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English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 45 minutes

Author's purpose

Reading Comprehension

CCSS RI.4.8CCSS RI.6.6England: Y5/6 ReadingEngland: KS2 SATs Reading

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Author's purpose.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Main idea and supporting details

Leads to: Rhetoric and persuasive techniques; Why did the author include this detail?

Materials: A short text or extract (one copy each), Highlighters, Question cards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 5 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Main idea and supporting details). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Sloths move very slowly. They hang upside down in trees for most of the day. They even sleep and eat upside down. Moving slowly helps them save energy. What is the main idea? (Trees are tall. / Sloths live slow, upside-down lives in trees. / Sloths eat leaves. / Sloths sleep a lot.) → Sloths live slow, upside-down lives in trees.Prompt: What is the WHOLE text mostly about, not just one part?
  2. Spiders are not insects. Insects have six legs, but spiders have eight. Insects have three body parts, while spiders have two. Most insects have wings; spiders never do. What is the main idea? (Spiders are scary. / Insects can fly. / Spiders are different from insects in several ways. / Spiders have eight legs.) → Spiders are different from insects in several ways.Prompt: What is the WHOLE text mostly about, not just one part?
  3. Exercise is good for your body and your mind. It makes your heart and muscles stronger. It can also help you sleep better and feel happier. What is the main idea? (Exercise has many benefits. / Muscles are strong. / Running is fun. / Sleep is important.) → Exercise has many benefits.Prompt: What is the WHOLE text mostly about, not just one part?

Hook · 5 min

  • Read the first lines of a short text aloud and ask what students predict will happen and why.
  • Share the objective: Author's purpose. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 10 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Every pupil should learn to swim. Swimming keeps you fit, it is fun, and it could one day save your life. What is the author's main purpose?
  • Step 1: The writer's choices show their purpose.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: to persuade
  • Answer: to persuade
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 10 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. 1. Fill the pot with water. 2. Bring it to the boil. 3. Add the pasta and stir. 4. Cook for ten minutes. What is the author's main purpose? (to persuade you to eat pasta / to explain how to cook pasta / to tell a story about a chef / to describe Italy) → to explain how to cook pastaPrompt: Is the writer mainly trying to inform, persuade, entertain or explain?
  2. Once upon a time, a dragon was afraid of the dark. Every night he slept with a candle lit, which was a problem, because he kept sneezing it out. What is the author's main purpose? (to give instructions / to persuade / to entertain / to inform) → to entertainPrompt: Is the writer mainly trying to inform, persuade, entertain or explain?

You do: independent practice · 10 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 5 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Once upon a time, a dragon was afraid of the dark. Every night he slept with a candle lit, which was a problem, because he kept sneezing it out. What is the author's main purpose? (to inform / to entertain / to give instructions / to persuade) → to entertainPrompt: Is the writer mainly trying to inform, persuade, entertain or explain?

Watch out for

  • Answering from memory or opinion instead of evidence in the text.
  • Copying a long quote without explaining what it shows.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Main idea and supporting details.
  • Use concrete materials: a short text or extract (one copy each).
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Move on to: Rhetoric and persuasive techniques; Why did the author include this detail?.
  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-4.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Author's purpose

Name

Date

Score/ 8

Why Do Leaves Change in Autumn?

In many parts of the world, autumn turns forests into blazes of yellow, orange and red. But where do these bright shades come from? The answer is hidden inside every leaf. During spring and summer, leaves are busy making food for the tree. To do this, they use sunlight, water and air. A green substance called chlorophyll captures the energy from sunlight. There is so much chlorophyll in a leaf that it hides all the other shades. As autumn arrives, the days grow shorter and there is less sunlight. Trees such as maples and oaks begin to get ready for winter. They stop making chlorophyll. As the green fades away, the yellows and oranges that were in the leaf all along begin to show. Some trees, such as certain maples, also make a brand-new red substance in autumn. This is why some leaves turn bright red or purple. Finally, the tree seals off each leaf where it joins the branch. The leaf dries out and falls. Without leaves, the tree uses less water during the cold winter months. In spring, new green leaves will grow, and the cycle will begin again.

  1. Question 1

    Read "Why Do Leaves Change in Autumn?". What is the author's main purpose?

