The fundamental difference between the ELA Standards for Grades 9–10 and Grade 8 is not one of substance but of scope. Whereas eighth graders are asked to evaluate the effect of individual elements in a text, freshmen and sophomores must understand how a series of such elements impact a text in its totality. Words like “thorough” and “cumulative” begin to appear in the 9-10 ELA Standards. In this program, participants will engage in a series of activities that scaffold this skill development. We will demystify the concept of author’s purpose and examine how we can sensitize students to understand how the language and organizational choices communicate purpose. This program incorporates many of the activities from “Middle Grades ELA: Teaching Beyond the EOG,” “Teaching English II: Enrich the Mind and the Scores Will Follow,” and “Teaching English I: Fresh Ideas for Freshmen.”