English Language Arts
Grade 3
15 min
Identify the purpose of a text
Identify the purpose of a text
What you'll learn
- Identify the correct abbreviations for at least 5 out of 7 days of the week.
- Apply the learned abbreviations by correctly writing the abbreviated form of each day of the week in a sentence with 100% accuracy.
- Explain why we use abbreviations for days of the week in at least two different situations.
- Create a calendar for the current month, correctly abbreviating each day of the week at least 4 times.
Tutorial Preview
1
Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define 'author's purpose' in their own words.
Identify the three main reasons an author writes: to Persuade, Inform, or Entertain (PIE).
Explain the difference between persuading, informing, and entertaining.
Find text clues that point to the author's purpose in a short paragraph.
Correctly label a short text as either persuasive, informative, or entertaining.
Give one reason to support their choice for the author's purpose.
Why does someone tell a joke, write a recipe, or make a sign that says 'Clean Your Room!'? 🤔 Every author has a reason, or a purpose, for writing!
Today, we are going to become reading detectives! We will learn the three main reasons why authors write, which we can remember with the easy acronym PI...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
Author's PurposeThe main reason an author decides to write something. It's what the author wants the reader to do, think, or feel.The author's purpose for writing a recipe is to inform you how to cook a dish.
PersuadeTo try to get the reader to do something, buy something, or believe in an idea.A poster that says, 'You should come to the school fair! It's the best event of the year!'
InformTo give the reader facts and true information about a topic.A science book chapter that explains how caterpillars turn into butterflies.
EntertainTo tell a story or provide something for the reader to enjoy, like a funny poem or an exciting adventure.A story about a talking dog who goes to space.
Text CluesWords, phrases, or pictures in a text that hel...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The PIE Method
P = Persuade, I = Inform, E = Entertain
When you read, always ask yourself, 'Is the author trying to Persuade me, Inform me, or Entertain me?' This is the easiest way to remember the three main purposes.
Look for Clues
Find clues in the words and pictures.
To find the purpose, look for specific types of words. Opinion words like 'best' or 'should' are clues for PERSUADE. Facts, numbers, and dates are clues for INFORM. Funny characters, dialogue, and exciting problems are clues for ENTERTAIN.
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Challenging
Text A is a poster that says 'Come to the City Zoo! See the new tiger exhibit!' Text B is a paragraph in a science book explaining the diet and habitat of tigers. How are the authors' purposes different?
A.Text A is to persuade, while Text B is to inform.
B.Text A is to inform, while Text B is to entertain.
C.Both texts are meant to entertain the reader.
D.Text A is to entertain, while Text B is to persuade.
Challenging
An author wants to persuade third graders to recycle. Which sentence would BEST help the author achieve this purpose?
A.Recycling is the process of converting waste into reusable material.
B.Many different materials can be recycled, including paper and plastic.
C.You can be a hero for our planet by recycling your plastic bottles.
D.In a story I read, a character learned how to recycle.
Challenging
Read this sentence from the beginning of a pamphlet: 'You simply must try the delicious, cheesy pizza at a new restaurant, Pizza Palace!' Based on this sentence, what is the most likely purpose of the entire pamphlet?
A.To inform you about the history of pizza
B.To persuade you to eat at Pizza Palace
C.To entertain you with a story about a pizza chef
D.To explain how to make your own pizza at home
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Frequently asked questions
What grade level is "Identify the purpose of a text"?
Identify the purpose of a text is a Grade 3 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Identify the purpose of a text?
You'll be able to: Identify the correct abbreviations for at least 5 out of 7 days of the week; Apply the learned abbreviations by correctly writing the abbreviated form of each day of the week in a sentence with 100% accuracy; Explain why we use….
Is "Identify the purpose of a text" free to practice?
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How many practice questions are included with Identify the purpose of a text?
This lesson includes 27 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.