Mini-Lesson

Author's Purpose

Mini-Lesson: Grades 4-6

Objective: Students will identify and discuss author's purpose.

1. Share the timeforkids.com news story, Hold the Tomato, with your class. Ask: Why did Jessie Maxwell write this article? (Answer may include She wrote the article to warn people about eating tomatoes, she wanted to tell readers about how federal officials are responding to the food poisoning outbreak, she wanted to explain salmonella)

2. Explain that the author's purpose in writing this article was to tell readers about a public health hazard. In this way, the author was doing a public service.

3. Call on students to give examples of important information they learned in this article.

Extend Learning: Challenge students to read other recent news stories on timeforkids.com and identify the author's purpose.