Authors Purpose
What are the three main reasons an author writes?
To inform, to persuade, or to entertain
What does “central idea” mean?
The main point or message of the text
Who wrote The Case of Disappearing Words?
Alice Andre Clark
What does the word disappearing mean?
To vanish, fade away, or no longer be seen
Which category does “to teach a lesson about history” belong to—purpose or central idea?
Purpose
If an author writes a science textbook, what is the purpose?
To inform
Can a story have more than one central idea?
Yes, texts can have multiple central ideas
What disappears in the story?
Words
Give one example of a word that is not commonly used anymore.
Open students may use examples like “groovy” or “thou”
Which is a central idea in The Case of Disappearing Words?
Words change over time
If an author writes a scary ghost story, what is the purpose?
To entertain
One central idea in The Case of Disappearing Words is that language changes over time. What’s another one?
People sometimes forget or replace old words with new ones
Why do some words disappear from language?
Because people stop using them and new words replace them
What does it mean to replace a word?
To use a different word in its place
If Alice Andre Clark wanted to make readers laugh while learning about language, which purpose is she adding?
To entertain
In The Case of Disappearing Words, what is the author’s main purpose?
To inform readers about language change and make them think about why words fade away
Which detail supports the central idea that words can fade from memory?
Examples in the text of words that people don’t use anymore
What does the author want readers to think about when words fade away?
How language changes and why it matters
Why does vocabulary change over time?
Because culture, technology, and people’s habits change
Give one detail from the story that supports the idea that words can vanish.
Specific examples of words the author lists as disappearing.
How can an author use more than one purpose in a story?
An author can inform AND entertain at the same time for example, teaching about disappearing words while keeping the story engaging
How are central idea and author’s purpose different?
Central idea is what the text is mostly about; author’s purpose is WHY the author wrote it
If you were to add a new ending to the story, what lesson about language would you include?
Open students create their own ending, but must show understanding of central ideas
True or False: Language stays the same forever
False
Create your own central idea about language that connects to the story.
Open students must show reasoning, e.g., “Language shows who we are and how we change”