Author's Purpose (Entertain, Inform, or Persuade) - Video and Worksheet

English Units
14 Apr 201711:15
EducationalLearning
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TLDRThis instructional video explores the concept of Author's Purpose, distinguishing between biographers, journalists, novelists, playwrights, poets, and scriptwriters. It defines the author's purpose as the writer's goal and identifies three main objectives: to entertain, inform, or persuade. The video provides examples for each purpose and guides viewers through exercises to identify the purpose in various types of writing, ultimately enhancing understanding of the writer's intent.

Takeaways
  • πŸ“ The video discusses the concept of 'Author's Purpose' and its importance in understanding different types of writing.
  • πŸ‘€ It introduces various types of authors, such as biographers, journalists, novelists, playwrights, poets, and scriptwriters, each with their own specific writing style and purpose.
  • πŸ” A biographer writes biographies, telling the life story of a person, exemplified by Walter Isaacson's biography of Albert Einstein.
  • πŸ“° Journalists are responsible for writing newspaper articles, providing news stories like 'Man Enters Space' in 'The Huntsville Times'.
  • πŸ“– Novelists craft long-form narratives in the form of novels, such as Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.
  • 🎭 Playwrights create dramas or plays for theatrical performance, with Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' being a famous example.
  • πŸ“œ Poets compose poetry with special sounds like rhyme, illustrated by Dr. Seuss's children's poems.
  • 🎬 Scriptwriters pen scripts or screenplays for TV shows and movies, with 'Finding Nemo' being an example that started as a script.
  • 🧠 The video emphasizes practicing the identification of authors based on the type of writing, such as journalists for newspaper articles and playwrights for theater performances.
  • 🎯 Author's purpose is defined as the writer's goal or reason for writing, which can be to entertain, inform, or persuade.
  • 🎭 Examples of writing for entertainment include romance novels, comic books, and TV scripts, while textbooks, newspapers, and magazines are meant to inform.
  • πŸ—£οΈ Persuasive writing includes political speeches, essays, and advertisements aiming to influence the reader's opinion or actions.
  • πŸ“ The video concludes with a practice session to identify the author's purpose in various forms of writing, helping viewers to apply their understanding of the concept.
Q & A
  • What is the main topic discussed in the video?

    -The main topic discussed in the video is the concept of Author's Purpose, including the different types of authors and the primary reasons why they write.

  • What is a biographer and what do they write?

    -A biographer is an author who writes a biography, which is the story of a person's life. For example, Walter Isaacson wrote a biography about the scientist Albert Einstein.

  • What type of author writes a newspaper article?

    -A journalist is the type of author who writes a newspaper article, which is a news story.

  • Can you name an example of a novelist and their work?

    -Harper Lee is an example of a novelist, and her work 'To Kill a Mockingbird' is a well-known novel.

  • What is the role of a playwright in writing?

    -A playwright writes a drama or play, which is a story intended for theater. A famous example is Shakespeare, who wrote 'Romeo and Juliet'.

  • What is the difference between poetry and other types of writing mentioned in the video?

    -Poetry is characterized by lines with special sounds like rhyme and rhythm, which differentiates it from other types of writing such as biographies or newspaper articles.

  • Who is an example of a well-known poet mentioned in the video?

    -Dr. Seuss is an example of a well-known poet, famous for writing children's poetry.

  • What is a script writer and what do they create?

    -A script writer creates a script or screenplay, which is a story for TV or movies. An example of a movie that started with a script is 'Finding Nemo'.

  • What are the three main purposes authors write for, according to the video?

    -The three main purposes authors write for are to entertain, to inform, and to persuade.

  • Can you provide an example of a type of writing that is meant to inform readers?

    -Examples of writing meant to inform readers include textbooks, newspapers, and magazines.

  • How does the video help in practicing identifying the author's purpose?

    -The video provides practice exercises where viewers are asked to identify the author's purpose as entertain, inform, or persuade for various types of writing.

  • What is the primary purpose of a movie about a real period in history, according to the video?

    -The primary purpose of a movie about a real period in history is to entertain, although it might also teach viewers about the historical period.

  • How does the video conclude the discussion on author's purpose?

    -The video concludes by summarizing the importance of understanding author's purpose and identifying the three main purposes in writing, and thanks the viewers for watching.

Outlines
00:00
πŸ“š Introduction to Author's Purpose and Writing Types

The first paragraph introduces the concept of Author's Purpose and the different types of authors and their respective writing genres. A biographer writes biographies, telling the life stories of individuals like Albert Einstein. A journalist produces news articles for newspapers, such as 'Man Enters Space' in The Huntsville Times. A novelist crafts long-form stories, exemplified by Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird.' A playwright writes for the stage, with Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' being a classic example. Poets pen verses with special sounds like rhymes, with Dr. Seuss being a notable children's poet. Lastly, a scriptwriter composes scripts for TV or movies, such as the script for 'Finding Nemo.' The paragraph also includes a practice exercise to identify authors based on the type of writing they produce.

