Home›Lesson Plans›English Language Arts›Reading: Nonfiction · Grade 8

Author’s Point of View & Purpose

Eighth graders learn to determine an author’s point of view and purpose — whether to inform, persuade, or entertain — by analyzing word choice, tone, and which details the author includes or leaves out.

Grade 8Author’s Craft50 minutes1 class periodReading WorkshopExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Determine the author’s purpose.
  • ✓Identify the author’s point of view.
  • ✓Use word choice as evidence.
  • ✓Notice included and omitted details.
Essential Question

Two authors can write about the same event and leave you feeling completely differently. How do you uncover what an author really thinks — and why they wrote it?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive Model

Purpose or Point of View?

Project each item and have students determine the author’s purpose or point of view. The tool explains what clues to look for.

🔍 Determine the author’s purpose & point of viewTry it
Determine the author’s purpose or point of view.
The Lesson · Reading Workshop (Mini-Lesson · Practice · Share)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Connect — Same Event, Different Feeling

5 min

Two authors, one event, two very different articles — how?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show two takes on one topic.
  • Ask why they differ.
  • Set the goal: point of view and purpose.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Compare them.
  • Notice the difference.
  • Predict the idea.
2

Teach — Purpose & Point of View

12 min

Teacher models.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Purpose: inform, persuade, entertain.
  • Point of view: the author’s stance.
  • Use word choice as evidence.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Learn purpose.
  • Learn point of view.
  • Find clues.
3

Active Engagement — Determine Together

13 min

Class uses Purpose or Point of View?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Determine each one.
  • Cite the word-choice clues.
  • Explain the reasoning.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Determine it.
  • Cite clues.
  • Explain it.
4

Practice — Practice

13 min

Students analyze.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Find purpose and point of view.
  • Cite evidence.
  • Notice omitted details.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Find them.
  • Cite evidence.
  • Notice omissions.
5

Share — Share

5 min

Students share an analysis.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Invite a purpose/point-of-view claim.
  • Cite the evidence.
  • Hand out the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share it.
  • Cite evidence.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

CCSS
RI.8.6

Determine an author’s point of view or purpose and analyze how the author responds to conflicting evidence.

CCSS
RI.8.1

Cite textual evidence that supports analysis.

CCSS
RI.8.4

Analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.

CCSS
RI.8.8

Evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Purpose picture cards (inform/persuade/entertain).
  • Sentence frame: “The author’s purpose is ___ because ___.”
  • Highlight loaded words.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with clear purposes.
  • Give word-choice clues.
  • Focus on one clue.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Compare two authors’ points of view.
  • Analyze how bias shows up.
  • Evaluate how an author handles counter-evidence.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📰News articles
  • 💻Purpose or Point of View?
  • 🖍️Highlighters
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

point of viewthe author’s attitude or stancepurposewhy the author wrote the textinformto teach factspersuadeto convinceentertainto amusetonethe author’s attitude in wordsbiasa leaning toward one sideword choicethe specific words an author picks
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What are three common purposes for writing?
To inform, to persuade, and to entertain.
QUESTION 2
What clues help you find an author’s point of view?
Word choice, tone, and which details the author includes or leaves out.
QUESTION 3
If an author uses loaded, emotional words about a topic, what does that suggest?
That the author has a strong opinion (point of view) about it.

Going deeper? Two points of view.

Have students read two articles on the same event and compare how each author’s point of view shapes the story. A printable point-of-view sheet is in the ELA library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Author’s Point of View & PurposeFlip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Author’s Point of View & PurposeQuiz
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Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Author’s Point of View & PurposePrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: bias, entertain, inform, persuade, point of view, purpose, tone, word choice
  1. the author’s attitude or stance
  2. to amuse
  3. a leaning toward one side
  4. the author’s attitude in words
  5. to teach facts
  6. why the author wrote the text
  7. the specific words an author picks
  8. to convince

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What are three common purposes for writing?
  2. What clues help you find an author’s point of view?
  3. If an author uses loaded, emotional words about a topic, what does that suggest?
Answer key — Part A: 1) point of view · 2) entertain · 3) bias · 4) tone · 5) inform · 6) purpose · 7) word choice · 8) persuade
Part B: 1) To inform, to persuade, and to entertain. 2) Word choice, tone, and which details the author includes or leaves out. 3) That the author has a strong opinion (point of view) about it.