    • A. to explain why leaves change in autumn
    • B. to tell a story about a forest
    • C. to describe a painting
    • D. to persuade people to plant trees

A Letter to the Council

Dear Councillors, I am writing to ask you not to close Elm Street Library. I am nine years old, and the library is one of the most important places in our town. First, the library helps children learn. Every Saturday, there is a story club where younger children listen to stories and older children like me read aloud. Many families cannot afford to buy lots of books, but at the library everyone can borrow them for free. Second, the library is not just for children. My neighbour, Mr Haddad, goes there every week to use the computers because he does not have one at home. He uses them to apply for jobs and to talk to his grandchildren in another country. Some people say that everything is online now, so we do not need libraries. However, not everyone has the internet at home, and a website cannot give you a quiet, warm place to study or a librarian who helps you find exactly the right book. Please keep our library open. It belongs to all of us. Yours faithfully, Priya Shah

  1. Question 2

    Read "A Letter to the Council". What is Priya's main purpose in writing this letter?

    • A. to describe her favourite book
    • B. to complain about Mr Haddad
    • C. to explain how to use computers
    • D. to persuade the council to keep the library open

  1. Question 3

    Once upon a time, a dragon was afraid of the dark. Every night he slept with a candle lit, which was a problem, because he kept sneezing it out. What is the author's main purpose?

    • A. to persuade
    • B. to entertain
    • C. to give instructions
    • D. to inform

How to Build a Junk Robot

Do you have a pile of empty boxes and bottle tops? Instead of throwing them away, turn them into a robot! This project takes about an hour. You will need: one cereal box, one smaller box (such as a toothpaste box), four cardboard tubes, bottle tops, glue, scissors and some tape. Step 1: Ask an adult to help you cut a hole in the top of the cereal box. This will be the robot's body. Step 2: Glue the smaller box on top of the body to make the head. Hold it in place for a minute while the glue sets. Step 3: Tape two cardboard tubes to the sides of the body for arms and two to the bottom for legs. Step 4: Glue bottle tops onto the head for eyes and onto the body for buttons and dials. Step 5: Leave your robot to dry overnight before you play with it. Top tip: Give your robot a name and write it on a label. Robots with names are much more fun!

  1. Question 4

    Read "How to Build a Junk Robot". What is the main purpose of this text?

    • A. to give instructions
    • B. to describe a factory
    • C. to persuade people to recycle
    • D. to tell a story about a robot

The Vault at the Top of the World

On a frozen island in the Arctic Ocean, between Norway and the North Pole, a narrow concrete doorway sticks out of the side of a mountain. Behind it, a tunnel leads deep into the rock. This is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, and it holds more than a million packets of seeds from almost every country on Earth. Why keep seeds in a mountain? Farmers all over the world depend on many different varieties of crops, such as types of rice that survive floods or kinds of wheat that resist disease. If a variety disappears because of war, natural disaster or simple accident, it may be lost for ever. The vault is a back-up copy, like saving a precious file in two places. The location was chosen with care. The vault is high enough above sea level to stay dry even if ice caps melt. Inside, the seeds are kept at about minus 18 degrees Celsius, cold enough to keep many of them alive for decades or even centuries. The surrounding rock is permanently frozen, so even if the power failed, the seeds would stay cold. The vault opened in 2008. In 2015, it was used for the first time: scientists who had lost access to their own seed bank during a war in Syria withdrew samples, grew new plants and later sent fresh seeds back to the vault. The back-up had worked. No one hopes the vault will be needed often. But like a fire extinguisher in a school corridor, it is reassuring to know it is there.

  1. Question 5

    Read "The Vault at the Top of the World". What is the author's main purpose?

    • A. to inform readers about the seed vault and why it matters
    • B. to give instructions for planting seeds
    • C. to persuade readers to become farmers
    • D. to tell a funny story

Should Primary Schools Ban Homework?

Every evening, in homes across the country, the same battle takes place: tired children, frustrated parents and a worksheet that nobody wants to finish. It is time for primary schools to ban homework. The most important reason is that, for young children, the evidence for homework is weak. Several large reviews of research have found that homework has little measurable effect on the test results of pupils under eleven. Older students may benefit, but for younger children, the hours spent on worksheets do not seem to pay off. Second, children need time to play, rest and be with their families. Play is not a waste of time; it builds creativity, problem-solving and friendships. A child who has spent six hours concentrating at school deserves an evening to explore, read for pleasure or simply be bored – which is when imagination often kicks in. Some people argue that homework teaches responsibility. This is a fair point. However, children can learn responsibility in many other ways: feeding a pet, helping to cook dinner or practising an instrument they have chosen themselves. Finally, homework can be unfair. Some children have parents who can help them every night and a quiet desk to work at. Others share a small space with siblings or have parents who work late. Homework can widen the gap between these children instead of closing it. Schools should replace homework with something simple: read every day, for fun. That is one habit worth taking home.

