Author's point of view “What is that?" “I’ve done some research. It's called plastic. It seems like a lot of things on land are made with them.” “Let’s read to learn about the topic.” When reading informational texts it is important to understand the author's point of view. An author can have a positive or negative impression of a topic they want to communicate to the reader. An author’s point of view is how the author thinks or feels about a topic. This affects what they say about a topic and how they say it. Authors don't always directly state their point of view but we can infer it through reasons, evidence and word choice. Let's read an article about plastics and analyse the author's point of view. This is the last straw! Single-use plastics are damaging our environment and hurting our animals. There are an estimated 270,000 tons of plastic in the world’s waterways. These not only cause pollution, but they are ingested, or eaten, by wildlife. Since plastics are not biodegradable, animals can not digest them, which causes blockage or poisoning from the chemicals used in plastics, leading to their deaths. Plastic has been found in the stomachs of more than 50% of the world’s sea turtles. We need to find alternatives and not be so dependent on using plastics, or our planet’s future is in grave danger. This author feels that single-use plastics are harmful to the environment and animals and people should stop using them. What reasons did they give to support their thinking? It causes pollution and animals may die from eating the floating plastics. What evidence did this author give about plastics being harmful? The fact that fifty per cent of sea turtles are found with plastics in their stomachs. Look at the author's word choice used to describe plastics. Which words show their negative point of view? Damaging and grave danger. "Plastics are terrible!" "I think we need to read more before forming an opinion." Let's analyse the author's point of view in this article. Plastics get a bad wrap. Plastics are one of the greatest inventions! Plastics are lightweight and durable making them more energy efficient and less wasteful than other materials produced. A cloth bag actually requires more water and energy to make than plastic bags! Our daily lives are better as a result of plastics. It helps cool or heat our homes, makes our cars safer, and keeps our food from going bad. Just think of all the medical advances made possible by plastics. We owe so much to this amazing product, including being responsible for its proper disposal. What is this author's point of view? Plastics are beneficial to our lives. What reasons did they give to support their thinking? Plastics use less energy and waste, they benefit our daily lives and make medical and technological advances possible. What evidence supports their point of view? The fact that cloth bags require more resources to make. What words does the author use to show they have a positive view? Greatest, better, amazing. Both authors have written about the same topic while giving two different points of view about it. While Pearl and Otis discuss what they've read, let's summarise. Remember, an author’s point of view is how they think or feel about a topic. Their point of view affects what they say and how they say it. Authors don't always directly state their point of view but we can infer it through reasons, evidence and word choice. Reading more than one text on a topic with different points of view helps us become knowledgeable and form our own opinions. “Pearl, you are so clever!” “This invention will help us clean up our home and turn plastics into life-saving devices for sealife.” “Knowledge is power!”