What the Author Wanted to Do
A 40-minute Grade 2 lesson on identifying the main purpose of a text — what the author wants to answer, explain or describe.
What the Author Wanted to Do is a free 40-minute Grade 2 English lesson plan for Common Core standard RI.2.6 — say why the author wrote it and what they wanted to explain. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 2
- Length:
- 40 minutes
- Standard:
- RI.2.6
Grade 2 · Reading: Informational Text
RI.2.6
Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
Objective
Students will be able to say whether a text was written to answer, to explain or to describe.
Students are successful when they can
- Chooses one of the three purposes.
- Gives a part of the text as evidence.
- Says what the author left out because of that purpose.
What you need
- Three short texts, one of each purpose
- Three purpose cards: ANSWER, EXPLAIN, DESCRIBE
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — three cards
5 min- Read the three cards. Give an example sentence for each.
- An answer settles a question; an explanation says how or why; a description says what it is like.
Teach — what got left out
13 min- Read the first text and hold up a card. Say which sentence made you choose.
- Ask what this text does NOT do. A description does not tell you why.
- Do the second text. It explains, so it is full of because and so.
- Do the third.
- Say the shortcut: the purpose shows in what is missing as much as in what is there.
“It never tells you why. That is not a gap — that is not what this text is for.”
Guided practice — sort three
12 min- Pairs read three short texts and hold up a card for each.
- For each, they name the evidence sentence and one thing the text leaves out.
- Settle any disagreements by reading the opening aloud.
Independent practice
8 min- Students complete the author-purpose page.
- The passages are on the sheet.
Close
2 min- Read an opening paragraph. Take the purpose before the rest is read.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Says the purpose is 'to teach you'.
Why: It is true of every information text and cannot be wrong.
Fix: Force a choice between the three cards. Teach is the category, not the purpose.
Gives the topic instead of the purpose.
Why: The topic is easier to name and was practised more.
Fix: Ask what the author DID with the topic. Two texts on bats can have different purposes.
Picks explain for any text with a 'because' in it.
Why: One connective is being read as the whole structure.
Fix: Count them. An explanatory text is built on causes; a description has one by accident.
If they are not there yet
- Two purposes rather than three.
- Texts with an explicit opening question.
If they finish early
- Find a text that does two of the three.
- Rewrite a description as an explanation.
- Say what question the author was answering.
Exit ticket
What did the author want to do here, and what did they leave out?
What to look for: A purpose card and an omission. 'To teach you' means the three-way choice needs enforcing.
Printable practice for RI.2.6
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- What the Author WantedTick the right answer.
Questions about What the Author Wanted to Do
How long does the What the Author Wanted to Do lesson take?
40 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 13 min, guided practice 12 min, independent practice 8 min, close 2 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does What the Author Wanted to Do teach?
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.6 — RI.2.6, Reading: Informational Text for Grade 2: “Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.” In plain terms, say why the author wrote it and what they wanted to explain.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Three short texts, one of each purpose, three purpose cards: ANSWER, EXPLAIN, DESCRIBE and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: says the purpose is 'to teach you'; gives the topic instead of the purpose and picks explain for any text with a 'because' in it. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “What did the author want to do here, and what did they leave out?.” A purpose card and an omission. 'To teach you' means the three-way choice needs enforcing. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with What the Author Wanted to Do?
Yes — 1 printable RI.2.6 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is What the Author Wanted to Do free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to RI.2.6 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.