Exploring audience and purpose with a single issue
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=948
A lesson plan for grades 9–11 English Language Arts
Students evaluate audience and purpose in writing by exploring the debate between evolution and creationism raised during the Scopes Monkey Trial. Readwritethink provides links to information about the Scopes Monkey Trial, a handout explaining purpose and audience, and an audience analysis interview. After students have shared what they know about the famous trial, they explore additional information using web resources, documentaries, and newspaper articles. When students are familiar with purpose and audience, the teacher demonstrates how to evaluate the find both in a newspaper article. Once they have read several documents related to the trial, students brainstorm a list of positions someone might take about the trial. Then, representing the perspective of one of the groups identified in the brainstorming activity, students work in groups to answer questions on the purpose and audience handout. When groups have completed the questions, they share their ideas with the rest of the class, listening for similarities and differences among the strategies that the groups would use to present their information to a specific audience. After group presentations, the class discusses how they will be able to use the information to influence their writing for specific audiences and for particular purposes. This lesson suggests several extension activities and offers opportunities for student reflection.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
English Language Arts (2004)
Grade 9
- Goal 5: The learner will demonstrate understanding of various literary genres, concepts, elements, and terms.
- Objective 5.03: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print literacy texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
- selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
- identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
- providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
- demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
- summarizing key events and/or points from text.
- making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
- identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
- making connections between works, self and related topics.
- analyzing and evaluating the effects of author's craft and style.
- analyzing and evaluating the connections or relationships between and among ideas, concepts, characters and/or experiences.
- identifying and analyzing elements of literary environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.
- Objective 5.03: Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print literacy texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
Grade 11
- Goal 2: The learner will inform an audience by using a variety of media to research and explain insights into language and culture.
- Objective 2.01: Research ideas, events, and/or movements related to United States culture by:
- locating facts and details for purposeful elaboration.
- organizing information to create a structure for purpose, audience, and context.
- excluding extraneous information.
-providing accurate documentation.
- Objective 2.01: Research ideas, events, and/or movements related to United States culture by:
