CurriculumGrade 2English Language Arts

Why Did They Write It?

Aligned to RI.2.6 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

What this lesson teaches

Every text is written for a reason. The author may want to answer a question, explain an idea, or describe something.

Worked example

A book about brushing teeth is written to explain how to keep your teeth clean and healthy.

Practice questions

  1. Read a short text and tell what it is mostly about.
  2. Decide if the author wants to answer, explain, or describe something.
  3. Explain in one sentence why the author wrote the text.

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

▶ Watch this lesson

En español

¿Por qué lo escribieron?

Cada texto se escribe por una razón. El autor puede querer responder una pregunta, explicar una idea o describir algo.

Ejemplo: Un libro sobre cómo lavarse los dientes se escribe para explicar cómo mantener los dientes limpios y sanos.

More Reading: Informational lessons

Main Idea & Text FeaturesRI.2.2Fact QuestionsRI.2.1How Things ConnectRI.2.3New Words in Real BooksRI.2.4Parts of a BookRI.2.5Diagrams Show You MoreRI.2.7

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