Exploring Authorial Purpose

Overview

This 90-minute session introduces Year 9 students (age 13-14) to the concept of purpose in English non-fiction texts, focusing on the three primary authorial intents: to persuade, inform, and entertain. Through analysis, group work, and creative writing, students will build skills aligned with the National Curriculum for England. This lesson emphasises critical reading and purposeful writing, promoting literacy skills essential for GCSE preparation.

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National Curriculum Links

• Reading (Year 9)
  • Analyse and evaluate how writers use language, structure, and form to achieve effects and influence readers (PoS: Y9 Reading 3b).
  • Develop understanding of writer’s viewpoints and perspectives and how these shape texts (PoS: Y9 Reading 3c).
• Writing (Year 9)
  • Write accurately, fluently, adapt style and form for different readers, purposes and complex subjects (PoS: Y9 Writing 2).
  • Develop a personal style and an awareness of how authors’ purposes shape texts (PoS: Y9 Writing 3).

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will:

• Define authorial purpose and identify the three key types: persuade, inform, and entertain.
• Analyse a range of non-fiction extracts to determine their primary purposes.
• Formulate clear statements of purpose using the sentence starter: "The author wrote this mostly to...".
• Compose a short non-fiction text with a clear purpose tailored for a specific audience.

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Resources

• Printed copies of student-friendly versions of The Guardian article extract (dyslexia-friendly font and layout)
• Examples of short persuasive, informative, and entertaining texts (printed and digital)
• Whiteboard/interactive whiteboard
• Writing frames and sentence starters handouts
• Post-it notes and coloured markers
• Timer

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge of writing purposes.

• Quick class brainstorm on purpose in writing.
• Teacher writes “Persuade, Inform, Entertain” on board with brief definitions.
• Show three very short examples (sentences or blurb excerpts) and ask students to vote which purpose each illustrates, explaining their reasonings briefly.

2. Explanation and Modelling (15 minutes)

Objective: Deepen understanding of each purpose with concrete examples.

• Teacher defines author’s purpose and introduces the sentence starter:
  “The author wrote this mostly to...”
• Read through the dyslexia-friendly Guardian article extract aloud, projecting it on the board.
• Model how to identify the purpose as inform and write the statement of purpose on the board, e.g.
  “The author wrote this mostly to inform readers about Michael Schumacher’s skiing accident.”
• Highlight key linguistic features that support this purpose (factual tone, dates, official sources).

3. Guided Group Practice (20 minutes)

Objective: Apply purpose identification and analysis collaboratively.

• Split students into small groups (3-4 per group). Provide each with 3 different short extracts (one persuasive, one informative, one entertaining; dyslexia-friendly).
• Each group discusses and labels the purpose of each extract and writes a corresponding statement of purpose.
• Circulate, scaffolding with differentiated questioning:
  • Challenge advanced learners to also identify persuasive techniques or narrative elements.
  • Support less confident learners with sentence frames and mixed-ability pairing.

4. Class Sharing & Discussion (10 minutes)

• Groups share one example and their statement of purpose.
• Teacher facilitates discussion on why multiple purposes may appear but focus remains on the main purpose.
• Emphasise importance of author’s intention to guide reader interpretation.

5. Independent Writing Activity (25 minutes)

Objective: Produce purposeful non-fiction writing.

• Students choose one purpose: persuade, inform, or entertain.
• Use writing frames with prompts and sentence starters tailored for chosen purposes.
• Write a short piece (approx. 150-200 words) on a provided topic (e.g., persuading peers to recycle, informing about a recent news event, or entertaining an audience with an exciting biography snippet).
• Encourage use of appropriate language, tone, and structure for the chosen purpose.

6. Peer Review and Self-Assessment (10 minutes)

• Exchange writings with a partner for feedback focusing on clarity of purpose and effectiveness of communication.
• Use a simple checklist highlighting:
  • Clear statement of purpose?
  • Language and structure fit the purpose?
  • Engaging or informative as intended?
• Students reflect on one improvement they will make after peer feedback.

7. Plenary (5 minutes)

• Whole-class recap: What is purpose? Why is it important to know it?
• Quick-fire quiz (verbal or using mini whiteboards): teacher reads a sentence or text description, students hold up the purpose (P/I/E).
• Summarise key takeaways and highlight that understanding purpose shapes how we read and write.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For SEND/Dyslexia:
  • Dyslexia-friendly text formatting (clear font like Arial or Comic Sans, 14-16 pt font size, spaced lines).
  • Oral reading and modelling provided.
  • Sentence starters and writing frames reduce cognitive load.
  • Use of coloured overlays or reading rulers if needed.
• For EAL learners:
  • Visual aids and icons representing each purpose.
  • Glossary of keywords (persuade, inform, entertain) with translations/explanations.
• For Advanced Learners:
  • Explore mixed-purpose texts and nuanced authorial intents.
  • Challenge to deconstruct persuasive techniques or narrative devices in informative or entertaining texts.
  • Extension writing: write a text combining two purposes, justify choice of techniques.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observation during group work to monitor understanding of purposes.
• Evaluation of written statements of purpose for accuracy.
• Assessment of independent writing for appropriate tone, language, and clear purpose.
• Peer feedback embeds formative assessment and encourages metacognition.

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Reflection for Next Lesson

• Consider focusing on identifying persuasive devices and argument structures.
• Plan for writing longer non-fiction pieces with integrated purpose and audience awareness.
• Review use of vocabulary and register depending on chosen purpose.

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This lesson plan not only meets the National Curriculum’s emphasis on reading for meaning and writing with purpose but also supports inclusive, differentiated learning tailored to diverse student needs. The balance of analytical and creative tasks ensures engagement and skill development critical for Year 9 learners progressing towards GCSE demands.