Unit One: Paragraph writing

Lesson 1 Author's Purpose & Recognizing a Good Paragraph

Determine the author’s purpose for writing a selection (e.g., to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or to share emotions)

ctivity 1 - Author's Purpose
Authors write for many reasons. Some of the following are:

to entertain	Entertain means to amuse someone. fictional stories, comics, poems, jokes, riddles
to inform	Inform means to give someone information about something news reports, research papers, encyclopedias, school news letters, instructions, pamphlets from health clinics, maps, timelines, schedules, charts, graphs
to persuade	Persuade means to try to convince someone to think the same way you do. advertisements, newspaper editorials, junk mail, posters
to share feelings	Sharing feelings means to tell the reader what you are thinking. journals, diaries, letters

Read each of the following writings. Decide the author's purpose for writing each text. On the blank after each selection write persuade, inform, entertain, or share ideas.

1. Kate Barlow's Prize Winning Spiced Peaches

   5 cups brown sugar
   6 inches of stick cinnamon
   pinch of nutmeg
   2 cups white vinegar
   2 tablespoons whole cloves
   4 quarts peeled whole peaches

   Cook sugar, vinegar, and spices over low heat for 20 minutes. Add peaches and cook until boiling hot. Serve over ice cream.

Author's Purpose ____________________________

2. You can own Clyde "Sweet Feet" Livingston's shoes. Just make a bid. The best part is the money you give for the famous sneakers will be tax deductible since it is going to charity.

Author's Purpose ____________________________

3. Latvia is a country in north-eastern Europe. It is bordered by Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. Russian and Belarus are to the east. In the west Latvia is bordered by the Baltic Sea. The capital of Latvia is Riga which is located on the northern shore. Forty-one percent of the country is covered with forests. Latvia holds over 12,000 small rivers and over 3,000 lakes.

Author's Purpose ____________________________

4. For Sale Eat Plenty of Onions. Good for digestion, the liver, the stomach, the lungs, the heart, and the brain.

   Author's Purpose ____________________________

5. To make a diorama of the Texas desert, you will need the following materials: a shoebox, construction paper, sand, clay, plastic animals, and cactus. First cover the inside of the shoebox with construction paper to make the sky. Next place a layer of sand to make the desert floor. Plant cactus in the sand. Finally add plastic animals or animals made from clay to your desert scene.

Author's Purpose ____________________________

6. July 20
   I must leave today for Camp Green Lake. I've never been to camp before. This could really be an adventure. I'm kind of looking forward to the experience.

   Author's Purpose ____________________________

7. O Sinners, Let's go down
   Let's go down, let's go down
   O Sinners, Let's go down
   Down in the valley to pray
   
   Show me the way
   Good Lord, show me the way
   Show me the way
   Good Lord just show the way
   

Author's Purpose ____________________________

8. Forecast for Camp Green Lake.
   Clear skies. Low 75°. High 105°. Winds 10 to 15 mph.

Author's Purpose ____________________________

Reward for the person who gives information to help in the recovery of Clyde "Sweet Feet" Livingston's shoes.

Author's Purpose ____________________________

10. A man was sitting with his feet up on a desk. He turned his head when Stanley and the guard entered, but otherwise didn't move. Even though he was inside, he wore sunglasses and a cowboy hat. he also held a can of soda, and the sight of it made Stanley even more aware of his own thirst.

    Author's Purpose ____________________________

11. 	Number One Bully Service Derrick Dunne Bully I will help you get the job done. Toilets are my specialty. Texas
    	Author's Purpose ____________________________