  1. Question 6

    Read "Should Primary Schools Ban Homework?". Why does the writer open with a description of an evening 'battle'?

    • A. to grab attention with a situation readers recognise
    • B. to describe a real war
    • C. to give statistical evidence
    • D. to argue that parents are lazy

Lady Montagu and the Smallpox Gamble

In the early eighteenth century, smallpox was one of the most feared diseases in Europe. It killed around three in every ten people it infected and left many survivors scarred or blind. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu knew its cruelty personally: the disease had killed her brother and marked her own face. In 1717, while living in Constantinople (now Istanbul), where her husband was the British ambassador, she observed a remarkable practice. Local women would take a small amount of material from a mild smallpox sore and scratch it into the skin of a healthy person. The person usually developed a mild illness and was then protected for life. This process was called variolation. Montagu was so impressed that she had her young son variolated. When she returned to England, she campaigned to spread the practice, despite fierce opposition. Some doctors resented being taught by a woman; others distrusted a practice from abroad. To win public confidence, Montagu had her daughter variolated in front of physicians from the royal court. Variolation was not without risk: a small number of patients developed severe smallpox, and they could infect others. Decades later, in 1796, Edward Jenner developed a safer method using cowpox, a related but much milder disease. His method, called vaccination after the Latin word for cow, gradually replaced variolation. Smallpox was declared eradicated worldwide in 1980. Jenner is often called the father of vaccination, but the story began with the courage of a woman who noticed what others had overlooked.

  1. Question 7

    Read "Lady Montagu and the Smallpox Gamble". What is the writer's main purpose in the final sentence?

    • A. to argue against vaccination
    • B. to highlight Montagu's often-forgotten role
    • C. to criticise Jenner
    • D. to explain how cowpox spreads

The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls

In recent years, a growing number of companies have experimented with a four-day working week, in which employees work about 80 per cent of their usual hours for 100 per cent of their pay, on the condition that they maintain their output. Supporters argue that the model could transform working life. Critics warn that its benefits may be exaggerated. The most widely reported trials have produced striking results. In one large study involving several dozen organisations, most companies chose to continue the four-day week after the trial ended. Employees reported less stress, better sleep and fewer days off sick, while company revenue remained broadly stable. For businesses struggling to recruit, the promise of an extra day off can be a powerful attraction. Yet these findings come with important caveats. Companies that volunteer for such trials may already be enthusiastic about flexible working and well suited to it. Their success may not be representative of all workplaces. Moreover, many of the participating organisations were offices or creative businesses, where output is relatively easy to reorganise. In hospitals, schools or factories, where staff must be present to deliver a service, reducing hours without hiring more people may simply be impossible. There are also questions about what happens in the long term. Early enthusiasm can fade, and the pressure to fit five days of work into four may eventually lead to longer, more intense working days, cancelling out the benefits to wellbeing. None of this means the idea should be dismissed. It does suggest that the four-day week is less a universal solution than a tool that may suit some sectors far better than others. The challenge for policymakers is to learn from the trials without assuming that what worked for a marketing agency will work for an emergency ward.

  1. Question 8

    Read "The Four-Day Week: Promise and Pitfalls". What is the purpose of the reference to "an emergency ward" in the final sentence?

    • A. to argue that hospitals are badly run
    • B. to show that marketing agencies are dangerous
    • C. to describe the writer's job
    • D. to give a vivid example of a workplace where the model may not work

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Answer key: Author's purpose

  1. 1. A. to explain why leaves change in autumn

  2. 2. D. to persuade the council to keep the library open

  3. 3. B. to entertain

  4. 4. A. to give instructions

  5. 5. A. to inform readers about the seed vault and why it matters

  6. 6. A. to grab attention with a situation readers recognise

  7. 7. B. to highlight Montagu's often-forgotten role

  8. 8. D. to give a vivid example of a workplace where the model may not work