Grade 6 Lesson 2

Item Page

Lesson Plan

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Student Activity Handout 1 (Author’s Purpose Practice)

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Student Activity Handout 2 (The Origins of Baseball)

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Student Activity Handout 3 (Homework)

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PowerPoint Presentation (Go to View->Full Screen)

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Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Language Arts Lesson Plan #2

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OBJECTIVE. What is your objective?

KEY POINTS. What knowledge and skills are embedded in the objective?

Student will be able to:

1. RI.6.6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text. (author’s purpose)

2. RL.6.6. Explain how an author develops

the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text. (point of view/characterization)

1. In order to truly understand a piece of

literature, it is essential to determine the author’s purpose, or the reason that he or she wrote the piece.

2. Many authors write to entertain people and make them laugh.

3. Authors also write to persuade or convince their readers to believe in something.

4. Sometimes authors write to inform or teach you about something.

5. Sometimes authors write to explain something (i.e. a process) to the reader.

Point of view can be:

First Person

The narrator is a character in the story who can reveal only personal thoughts and feelings and what he or she sees and is told by other characters. He can’t tell us thoughts of other characters.

Third-Person Objective

The narrator is an outsider who can report only what he or she sees and hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but he can’t tell us the thoughts of the characters.

Third-Person Limited

The narrator is an outsider who sees into the mind of one of the characters.

Omniscient The narrator is an all-knowing outsider who can enter the minds of more than one of the characters.

3. Characterization: Major characters are almost always round or three-dimensional characters. They have good and bad qualities. Their goals, ambitions and values change. A round character changes as a result of what happens to him or her. A character who changes inside as a result of what happens to him is referred to in literature as a DYNAMIC character. A dynamic character grows or progresses to a higher level of understanding in the course of the story. Flat characters are sometimes referred to as STATIC characters because they do not change in the course of the story.

ASSESSMENT. Describe, briefly, what students will do to show you that they have mastered (or made progress toward) the objective.

Students will be able to identify author’s purpose in a series of exercises, and complete an FCAT based passage that includes questions on author’s purpose.

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OPENING (10 min.) How will you communicate what is about to happen? How will you communicate how it will happen?

How will you communicate its importance? How will you communicate connections to previous lessons?

How will you engage students and capture their interest?

MATERIALS.

“I'm not concerned with your liking or disliking me... All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” - Jackie Robinson What was the famous baseball player Jackie Robinson trying to say here? Why do you think he said this? After students have written for five minutes, the teacher will begin: Okay, all, what do you think? (Calls on hands) That’s right: Jackie Robinson was trying to tell his fans that to him, it does not matter if people like him. It only matters that he receives the respect all people deserve. This Do Now directly relates to our topic for the day: author’s purpose. In order to truly understand a piece of literature, it is essential to determine the author’s purpose, or the reason that he or she wrote the piece. Today we will focus on author’s purpose and characterization; we will also create our own examples of author’s purpose, and challenge ourselves with an FCAT passage that is beyond our grade level!

PowerPoint Student Notebooks

INTRODUCTION OF NEW MATERIAL (10 min.) How will you explain/demonstrate all knowledge/skills required of the objective, so that students begin to

actively internalize key points?

Which potential misunderstandings do you anticipate? How will you proactively mitigate them? How will

students interact with the material?

Students will take notes on the “What is Author’s Purpose?” and “What is Characterization?” slides. After they take notes (five minutes) and the teacher reviews the information on the slides (see below), students will read the “Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Author’s Purpose Practice” sheet aloud and complete the first example as a class. “What is Author’s Purpose?” slide: There are an infinite number of purposes with which authors may write. Authors may write to impress others, to show someone they love him or her, to document what happens in their lives. Today we are going to focus on four reasons:

1) Many authors write to entertain people and make them laugh. 2) Authors also write to persuade or convince their readers to believe in

something. 3) Sometimes authors write to inform or teach you about something. 4) Sometimes authors write to explain something to the reader.

