Letter+Writing

Letter Writing Template: [|templateforletter.doc]

= Day 1: =


 * Learning Target:**
 * I can explain the things that belong in a friendly letter.


 * Lesson:**
 * Brainstorm a shared activity that students have done (Chez Vous, making rice, going to Jackson Square or Mattapan Square)
 * Check in with the other class (Bees/Bears) to make sure you guys are writing about different activities.
 * Write a letter to the Bears/Bees
 * Be sure to mention all of the components to a letter (frog jumps, date, greeting, body, signature, post script)
 * The focus of the letter should be on the date
 * Make an anchor chart labeled "Different Ways to Write the Date on a Friendly Letter"


 * Work Time:**
 * Students go back to illustrate small moment stories

= Day 2: =


 * Learning Target:**
 * I can explain the things that belong in a friendly letter.
 * I can explain the different ways that you can write the date in a friendly letter.
 * I can explain the different ways you can write the greeting in a friendly letter.


 * Lesson:**
 * Respond to the Bears/Bees letter
 * Focus on the greetings
 * Make an anchor chart labeled "Different Ways to Write a Greeting on a Friendly Letter"


 * Work Time:**
 * Students go back to illustrate small moment stories

= Day 3: =


 * Learning Target:**
 * I can explain the things that belong in a friendly letter.
 * I can explain the different ways that you can write the date in a friendly letter.
 * I can explain the different ways you can write the greeting in a friendly letter.
 * I can explain the different ways you can sign a friendly letter.


 * Lesson:**
 * Write a letter about eating veggies to the YA community to be hung in the hallway or write a letter to be hung outside the bathrooms about the importance of keeping the bathrooms clean and without profanity (this was a hot issue during Jinny's conversation with the Bears last week).
 * Focus on different ways to sign the letter
 * Create an anchor chart that reads "Different Ways to Sign a Friendly Letter"


 * Work Time:**
 * Students go back to illustrate small moment stories

= = = Day 4: =


 * Learning Target:**
 * I can fill in the date, greeting, and signature on a friendly letter.


 * Work Time:**
 * Students are given pre-written letters where they can fill in the date, greeting, signature, and post script
 * Students go back to illustrate their small moment stories

**//Try to read the __Jolly Postman__ to build excitement around the book.//**
You can talk about different kinds of letters while you do this...
 * invitation, persuasive, advertisement, etc., etc.

= Day 5: =
 * Learning Target:**
 * I can fill in the date, greeting, and signature on a friendly letter.
 * I can write a letter that includes the date, greeting, signature, body, and post script.


 * Work Time:**
 * Share rubric with students: [|LetterResponseRubric.doc]
 * Students are given pre-written letters where they can fill in the date, greeting, signature, and post script
 * Students write a letter to anyone who they want to.
 * Students finish their illustrations of their small moment stories.


 * Debrief/Share:**
 * Share out student work that has the first two lines of the body written well...
 * How are you? I am fine. (Variations of this)

= = = = = Day 6: = = =
 * Learning Target:**
 * I can fill in the date, greeting, and signature on a friendly letter.
 * I can write a letter that includes the date, greeting, signature, body, and post script.


 * Work Time:**
 * Students are given pre-written letters where they can fill in the date, greeting, signature, and post script
 * Students write a letter to anyone who they want to.
 * Students finish their illustrations of their small moment stories.


 * Share/Debrief:**
 * Share out students that write about something interesting going on in their own lives.
 * Share out students who share their emotions in their letter.

= Day 7 - Day 8 = = =
 * Learning Target:**
 * I can fill in the date, greeting, and signature on a friendly letter.
 * I can write a professional letter to the Mayor.
 * I can start a letter with friendly words.


 * Work Time:**
 * Brainstorm some issues/concerns that you want to share with the Mayor
 * Students are given pre-written letters where they can fill in the date, greeting, signature, and post script
 * Students write letters to Mayor Menino or someone else they choose.
 * Talk about ways to start a letter and make an anchor chart. Be sure to include saying how you are, asking how they are, and explaining who you are and why you are writing (if you are writing to a stranger).
 * Have them concentrate their writing on beginning the letter.
 * Day 2, work on the middle of the letter. Talk about making connections, asking questions, making comments, answering questions. Use the checklist attached here to guide the discussion. [|Things to put in a friendly letter.doc]
 * Students continue to start class by filling in a form letter with the date, greeting, closing, and PS. They get one point for each part. Grade them and return them the next day. (Circle missing commas, but let them correct them; they don't get points for that part if they are missing the comma.)


 * Share/Debrief:**
 * Share student letters as they finish.

= Day 9 - Day 10 =
 * Learning Target:**
 * Talk about how to end a letter, with a wish or hope for the person they are writing to.
 * Refer back to the checklist and how to use it to check their work.
 * I can write a professional letter to President Obama (Final Assessment)


 * Work Time:**
 * Read Obama book
 * Brainstorm things that students want to ask Obama
 * Brainstorm things students want to tell Obama
 * Students write to Obama

Alternate plan:
 * As students come in, they look at their graded form letters and write on the back one thing they need to remember in order to write a more perfect letter today (and get more points).
 * They do another form letter to get graded.
 * Mini-lesson on what to put in the middle of a friendly letter: connections, questions, answer questions they ask you.
 * Students add to the middle of their letters.

Next day: Mini-lesson on what to put at the end of a letter. Another form letter "quiz."