05:01
🎯 Understanding the Author's Purpose: Definition and Main Goals

This paragraph delves into the definition of an author's purpose, which is the writer's goal or reason for creating a piece of writing. It outlines the 'Big Three' purposes that authors typically have: to entertain, which means to engage and amuse the audience; to inform, which involves educating or providing knowledge; and to persuade, which is about influencing or convincing readers of a particular point of view. The paragraph provides examples for each purpose, such as textbooks for informing, political speeches for persuading, and comic books for entertaining, and encourages viewers to practice identifying the purpose in various forms of writing.

10:02
πŸ“ Practicing the Identification of Author's Purpose

The final paragraph focuses on a practice session for identifying the author's purpose in different types of writing. It poses a series of questions, each asking viewers to determine whether a given piece of writing is meant to entertain, inform, or persuade. Examples include a biology textbook, a comedy TV show, a political commercial, Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet,' a movie poster, a baking recipe, a letter to a manager, a magazine ad, a book of poetry, and a historical movie. The paragraph concludes with the correct answers, affirming the educational nature of the video and expressing gratitude for the viewers' engagement.

Mindmap
Keywords
πŸ’‘Author's Purpose
Author's purpose refers to the writer's goal or reason for creating a piece of writing. It is a central theme in the video, as it discusses the different intentions behind various types of writing. For example, the script explains that authors may write to entertain, inform, or persuade, providing a framework for understanding the underlying motivations in literature and other written works.
πŸ’‘Biographer
A biographer is an author who writes a biography, which is the story of a person's life. In the context of the video, Walter Isaacson is mentioned as an example of a biographer who wrote about Albert Einstein. This term is integral to understanding one of the types of authors discussed and the purpose behind writing biographies.
πŸ’‘Journalist
A journalist is an author who writes news stories for newspapers or other media outlets. The video uses 'The Huntsville Times' and a story titled 'Man Enters Space' to illustrate this role. Journalists aim to inform the public about current events, which is one of the three main purposes of writing mentioned in the script.
πŸ’‘Novelists
Novelists are authors who write novels, which are long, fictional narratives. Harper Lee and her novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird' serve as an example in the video. Novelists often aim to entertain or persuade readers through the stories they craft.
πŸ’‘Playwright
A playwright is an author who writes plays or dramas for theatrical performance. The video cites Shakespeare and his play 'Romeo and Juliet' as a renowned example. Playwrights use the stage to entertain audiences with their stories.
πŸ’‘Poet
A poet is an author who writes poetry, which is characterized by the use of special sounds like rhyme and rhythm. Dr. Seuss is given as an example of a well-known poet in the video, noted for his children's poetry. Poets often aim to entertain through the aesthetic qualities of their language.
πŸ’‘Script Writer
A script writer is an author who writes scripts or screenplays for TV shows or movies. The script for 'Finding Nemo' is used as an example in the video. Script writers play a crucial role in the entertainment industry, crafting stories that come to life on screen.
πŸ’‘Entertain
To entertain in the context of the video means to interest or amuse readers. It is one of the three main purposes authors have when writing. Examples given include romance novels, comic books, and TV scripts, all of which aim to captivate audiences for leisure or enjoyment.
πŸ’‘Inform
To inform is another primary purpose of writing, which means to teach or provide information to readers. The video gives examples such as textbooks, newspapers, and magazines, all of which serve an educational role by imparting knowledge on various subjects.
πŸ’‘Persuade
Persuade is the third main purpose authors have when writing, aiming to influence or convince readers of an idea. The video provides examples like political speeches, essays, and advertisements, which all seek to sway the audience's opinion or action.
πŸ’‘Worksheet
A worksheet, as mentioned in the video, is a tool that viewers can use to take notes and practice what they learn. It relates to the video's educational theme by providing an interactive way for viewers to engage with the material on author's purpose and types of writing.
Highlights

Introduction to the topic of Author's Purpose.

Explanation of different types of authors and their respective writing styles.

Definition of a biographer and the nature of a biography.

Introduction to a journalist and the content of a newspaper article.

Description of a novelist and the structure of a novel.

Discussion on playwrights and the creation of plays for theater.

Introduction to poets and the unique qualities of poetry.

Explanation of script writers and the process of creating scripts for TV or movies.

Practice exercise to identify authors based on the type of writing.

Definition of Author's Purpose as the writer's goal or reason to write.

Discussion on the 'Big Three' main purposes authors write for: entertain, inform, and persuade.

Examples of writings that serve the purpose of entertaining readers.

Examples of writings that aim to inform readers.

Examples of writings intended to persuade readers.

Practice exercise to determine the purpose of various writings: entertain, inform, or persuade.

Explanation of how a textbook about biology serves to inform readers.

Discussion on how a comedy television show entertains viewers.

Analysis of how a political candidate television commercial aims to persuade the audience.

Explanation of how Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet entertains.

Discussion on how a poster advertising a new movie persuades audiences.

Analysis of how a recipe informs readers on how to bake a cake.

Explanation of how a letter to a manager asking to change a rule persuades the manager.

Discussion on how an ad in a magazine persuades readers to buy a product.

Analysis of how a book of modern poetry entertains readers.

Explanation of how a movie about a real period in history primarily entertains but may also inform.

Conclusion summarizing the importance of understanding Author's Purpose in writing.

Transcripts
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