“What is Characterization?” slide: Point of view can be:

• First Person: The narrator is a character in the story who can reveal only personal thoughts and feelings and what he or she sees and is told by other characters. He can’t tell us thoughts of other characters.

• Third-Person Objective: The narrator is an outsider who can report only what he or she sees and hears. This narrator can tell us what is happening, but he can’t tell us the thoughts of the characters.

• Third-Person Limited: The narrator is an outsider who sees into the mind of one of the characters.

• Omniscient: The narrator is an all-knowing outsider who can enter the minds of more than one of the characters.

Characterization: Major characters are almost always round or three-dimensional characters. They have good and bad qualities. Their goals, ambitions and values change. A round character changes as a result of what happens to him or her. A character who changes inside as a result of what happens to him is referred to in literature as a DYNAMIC character. A dynamic character grows or progresses to a higher level of understanding in the course of the story. Flat characters are sometimes referred to as STATIC characters because they do not change in the course of the story. Together, on your “Marlins Ed: Sixth Grade Author’s Purpose Practice” Handout, we will come up with four sentences with different author’s purpose about pizza. Follow along and fill in the example for the different types of author’s purpose based on PIZZA.

PowerPoint Student Notebooks “Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Author’s Purpose Practice” Handout

GUIDED PRACTICE (15 min.) How will students practice all knowledge/skills required of the objective, with your support, such that they

continue to internalize the key points? How will you ensure that students have multiple opportunities to practice, with exercises scaffolded from

easy to hard?

You will have five minutes to come up with four different types of sentences with different author’s purpose for the topic of MIAMI. When you have completed that, you will have five minutes to complete the independent practice/matching section.

PowerPoint “Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Author’s Purpose Practice” Handout

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE (25 min.) How will students independently practice the knowledge and skills required of the objective, such that they

solidify their internalization of the key points prior to the lesson assessment?

Now you will have the opportunity to identify author’s purpose on your own, utilizing a challenging FCAT passage that focuses on “The Origins of Baseball.” Remember to annotate the passage as you read it, and read the questions first! You will have twenty-five minutes to complete this assignment.

PowerPoint “The Origins of Baseball” FCAT Passage Handout

Lesson Assessment: Once students have had an opportunity to practice independently, how will

they attempt to demonstrate mastery of the knowledge/skills required of the objective?

Teachers will utilize the student responses to the last questions on the “Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Author’s Purpose Practice” Handout, along with the student responses to the FCAT passage, to determine if students mastered the objective: identifying author’s purpose and characterization in a text.

CLOSING (5 min.) How will students summarize and state the significance of what they learned?

Today we covered two very important topics: author’s purpose and characterization. Before you leave, you must complete two assignments. First, be sure that you take the “Marlins Think Tank: Extensive Author’s Purpose Practice” sheet with you. Second, complete the last activity on the “Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Author’s Purpose Practice” sheet. Awesome job today!

PowerPoint “Marlins Think Tank: Extensive Author’s Purpose Homework” Handout

Name __________________________ Date ___________________

Marlins Think Tank: Sixth Grade Author’s Purpose Practice

Objective: Students will be able to accurately determine the author’s purpose of a selection of text.

To Inform Example: Washington, DC gets an average of 10 inches of snow per year.

To Persuade Example: Snow is the best weather there is because you get to miss school a lot of the time.

To Entertain Example: When it snowed last month, my friends built a snowman and then we enjoyed a long snowball fight.

To Explain Example: For it to snow, first the temperature has to be below freezing. Then there has to be water in the air.

Class Practice Together we will come up with four sentences with different author’s purpose about pizza.

