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Objective

By the end of this lesson, the student will be able to extract significant information from texts, analyze real-world issues, draw inferences about the author's purpose and target audience, and support their arguments with textual evidence.

Materials and Prep

  • Paper and colored pencils
  • Access to a simple informational text (e.g., a child-friendly article or a short story)
  • Sticky notes
  • Whiteboard or large paper for brainstorming
  • Timer (optional for some activities)

Activities

  • Information Hunt:

    The student will read a short informational text and highlight or underline key information. After reading, they will write down three important facts they found.

  • Author's Purpose Game:

    The student will guess the author's purpose for writing the text (to inform, entertain, or persuade) and explain their reasoning. This can be done in a fun way by acting out different purposes.

  • Audience Detective:

    The student will analyze who the target audience is for the text. They will create a poster that shows who the audience is and why they think so.

  • Textual Evidence Relay:

    The student will work on a team to find quotes, paraphrases, or summaries that support a given statement about the text. They can race against the clock for added fun!

Talking Points

  • "What do you think is the most important information in this text? Why?"
  • "Can you tell me if the author is trying to make us laugh, learn, or want something?"
  • "Who do you think would want to read this? Is it kids like you, adults, or maybe teachers?"
  • "When we find a quote, what does it mean to paraphrase? Can you give it a try?"
  • "Why is it important to know who the audience is? How does it help us understand the text better?"
  • "What clues do you see that help you figure out the author's purpose?"
  • "Can you think of a time when you had to use evidence to support your own ideas? How did you do it?"