Exploring Author Purpose

Overview

This 60-minute lesson develops Year 8 students’ understanding of author purpose in non-fiction texts. Students will explore the three main purposes—persuade, inform, entertain—and apply this knowledge to biographies and autobiographies, linking to factual storytelling. This session closely follows the National Curriculum for England (Key Stage 3 English, Years 7–9), focusing on reading comprehension, analysis of writers’ choices, and creating purposeful writing.

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National Curriculum Links

• Reading (KS3 English):
  Pupils should be taught to:

  • “Read critically and develop an informed personal response.”
  • “Analyse how language, structure, and presentation contribute to meaning.”
  • “Draw on knowledge of literary and rhetorical devices from their reading to support their interpretations.”
  • “Read and evaluate a wide range of texts, distinguishing between fact and opinion.”

• Writing (KS3 English):
  Pupils should be taught to:

  • “Plan, draft, edit and proofread for a range of purposes and audiences.”
  • “Use a range of sentence structures and vocabulary to create effects, express ideas clearly and engage readers.”
  • “Accurately use standard spelling, punctuation and grammar.”

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will:

1. Define and identify an author’s purpose in non-fiction texts.
2. Differentiate between persuasive, informative, and entertaining texts.
3. Analyse how biographies and autobiographies combine factual details and storytelling to entertain and inform.
4. Construct statements of purpose using appropriate sentence starters.
5. Begin to plan a short non-fiction text with a clear purpose.

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Resources

• Printed extracts from biographies/autobiographies (dyslexia-friendly fonts, e.g. OpenDyslexic, at larger print size)
• “Author Purpose” handout (clear definitions, colour-coded examples)
• Whiteboard or interactive board
• Sticky notes or small cards
• Writing notebooks or lined paper
• Timer or stopwatch

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Lesson Structure

1. Engage and Activate (10 minutes)

• Starter Activity (5 mins)
  Present three very short non-fiction extracts (one persuasive, one informative, one entertaining). Read aloud with strong expression and enthusiasm to engage students.

• Class Discussion (5 mins)
  Ask: “Why do you think the author wrote this?” Encourage short answers. Introduce the question to frame author’s purpose. Model the sentence starter:
  “The author wrote this mostly to…”

Differentiation: Provide printed copies with dyslexia-friendly fonts; allow paired reading for students who need support.

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2. Teach and Explore (15 minutes)

• Introduce ‘Purpose’ with Definitions (10 mins)
  Use the handout to explain the three main purposes: persuade, inform, entertain. Use visuals and colour coding. Emphasise that texts can sometimes combine purposes but focus on the main one.

• Class Think-Pair-Share (5 mins)
  Students discuss in pairs examples of texts they know that fit each category, e.g., advert = persuade, news article = inform, biography excerpt = entertain/inform.

Differentiation: Provide sentence starters and word banks for EAL or lower ability students.

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3. Apply and Analyse (20 minutes)

• Group Activity with Biographies/Autobiographies (15 mins)
  Provide short, engaging extracts from biographies/autobiographies printed in dyslexia-friendly format. Ask each group of 3:

  • Identify the author’s main purpose.
  • Write a statement of purpose using “The author wrote this mostly to…”
  • Highlight words or phrases that show this purpose.

• Class Feedback (5 mins)
  Groups share findings. Discuss how biographies use storytelling techniques from fiction (dynamic characters, twists) to entertain while informing.

Differentiation: Provide one extract per group with scaffolding questions. Advanced learners can compare two extracts and discuss overlapping purposes.

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4. Create and Share (10 minutes)

• Mini-Writing Task (10 mins)
  Students plan a short paragraph (3-5 sentences) on a non-fiction topic of their choice with a clear purpose (persuade, inform, or entertain). They use the sentence starter to guide their writing.

Extension: Advanced learners write two paragraphs aiming to blend more than one purpose deliberately.

Support: Provide word banks and sentence starters for struggling writers.

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5. Plenary and Assessment (5 minutes)

• Quick round: Each student reads their purpose statement and shares their paragraph summary. Peers identify the stated purpose and provide one positive comment.

• Teacher collects paragraphs for formative assessment, checking clarity of purpose expression and understanding.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For SEN/Dyslexic learners: Utilize dyslexia-friendly texts; allow oral responses or paired reading; provide printed handouts in OpenDyslexic font; break activities into small, manageable steps with visuals.
• For EAL learners: Use clear language, vocabulary lists, sentence starters, and peer support.
• For Advanced learners: Challenge with identifying multiple purposes, analysing subtle techniques in biographical storytelling, and extended writing tasks.

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Reflection and Extension Ideas

• Homework: Find a short non-fiction article or biography excerpt at home. Identify and write a purpose statement.
• Cross-curricular: Tie into History by exploring famous biographies of historical figures.
• Tech Extension: Use voice-to-text software for students with writing difficulties.
• Creative extension: Write a persuasive speech or an informative leaflet based on today’s learning.

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This lesson enables students to confidently identify and articulate the purpose of non-fiction texts, fostering deeper reading and writing skills fully aligned with the National Curriculum. The use of engaging biographical extracts appeals to the age group, and carefully scaffolded activities ensure accessibility and challenge for all learners.