Language Arts · Grade 6 · Uncovering Truth: Informational Texts and Media · Term 2

Analyzing Author's Purpose in Informational Texts

Identifying why an author wrote a particular text (to inform, persuade, entertain) and how it impacts the content.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6

About This Topic

Analyzing author's purpose in informational texts teaches students to identify if a writer aims to inform, persuade, or entertain. They examine how purpose shapes language choices, such as neutral facts for informing versus loaded words and emotional appeals for persuading. In Grade 6, students practice with articles, ads, and editorials, noting evidence types like statistics for information or testimonials for persuasion. This skill supports Ontario curriculum expectations for reading comprehension and critical thinking.

The topic connects reading with media literacy, as students differentiate biased reports from objective ones. They evaluate text effectiveness by asking if language matches the goal, fostering analytical habits essential for evaluating online sources. Group discussions reveal how subtle shifts in wording change purpose, building nuanced understanding.

Active learning suits this topic well. When students sort texts into purpose categories or rewrite passages for different aims, they actively manipulate concepts. Role-playing authors clarifies choices, making abstract analysis concrete and memorable while encouraging peer feedback.

Key Questions

1. Analyze how an author's purpose influences their choice of language and evidence.
2. Differentiate between texts written to inform and texts written to persuade.
3. Evaluate the effectiveness of a text in achieving its stated or implied purpose.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how an author's specific word choices and presented evidence align with their stated or implied purpose in an informational text.
• Compare and contrast the linguistic features and evidence types used in texts written primarily to inform versus texts written primarily to persuade.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of an author's approach in achieving their purpose by identifying strengths and weaknesses in their use of language and evidence.
• Classify informational texts into primary authorial purposes: to inform, to persuade, or to entertain, citing specific textual examples.

Before You Start

Identifying Main Idea and Supporting Details

Why: Students need to be able to find the central point of a text and the information that backs it up before they can analyze why an author chose to present it that way.

Fact vs. Opinion

Why: Distinguishing between verifiable facts and personal beliefs is crucial for understanding how authors use different types of information to inform or persuade.

Key Vocabulary

Author's Purpose	The main reason an author decides to write a piece of text. Common purposes include to inform, to persuade, or to entertain.
Inform	To provide facts, details, and explanations about a topic in a neutral and objective manner.
Persuade	To convince the reader to adopt a particular viewpoint, take a specific action, or agree with an argument, often using emotional appeals or biased language.
Evidence	Facts, statistics, examples, or expert opinions used to support a claim or argument within a text.
Loaded Language	Words or phrases that carry strong emotional connotations, often used in persuasive texts to influence the reader's feelings.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

All informational texts only inform.

What to Teach Instead

Students often overlook persuasive elements like opinion words in news articles. Active sorting activities expose these blends, as peers challenge placements and cite evidence, helping revise mental models through discussion.

Common Misconception

Author's purpose is always directly stated.

What to Teach Instead

Many texts imply purpose through subtle cues. Role-playing authors reveals how choices convey intent without statements. Group critiques during rewrites build detection skills via trial and error.

Common Misconception

Entertaining language has no place in informational texts.

What to Teach Instead

Humor or anecdotes can engage while informing. Gallery walks with mixed texts prompt students to identify dual purposes, with peer notes clarifying how entertainment supports information without misleading.

Active Learning Ideas

Gallery Walk: Purpose Analysis Stations

Place short texts at six stations, each with a different purpose. Students visit in small groups, noting language clues and evidence on sticky notes. Conclude with a whole-class share-out to vote on purposes.

45 min·Small Groups

Text Sorting Game: Inform, Persuade, Entertain

Provide 12 informational excerpts on cards. Pairs sort them into three purpose categories, justifying choices with text evidence. Discuss edge cases as a class to refine criteria.

30 min·Pairs

Rewrite Relay: Shift the Purpose

Teams receive an informational text. First student rewrites a paragraph to persuade, passes to next for entertain, and so on. Groups present final versions and explain changes.

35 min·Small Groups

Purpose Debate Pairs

Assign pairs one text labeled inform and one persuade. They debate similarities and differences in language, using a T-chart. Switch roles midway for balanced views.

25 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• News reporters for organizations like the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) must decide whether to present objective facts to inform the public or frame a story with a particular angle to persuade viewers about an issue.
• Marketing professionals creating advertisements for products like Tim Hortons coffee must use persuasive language and appealing imagery to convince consumers to buy their product, rather than simply listing its ingredients.
• Policy advisors writing reports for the Ontario provincial government analyze data and present findings to inform legislators, but they may also subtly frame recommendations to persuade decision-makers to adopt specific policies.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Provide students with two short text excerpts, one clearly intended to inform and one to persuade. Ask them to identify the primary purpose of each text and list one piece of evidence or word choice from each that supports their identification.

Discussion Prompt

Present students with an editorial from a Canadian newspaper. Ask: 'What do you believe is the author's main purpose here? How does the author try to convince you? What specific words or facts make you think this?' Facilitate a class discussion comparing different interpretations.

Exit Ticket

Give each student a short informational text. Ask them to write one sentence stating the author's purpose and two sentences explaining how the author's language or evidence helps achieve that purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I teach author's purpose in Grade 6 informational texts?

Start with mentor texts side-by-side, highlighting language differences: neutral facts for inform, calls to action for persuade. Use graphic organizers for evidence tracking. Build to evaluation by having students score texts on purpose achievement, connecting to Ontario reading strands for deeper analysis.

What are examples of persuasive informational texts for Grade 6?

Ads disguised as articles, like product reviews with biased praise, or opinion pieces on recycling with emotional stories. Travel blogs persuading visits mix facts with vivid appeals. Students analyze these to spot loaded language versus straight data, practicing differentiation key to the curriculum.

How does active learning help teach author's purpose?

Activities like text sorting or rewriting make purpose tangible, as students manipulate language themselves. Collaborative debates reveal peer perspectives, reducing misconceptions through evidence sharing. Hands-on tasks boost retention over passive reading, aligning with student-centered Ontario approaches for critical media skills.

How to differentiate inform from persuade in texts?

Look for fact-only reporting with balanced sources for inform, versus selective evidence and emotional words for persuade. Teach students to scan for verbs like 'proves' signaling bias. Practice with paired texts on the same topic helps spot purpose via content slant, vital for evaluation standards.