseases. They pick up germs with their hair, spreading their germs everywhere. The author's purpose is to

a. entertain.

b. persuade.

c. inform.

d. scare his audience.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 130%;">5. Wouldn't you like to feel safe in your neighborhood? Please join our watch group. We need good volunteers to protect our streets and report suspicious activity to the police. The author's purpose is to

a. entertain.

b. persuade.

c. inform.

d. scare his audience.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 130%;">6. The Andes Mountains are located down the west side of South America and are the longest chain of mountains in the world. The Andes start at the top of South America and go along the coast to the bottom of South America, which spans over 400 miles. There are a lot of volcanoes found in the mountains and many are active. Like California, earthquakes are a normal occurrence and have killed many people. The reason the author wrote the selection is

a. to inform the reader how dangerous California can be.

b. to show the similarities between South America and San Francisco.

c. to describe the Andes Mountains.

d. to inform the reader that earthquakes kill people.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 130%;">7. Do you ever go out and look at the stars? The stars fascinate many people, and some say that you can tell a lot about what will happen by studying them. The sky is divided into 88 known areas that scientists study. Inside these areas are many stars, which are called constellations. Many constellations were named as far back as the 1500s. Some named constellations are the zodiac signs; Aries, Pisces, and Taurus. Other constellations that might be familiar to you are the Little Dipper, Big Dipper, and the Great Bear. The author believes that

a. the Little Dipper is the best constellation.

b. people don't care about studying stars as much as they used to in the 1500s.

c. the study of stars has fascinated people for hundreds of years.

d. you cannot tell much by looking at the stars.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 130%;">

8. Some people believe that they can't make a difference by voting, but you can. If you don't vote, your voice cannot be heard. Show you care about your community, and exercise your right to vote. The author believes that

a. people should vote.

b. you can't criticize the person in office if you don't vote.

c. you should recycle in your community.

d. one person can't make a difference.

<span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 130%;">9. Doug knew that he had waited until the last minute to type his research paper, but he couldn't think of what he wanted to write. As Doug was frantically typing away on his computer, the power went out. He hadn't saved his documents. He screamed at the computer as it faded into blackness. Maybe it wouldn't have been too bad if he had a rough draft in which to work from, but he was writing and typing at the same time. Doug swore to himself that this would never happen to him again. The author shows the importance of

a. buying a new computer.

b. not waiting until the last minute to do your assignments.

c. going to the library to do your research.

d. making the honor roll.

[|Author's purpose and point of view]

Article for Author's Purpose and Point of View
 * Reach for Heart-Healthy Snack

** Want some popcorn with your movie this holiday season? Eat up: research shows that popcorn and other snack foods, such as breakfast cereals, have the [|potential] to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and other [|chronic] diseases.

Scientists as the University of Scranton recently announced that whole-grain cereals and snacks, [|lauded] as good sources of [|fiber,] also contain powerful antioxidants known as[| polyphenols], which remove free radicals (potentially harmful chemicals) from the body.

Whole-grain products have comparable [|antioxidants] per gram to other sources of polyphenols, including chocolate, tea, coffee, and wine. Popcorn, in particular, [|reigns] supreme among whole-grain snack foods, with the highest level of antioxidants.

University of Scranton researcher Joe Vinson, lead author of the study, warns that [|consumers] must read food labels carefully to make sure the whole grain is listed as the first ingredient. If it’s listed farther down, he says there is no way to tell if there is enough whole grain to be beneficial.

“We are eating a lot of fiber; the government is urging us to do so. But it is refined fiber, where polyphenols are removed,” Vinson says. “Focus on looking for whole grains, which are rich in antioxidants.”

And if you make popcorn your go-to snack, skip the butter.

By Bhavna Batra