Fifth graders evaluate purpose using direct text evidence. They pick which line proves a sea-turtle passage is persuasive ('Reduce plastic use to help save them'), identify the dual purpose in a lightning-safety paragraph, and name the rhetorical-question-plus-call-to-action move in a polluted-water argument.
Fill-ins build the toolkit — rhetorical questions, repetition, citing experts, appeals to imagination, and text structure as evidence. A lighthouse-keeper narrative tests whether students can spot vivid description as the purpose signal. This is the analytical reading that prepares fifth graders for middle-school argument work.
Style:
Author's Purpose
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Read: "Sea turtles have existed for over 100 million years. Sadly, six of the seven species are now threatened. Reduce plastic use to help save them." Which piece of evidence BEST shows the persuasive purpose?
A) Sea turtles have existed for over 100 million years.
B) Six of the seven species are now threatened.
C) Reduce plastic use to help save them.
D) Sea turtles are an ancient species.
2. An author writes: "Lightning strikes the Earth about 100 times every second. During a storm, stay indoors and away from windows." What TWO purposes does this passage serve?
A) Entertain and persuade
B) Inform and persuade
C) Entertain and inform
D) Persuade and persuade
3. Which rhetorical technique does the author use in: "Would you want to drink polluted water? Neither would the fish. Protect our rivers."?
A) Alliteration to make the text fun to read aloud
B) A rhetorical question to make the reader think, followed by a call to action
C) Repetition of key vocabulary to help the reader remember facts
D) A simile comparing pollution to something familiar
4. Read: "The old lighthouse keeper climbed the spiral stairs each night, lantern in hand, listening to the waves crash below." The author's primary purpose is to —
A) persuade readers to visit lighthouses
B) inform readers about lighthouse safety procedures
C) entertain readers with vivid, descriptive narrative
D) inform readers about the history of lighthouses
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A rhetorical question is one the author asks without expecting an answer, used to make the reader think.
2. When an author repeats a word or phrase for emphasis, such as "We can do better. We MUST do better," the technique is called repetition.
3. Citing facts and expert opinions to support an argument makes the author's persuasion more convincing.
4. "Imagine a world without clean water" is an example of using the reader's imagination to persuade.
5. Strong readers evaluate an author's purpose by looking at word choice, tone, and text structure as evidence.
Author's Purpose
★ Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Read: "Sea turtles have existed for over 100 million years. Sadly, six of the seven species are now threatened. Reduce plastic use to help save them." Which piece of evidence BEST shows the persuasive purpose?
A) Sea turtles have existed for over 100 million years.
B) Six of the seven species are now threatened.
C) Reduce plastic use to help save them.
D) Sea turtles are an ancient species.
2. An author writes: "Lightning strikes the Earth about 100 times every second. During a storm, stay indoors and away from windows." What TWO purposes does this passage serve?
A) Entertain and persuade
B) Inform and persuade
C) Entertain and inform
D) Persuade and persuade
3. Which rhetorical technique does the author use in: "Would you want to drink polluted water? Neither would the fish. Protect our rivers."?
A) Alliteration to make the text fun to read aloud
B) A rhetorical question to make the reader think, followed by a call to action
C) Repetition of key vocabulary to help the reader remember facts
D) A simile comparing pollution to something familiar
4. Read: "The old lighthouse keeper climbed the spiral stairs each night, lantern in hand, listening to the waves crash below." The author's primary purpose is to —
A) persuade readers to visit lighthouses
B) inform readers about lighthouse safety procedures
C) entertain readers with vivid, descriptive narrative
D) inform readers about the history of lighthouses
★ Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1) A rhetorical question is one the author asks without expecting an answer, used to make the reader think.
2) When an author repeats a word or phrase for emphasis, such as "We can do better. We MUST do better," the technique is called repetition.
3) Citing facts and expert opinions to support an argument makes the author's persuasion more convincing.
4) "Imagine a world without clean water" is an example of using the reader's imagination to persuade.
5) Strong readers evaluate an author's purpose by looking at word choice, tone, and text structure as evidence.
Ready to Practice?
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9 Questions
12-18 minutes
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