1. To Inform:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2. To Persuade:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

3. To Entertain:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

4. To Explain:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Group Practice You will have five minutes to come up with four different types of sentences with different author’s purpose for the topic below. My Topic: Miami

1. To Inform:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2. To Persuade:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

3. To Entertain:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

4. To Explain:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Independent Practice Match the following sentences with their purpose. The topic is: apples. ______ 1. We were playing in the orchard and all of a sudden

apples began falling from the trees above our heads. We had to run really fast to get out of there.

a) To inform

______ 2. Apples are very nutritious. Doctors say that eating an apple is much better for you than eating cookies or candy.

b) To persuade

______ 3. I love apples! They are good for you, taste really good, and they are cheap to buy. Let’s make them our national fruit!

c) To entertain

Match the following sentences with their purpose. The topic is: University of Florida. ______ 1. UF is the best school in Florida, because of the many

different arts classes you can be a part of. You really should try to go here!

a) To inform

______ 2. Last week in the stadium, UF was losing their football game to Alabama, but at the last minute, UF scored!

b) To persuade

______ 3. The school day at UF can be 7 ½ hours long, which is longer than many schools in the country.

c) To entertain

Come up with your own sentences on the topic: Summertime.

1. To Inform:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

2. To Persuade:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

3. To Entertain:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

4. To Explain:

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Extension Activity

Write a paragraph to persuade your teachers on why we should or why we should not have school uniforms. ______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Author’s Purpose – Homework Name: _______________________ Directions: Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow. The fire crackled musically. From it swelled light smoke. Overhead the foliage moved softly. The leaves, with their faces turned toward the blaze, were colored shifting hues of silver, often edged with red. Far off to the right, through a window in the forest, could be seen a handful of stars lying, like glittering pebbles, on the black level of the night. - Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage ______1. The author’s purpose is: a) to describe an event c) to persuade b) to create a mood d) to teach a lesson My family came to America in 1985. No one spoke a word of English. In school, I was in an English as a Second language class with other foreign-born children. My class was so overcrowded that it was impossible for the teacher to teach English properly. I dreaded going to school each morning because of the fear of not understanding what people were saying and the fear of being laughed at. - Yu-Lan Ying, eyewitness account ______2. The author’s purpose is: a) to cause doubt c) to share a personal experience b) to entertain d) to create suspense Directions: Indicate whether the author of each passage wrote to inform, entertain, persuade, or explain/describe. Underline which part(s) of the passage led you to think this. 1. HAMSTERS FOR SALE: Braxton Pet Store, Northwood Mall: We have a large selection of hamsters for sale this week. They are interesting pets and you will enjoy having one. They are only $ 17.99 this week. Come and buy yours today! What is the author's purpose? __________________ 2. Katina and her brother, Jess were playing with the water hose outside one day. Jess was hiding from Katina so she wouldn't squirt him with the water. The back door opened and Katina pointed the water hose toward the door. It was Mom and she was dripping wet! What is the author's purpose? _______________________

3. Rosie had the best time making her valentine cards for her classmates. She used red and white paper, heart stickers, markers and anything else she could find. It was great. Her friends are planning a valentine party on Feb. 14th at school. The one she made for her best friend is funny. Funny valentines are nice to get. What is the author's purpose? _______________________ 4. Judy Glen's amazing Wrinkle Remover cream will make you look younger in thirty days or less. This remarkable cream has special ingredients to make your wrinkles disappear. The cost for a thirty day supply is $ 25.99. Send your check to P.O.Box 00002, Shelton, CA 74836 What is the author's purpose? __________________________ 5. Thomas was not happy one little bit. His sister, Susan was making honor roll again. His parents would allow her to do anything she wanted to do. Thomas was not making honor roll this time and he was not going to be allowed to do all the things he wanted to do. Poor Thomas! He would just have to study harder and get back on the honor roll. What is the author's purpose of this writing? ________________________ Directions: Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions that follow. Water has one property that is particularly striking: the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit of water by 1 degree Celsius is ten times higher than for iron, thirty times higher than for mercury and five times higher than for soil. This property makes water an effective “sink” for heat; it absorbs large quantities of heat and then radiates it out. - David Suzuki, The Sacred Balance The author’s intent is:

