What is the Purpose of this Article?

Students will identify the primary and secondary purposes of news and other media texts through a case study of the September 2024 iPhone 16 launch

Designed for Grades 9–10, this 60-minute lesson uses short, verbatim extracts from four real pieces. Students compare their wording and consider four questions: Who benefits? What action or viewpoint is encouraged? What feeling is invited? How are the claims supported? Through simple activities and discussion, they explain which purpose appears primary, support their interpretations with specific clues, and recognize when there is not enough evidence to reach a conclusion.

Students also distinguish purpose from format, commercial relationships, and tone, recognizing that a piece can serve several purposes at once. They learn that identifying a purpose does not establish whether a claim is accurate and practise identifying claims that need verification. Although the lesson centres on the iPhone launch, its questions and activities can be applied to other articles, media texts, and events, helping students develop a reusable approach to reading critically.