Worksheet

Lights for the Sea: Why Did the Author Write It?

Read an original article about lighthouses and identify what the author wants to explain, describe, or answer.

Grade 2ELAInteractive · Printable

Aligned toRI.2.6

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What’s included

Single worksheet
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1 Common Core standard
Printable answer key
9 questions
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Details

Format: Interactive · Printable
Grade: Grade 2
Subject: ELA
Question types: Multiple choice, Matching, Circle the answer, Sorting, Short answer

About this worksheet

What students practice

Students identify the main purpose of an informational text.
Students tell what the author wants to explain, describe, or answer in each paragraph.

How to use

Read the article aloud together. Then have students answer the questions on their own, and talk about why the author wrote each paragraph.

Curriculum

Common Core standard covered

RI.2.6

Identify the main purpose of a text, such as what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.

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Name Date

Lights for the Sea: Why Did the Author Write It?

Find what the author wants to explain, describe, or answer.

Read the article

Read the article. Think about why the author wrote it.

Lights for the Sea

1Have you ever wondered why a tall tower stands by the sea? Many of these towers are lighthouses. A lighthouse is a building with a very bright light at the top. This article explains what a lighthouse does and who took care of it long ago.

2Lighthouses are often thick, round towers. Many are painted with bold stripes or bright colors, so sailors can spot them in the daytime. At the top is a room made of glass. Inside is a big lamp with a lens that makes the light shine far over the water.

3At night, the light helps ships find their way. It warns sailors about rocks and shallow water that could harm a boat. When fog hides the light, some lighthouses blow a loud horn instead.

4Long ago, a keeper lived at many lighthouses. The keeper cleaned the lens, filled the lamp, and kept the light shining all night. Today, machines run the lights at most lighthouses.

Find the purpose

Answer each question about what the author wants to do.

Why did the author write this article?

A. To teach readers how to build their own lighthouse
B. To tell a funny story about a sailor who got lost
C. To explain what lighthouses are and what they do
D. To convince readers to take a long trip by ship

Read paragraph 1 again. Underline the sentence that tells what the article will explain.

Have you ever wondered why a tall tower stands by the sea?Many of these towers are lighthouses.A lighthouse is a building with a very bright light at the top.This article explains what a lighthouse does and who took care of it long ago.

In paragraph 2, what does the author mostly describe?

A. How sailors steer their ships at night
B. What a lighthouse looks like up close
C. How a keeper takes care of the lamp
D. Why fog covers the sea in the morning

Match each paragraph to what the author wants to do in it.

Paragraph 2
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 4

A. Tells about the job of the keeper
B. Describes how a lighthouse looks
C. Explains how the light helps ships

Sort each sentence. Does it describe how a lighthouse looks, or explain what a lighthouse does?

It warns sailors about rocks and shallow water.It is a thick, round tower.Some blow a loud horn when fog hides the light.It helps ships find their way at night.Many are painted with bold stripes.