a) to inform c) to persuade

b) to entertain d) to discourage

Think critically about the information that floods over us. Consider its source carefully. Organizations that are funded by vested interests such as tobacco business may not be reliable…Science fragments the way we see the world, so we have no context within which to see what impact our activities and technological applications have. The author’s purpose is:

a) to inform c) to persuade

b) to entertain d) to scare us

Tobacco companies have been in litigation, facing charges that their marketing

practices in the past have targeted teenagers. Also, evidence indicates that companies

adjusted levels of nicotine in their cigarettes to increase the probability that smokers

would become addicted to the product to ensure higher sales in the future.

The purpose of the paragraph is to:

a. Explain how companies get smokers addicted to cigarettes b. Critique tobacco companies marketing techniques c. Persuade people to stop buying cigarettes d. Inform people about the dangers of smoking

Do you want to add years to your life and feel better too? Here are a few tips. First, to

decrease your chances of a heart attack, eat a handful of nuts each day. Also, to ease

the effects of rheumatoid arthritis, be sure to include some citrus, such as orange juice,

in your diet. Finally, exercise on a regular basis. Include weight-bearing activities such

as walking and jogging. Also, try yoga for flexibility and stress relief.

The purpose of the passage is to :

e. Entertain people with different types of healthy recipes f. Critique the kinds of food people think are healthy g. Persuade people to give up heart attacks and arthritis h. Inform people about ways to lead a healthier lifestyle

Alonzo winked at his mother's shocked gaze and with a grin quipped, "Sausage and

pepperoni pizza for breakfast makes perfect sense. Allow me to demonstrate. You have

your tomato. Tomato is technically a fruit. You have your cheese. Cheese is a dairy

product. You have your crust—necessary carbs for quick energy in the morning. And

don't forget the sausage and pepperoni—my protein. If you think about it, it's just like

bacon and eggs, toast, and orange juice." Still grinning, he added, "Really it is. Well,

almost. Why are you looking at me that way?"

The purpose of this passage is to :

i. Entertain readers by describing how Alonzo thinks pizza is a great breakfast food

j. Critique the benefits of eating pizza for breakfast compared to bacon, eggs, toast, and orange juice

k. Persuade people to start eating more sausage and pepperoni pizza l. Inform people about the health benefits of eating breakfast on a

regular basis

Because researchers studying circadian rhythms have discovered that most teenagers

are really nocturnal, school administrators should take this into account when organizing

a school day. For example, traditionally teenagers must arise in the predawn hours and

arrive at school before sunrise. Groggy and unfocused, they find it difficult to

concentrate and be alert before lunch. After lunch, which for many students in

overcrowded high schools begins at 10:30 a.m., they are finally able to pay attention.

Armed with this information, the school board should be innovative and rearrange the

schedule, which would curb truancy in grades 8 through 12.

The purpose of this passage is to:

m. Entertain readers with how tired students can be while they are at school

n. Critique the sleeping habits of teenagers in grades 8-12 o. Persuade teenagers to get more sleep in order to do better in school p. Inform readers about why schools should arrange their schedules to fit

students’ sleep habits

Directions: Indicate whether the author of each passage wrote to inform, entertain, persuade, or explain/describe. Underline which part(s) of the passage led you to think this.

6. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was born on February 7, 1867 in Pepin, Wisconsin to Charles and Caroline Ingalls. She met and married Almanzo James Wilder in 1885. She published many books based on her travels to the west. Her writing became the basis for the " Little House" series She died in 1957. What is the author's purpose of this writing?_______________________

7. Weighing in at a mere three pounds, your brain devours 20 percent of your body’s

total energy supply and 20 percent of all the oxygen you inhale. Your brain has a

lifelong appetite for vitamins, minerals, amino acids, sugar, and oxygen.

What is the author’s purpose? ________________________________

8. I watched the alien ship land in the field of wheat. Slowly, the hatch opened, and a

group of small, thin, scaly creatures descended the platform. Their orb-shaped eyes

were staring into mine. Why are they here? What do they want? Was I safe?

