English Language Arts · 8th Grade · The Power of Persuasion · Weeks 1-9

Analyzing Author's Purpose and Point of View

Students will determine an author's purpose (to inform, persuade, entertain) and analyze how their point of view shapes the content and style of a text.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.6

About This Topic

Every text is written by someone with a reason for writing it. At the 8th grade level, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.6 asks students to move beyond the basic inform-persuade-entertain framework and interrogate how purpose shapes every decision an author makes: what evidence they select, which voices they include, and how they frame the central issue.

Point of view adds another layer. When two authors write about the same event or issue, they inevitably produce different texts because their backgrounds, assumptions, and goals differ. Teaching students to notice these differences builds the habit of asking "Who wrote this, and why?" before accepting any claim at face value. This is essential preparation for college-level reading and for navigating information in civic life.

Active learning works especially well here because students can literally place two texts next to each other, argue about the author's intent, and test interpretations against classmates who read the same material differently. That friction sharpens analysis in ways that solo reading rarely achieves.

Key Questions

1. How does an author's purpose influence their selection of evidence and rhetorical strategies?
2. Compare and contrast the points of view presented in two different texts on the same topic.
3. Critique how an author's unstated assumptions might affect the validity of their argument.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how an author's stated or implied purpose (to inform, persuade, entertain) influences the selection of evidence and rhetorical strategies in a given text.
• Compare and contrast the points of view presented in two different texts addressing the same topic, identifying specific language choices that reveal each author's perspective.
• Critique how an author's unstated assumptions or biases might affect the validity and persuasiveness of their argument.
• Explain the relationship between an author's background and purpose and the resulting tone and style of their writing.

Before You Start

Identifying Main Idea and Supporting Details

Why: Students must be able to identify the central message and supporting evidence before analyzing how purpose influences their selection.

Text Features and Structure

Why: Understanding how texts are organized helps students recognize how authors structure information to achieve their purpose and convey their point of view.

Key Vocabulary

Author's Purpose	The primary reason an author decides to write a text, often categorized as to inform, to persuade, or to entertain.
Point of View	The author's perspective or stance on a topic, shaped by their beliefs, experiences, and background, which influences how they present information.
Rhetorical Strategies	Techniques authors use to persuade an audience, such as appeals to emotion (pathos), logic (logos), or credibility (ethos).
Bias	A prejudice or inclination for or against a person, group, or idea, which can consciously or unconsciously affect an author's presentation of information.
Tone	The author's attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through word choice, sentence structure, and overall style.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

A text can only have one purpose.

What to Teach Instead

Texts frequently blend purposes. A memoir can inform readers about a historical period while also persuading them to hold a certain value. Encourage students to rank purposes rather than pick just one, explaining which is dominant and why. Group discussion helps students negotiate these rankings using textual evidence.

Common Misconception

Author's purpose is always stated explicitly.

What to Teach Instead

Purpose is almost always implied, not stated. Students need to read for signals: word choice, evidence selection, structure, and tone. A structured annotation protocol where students mark these signals in the margins helps make implicit purpose visible, and comparing annotations with a partner surfaces signals they missed alone.

Active Learning Ideas

Think-Pair-Share: Purpose Sorting

Give students three short excerpts from different text types (editorial, textbook entry, personal essay) on the same topic. Students individually decide the primary purpose of each. With a partner, they compare decisions and identify the textual clues they used. Pairs share their reasoning and the class builds a reference list of purpose signals.

20 min·Pairs

Inquiry Circle: Two Takes, One Topic

Students receive two short texts on the same issue from authors with clearly different positions. In groups, they complete a T-chart comparing how each author's purpose shapes their evidence selection, language tone, and structure. Groups present one key finding to the class and explain the specific textual evidence that revealed it.

40 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Purpose Check

Post 5-6 text excerpts around the room. Students circulate with a sticky note and write one sentence identifying the author's purpose and one phrase from the text that supports their claim. After the walk, students compare sticky notes at each station and discuss where their readings diverged.

30 min·Whole Class

Real-World Connections

• Political speechwriters analyze the purpose and point of view of opposing candidates to craft messages that resonate with specific voter demographics, aiming to persuade them.
• Journalists reporting on controversial events must consider their own point of view and potential biases, striving for objectivity while acknowledging that every story is framed from a particular perspective.
• Advertisers for companies like Nike or Apple carefully select language and imagery to entertain and persuade consumers, tailoring their message to appeal to specific target audiences and their aspirations.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with a short editorial. Ask them to identify the author's primary purpose (inform, persuade, entertain) and cite one piece of evidence (a quote or specific detail) that supports their claim. Then, ask them to identify one word or phrase that reveals the author's point of view.

Discussion Prompt

Present two short articles on the same historical event, each written from a different perspective. Ask students: 'How does the author's point of view shape the facts they choose to include or emphasize? What assumptions might each author be making about their audience?' Facilitate a class discussion comparing their findings.

Quick Check

Give students a short persuasive paragraph. Ask them to underline words or phrases that indicate the author's purpose and circle words that reveal their point of view. Review student responses to gauge understanding of author's intent and perspective.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I push students past "the author wrote this to inform" as their only answer?

Push with the "so what?" question. Ask: inform readers to do what? Persuade them to believe what? Having students identify the specific action or belief the author wants to produce forces them to read more closely for purpose clues embedded in word choice and structure.

What is the difference between author's purpose and author's point of view?

Purpose is the goal (inform, persuade, entertain). Point of view is the lens through which the author sees the topic, shaped by their background and beliefs. Both affect the text, and both can be analyzed independently. An informational article can still carry a strong point of view through its choice of sources and framing.

How do I compare two texts on the same topic without it becoming a political debate?

Choose texts where the disagreement is factual or methodological rather than politically charged, such as two nutrition studies or two historical accounts of the same event. Establish ground rules upfront: the goal is to understand each author's position using evidence, not to argue about who is right.

How does active learning improve students' understanding of author's purpose?

When students debate whether a text is informational or persuasive, they have to defend their reading with textual evidence. That argumentative process is far more revealing than answering a comprehension question alone. Pair debates and gallery-walk annotations naturally surface the reasoning process in ways that worksheets cannot.