CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.6

ELAGrades 9–10Craft and Structure

The Standard

Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Reading Standards for Informational Text

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify an author's position, perspective, or goal in an informational text. They explain how choices such as word choice, evidence, repetition, and rhetorical appeals help persuade the audience.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students state the author's position or goal precisely. They cite specific words, examples, or appeals and explain how each choice influences the intended audience.
Common Misconceptions: Students may name the topic instead of the author's purpose or position. They may label ethos, pathos, or logos without explaining the effect. They may also assume point of view means first-person narration.
How to Assess It: Project a short school newspaper editorial about later start times. Ask, "What does the author want readers to believe or do, and how do two rhetorical choices support that goal?"

Lesson moves

Give pairs a printed editorial to color-code claims, emotional language, evidence, repetition, and direct appeals to readers.
Ask students to write: Which sentence best reveals the author's purpose, and what specific words make that purpose clear?
Play a rhetoric sort using sentence cards labeled credibility, emotion, logic, repetition, or counterargument, then require students to justify each placement.
Compare two public service posts on the same issue and identify how each uses images, wording, and evidence to influence its audience.

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