What is the author’s purpose? _______________________________

9. Is the moon tired? She looks so pale

Within her misty veil;

She scales the sky from east to west,

And takes no rest.

What is the author’s purpose? ____________________________________

10. Sandy Meyers, grand champion of women’s tennis, feeds her cats the best;

Supreme, the gourmet cat food. Your cat can choose from nine different meals to satisfy

the most discriminating tastes. Every cat deserves to be treated like a top cat. Buy your

cat Supreme Cat Food today!

What is the author’s purpose?______________________________________

11. A lonely worm had been trying to find a friend for weeks and weeks. After a long

search, he found one in the very garden where he lived. “Hello,” he said. “I’ve never

seen you before.” His new friend replied, “Well then, you haven’t looked around very

much.” “Why do you say that?” asked the worm. “Because,” the second worm laughed,

“I’m your other half!”

What is the author’s purpose?_____________________________________

12. June 17, 1993 is a day I will never forget. It started just like any other day, but if only

I had known that this day would go down as the most important day of my life… things

might have gone differently. This is the day I decided that this town, this life, wasn’t for

me anymore.

What is the author’s purpose?_____________________________________

Practice: Identify the author’s purpose in the following excerpts. "Barbie Girl" is a song in the bubblegum pop genre by the Danish dance-pop group Aqua, who released it in 1997 as their third single overall, and the first United Kingdom release. The song topped the charts worldwide, particularly in European countries such as the UK, where it was a number-one hit for three weeks; it was also on top of the charts in Australia for the same length of time, and debuted and peaked at #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on 6 September 1997. -Wikipedia Author’s purpose: ___________________________________ If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting. –Jack Handy Author’s purpose: ___________________________________

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream…I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former

slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood … I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be

judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today! -Martin Luther King, Jr. Author’s purpose: ___________________________________

An author writes for many reasons. An author may give you facts or true information about a subject. Some authors write fiction stories or stories that are not true. They write these stories to entertain you. Other authors may write to persuade or to try to get you to do something.

1. It was a glorious morning in Alabama. The sun was shining through the trees. Alan couldn't wait to find his fishing pole and call his friend Sam to go fishing. They had a great time on these early morning fishing trips. They took their dogs with them and the dogs would swim in the lake while they fished. It was so funny to watch those dogs paddle around the lake. What is the author’s purpose for writing this story? A. to inform B. to entertain C. to question D. to persuade 2. The Slim-O-Matic will cause you to lose pounds and inches from your body in one month. This amazing machine helps you to exercise correctly and provides an easy video to show you the proper way to exercise. Send $75.99 and begin exercising today. What is the author’s purpose for writing this story? A. to inform B. to entertain C. to question D. to persuade 3. The Underground Railroad was a secret organization which helped slaves escape to freedom. Many slaves were able to escape because of the conductors and station masters. The northern states were free states and slaves were free once they arrived in the north. Secret codes and signals were used to identify the conductors and station masters. What is the author’s purpose for writing this story? A. to inform B. to entertain C. to question D. to persuade

4. With a flash, a small cat ran out of the house. A few seconds later, four dogs raced out of the house chasing it. One dog took off running around the corner; another headed straight for the tree and started barking. A third dog started sniffing under the porch steps. The last dog just sat back and howled. After all the commotion, not one of the dogs could seem to find where the cat went! What is the author’s purpose for writing this story? A. to inform B. to entertain C. to question D. to persuade 5. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was born on February 7, 1867 in Pepin, Wisconsin to Charles and Caroline Ingalls. She met and married Almanzo James Wilder in 1885. She published many books based on her travels to the west. Her writing became the basis for the "Little House" series. She died in 1957. What is the author’s purpose for writing this passage? Give two reasons, details, or examples to support your answer. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Fresh Pea Soup A slab of butter 1 mild onion finely chopped 2 cups shelled peas 16 ounces of water 3 tablespoons cream Pepper and salt to taste 1. Melt butter in pan and fry onions for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. 2. Add the peas and water, then the seasoning. 3. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 4. Blend the soup in a food processor. 5. Stir in the cream and reheat if necessary. What is the author’s purpose for writing this passage? Give two reasons, details, or examples to support your answer. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Directions: READ EACH OF THE FOLLOWING WRITINGS AND DECIDE WHETHER THE AUTHOR'S PURPOSE IS TO: persuade inform entertain 1. Judy Glen's amazing Wrinkle Remover cream will make you look younger in thirty days

or less. This remarkable cream has special ingredients to make your wrinkles disappear. The cost for a thirty day supply is $ 25.99. Send your check to P.O.Box 00002, Shelton, CA 74836.

What is the author's purpose of this writing? ____________________________

2. Thomas was not happy one little bit. His sister, Susan was making honor roll again. His parents would allow her to do anything she wanted to do. Thomas was not making honor roll this time and he was not going to be allowed to do all the things he wanted to do. Poor Thomas! He would just have to study harder and get back on the honor roll. What is the author's purpose of this writing? ____________________________ 3. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was born on February 7, 1867 in Pepin, Wisconsin to Charles and Caroline Ingalls. She met and married Almanzo James Wilder in 1885. She published many books based on her travels to the west. Her writing became the basis for the " Little House" series She died in 1957. What is the author's purpose of this writing? ______________________________ 4. Rosie had the best time making her valentine cards for her classmates. She used red and white paper, heart stickers, markers and anything else she could find. It was great. Her friends are planning a valentine party on Feb. 14th at school. The one she made for her best friend is funny. Funny valentines are nice to get. The author's purpose of this writing is to __________________ Why do you think this? __________________________________________________ 5. The easy Chopper 3 will chop your vegetables for you in about 30 seconds. It is easy to use and you can use any vegetable. The cost is $ 29.95. Order yours today! The author's purpose of this writing is to __________________ Why do you think this? __________________________________________________ 6. Abraham Lincoln's birthday is on Feb. 12th. He was a great President of the United States. He was our 16th President. He is remembered for freeing the slaves. The author's purpose of this writing is to __________________ Why do you think this? __________________________________________________

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the questions below.

Front of the Bus

By Danielle Feffer, Home School, Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania

When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in the front of the bus to a white person on Dec. 1, 1955, shock waves spread across the South, where many states practiced segregation, the separation of blacks and whites in public places. Danielle interviewed her grandfather, Roland Crevecoeur, about the day he refused to sit in the back of a bus.

Q: What brought you to the United States in 1956?

A: I came here to attend Fisk University (Nashville, Tennessee). I was a lawyer and mathematician in Haiti.

Q: What was the first thing you noticed?

A: The bathrooms and water fountains had signs on them indicating1 whether a white person or a black person could use them. This was really strange, because this did not exist in my country.

Q: Did you feel any racial discrimination2 while attending Fisk?

A: Not at all. My teachers were all whites, but there were also two black instructors teaching at the school. Whites from Pennsylvania, Boston, New York, and elsewhere sat next to blacks. We even ate lunch together in the cafeteria. Outside the campus, we did not.

Q: What were some of the places that were segregated?

A: The bathrooms in the big department stores were segregated. Other areas, such as movie theaters and small shops, had large "White Only" signs posted on their doors.

Q: Was there any time that you did venture3 downtown?

A: Once, my friend and I went downtown to buy a television set. I knew that blacks had to sit in the back of the bus. As I made my way to the back of the bus, I saw my friend sitting up front. He told me in French that he was going to sit wherever he wanted. I sat next to him.

The bus driver told us to go to the back, but my friend, Michael, refused. The white people on the bus started to complain. The bus driver told them there was nothing he could do. The whites, however, didn't like it one bit. They flagged down a passing police car. The bus driver stopped the bus, and the police got on.

1 indicate: to point out, to state briefly

2 discrimination: treating some people better than others without any fair or proper reason

3 venture: go in spite of danger

Q: What was going on in your mind at that time?

A: I was terrified. I didn't think I would ever see my country or my family again. I thought we were going to be hanged.

Q: What happened next?

A: The police questioned us, and Michael did most of the talking. He told them that, "we came to your country as guests to study, just as your people have been welcome in our country. You have been treated with respect, and we blacks demand the same treatment."

What happened next was beyond my wildest expectations. The police took us downtown to buy the television and then took us back to the university. The police officer told us not to make a habit of going downtown because this wasn't Haiti. He didn't have to tell me twice. I was simply happy to escape with my life.

“Front of the Bus” Questions

1. The author asks Roland about discrimination at Fisk University in order to a. give information to people who might be thinking about applying to the university as potential students. b. show that integration was successful on the university campus. c. inform the police about what was happening on the campus. d. all of the above.

___ 2. Why do you think the author used a question-and-answer format? a. to teach the reader about segregation. b. to show the way segregation affects people’s feelings. c. to make the story personal and convincing. d. all of the above.

__ 3. Roland’s fear during the problem on the bus and his relief afterwards show that Roland realized that

a. his friend Michael was right to disobey the law. b. guests in Tennessee were not treated differently from the way guests were treated in Haiti.

c. the penalty for disobeying segregation laws could be harsh. d. Michael and Roland should have sat in the back of the bus.

4. The author’s purpose in interviewing her grandfather and writing the article was most likely

a. to learn about segregation by hearing his personal experience. b. to teach others about what segregation was like. c. to help prevent discrimination in the future.

d. all the above.

___ 5. What would have you done if you were in Roland’s place in Tennessee in the 1950s? Explain.

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NAME_______________________________________ Author’s Purpose EXIT SLIP Directions: READ EACH OF THE FOLLOWING WRITINGS AND DECIDE WHETHER THE AUTHOR'S PURPOSE IS TO: persuade inform entertain 1 . HAMSTERS FOR SALE: Braxton Pet Store, Northwood Mall: We have a large selection of hamsters for sale this week. They are interesting pets and you will enjoy having one. They are only $ 17.99 this week. Come and buy yours today! What is the author's purpose of this writing? ____________________________ 2. Calligraphy is a form of handwriting . A special pen must be used. Letters are formed using up and down strokes. Old documents are usually written in this form. Diplomas , certificates and other awards are written in calligraphy. It is an interesting form of handwriting. What is the author's purpose of this writing? ____________________________ 3. Katina and her brother, Jess were playing with the water hose outside one day. Jess was hiding from Katina so she wouldn't squirt him with the water. The back door opened and Katina pointed the water hose toward the door. It was Mom and she was dripping wet! What is the author's purpose of this writing? ____________________________ NAME_______________________________________ Author’s Purpose EXIT SLIP Directions: READ EACH OF THE FOLLOWING WRITINGS AND DECIDE WHETHER THE AUTHOR'S PURPOSE IS TO: persuade inform entertain 1 . HAMSTERS FOR SALE: Braxton Pet Store, Northwood Mall: We have a large selection of hamsters for sale this week. They are interesting pets and you will enjoy having one. They are only $ 17.99 this week. Come and buy yours today! What is the author's purpose of this writing? ____________________________ 2. Calligraphy is a form of handwriting . A special pen must be used. Letters are formed using up and down strokes. Old documents are usually written in this form. Diplomas , certificates and other awards are written in calligraphy. It is an interesting form of handwriting. What is the author's purpose of this writing? ____________________________ 3. Katina and her brother, Jess were playing with the water hose outside one day. Jess was hiding from Katina so she wouldn't squirt him with the water. The back door opened and Katina pointed the water hose toward the door. It was Mom and she was dripping wet! What is the author's purpose of this writing? ____________________________