LESSON THREE: Examining Letters to the Editor
LESSON DESCRIPTION
Student composes text for a variety of career and workplace communications.
GRADE-LEVEL EXPECTATIONS
o W2F Using primarily active voice, the student will compose texts for a variety of career and workplace communications.
LESSON MATERIALS
Sources of Literature
o None
Supplies
o Sample letters to the editor from a variety of sources
o Overhead
o Computer lab or smart board
o Scoring guide for formative assessment
Handouts provided
Words to know
o letter
o active voice
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Using the scoring guide created in practice, draft a letter to the editor on an issue of student choice. Students choose where this letter is to be published (i.e., a local newspaper, national newspaper or to a particular magazine). Scoring guide provided.
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Strategy |
Remind students to use active voice when possible. |
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
1. Provide sample letter(s) to the editor found in textbook or other sources.
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Strategy |
Review the use of active and passive voice. |
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Questions for Students |
What is the purpose of a letter to the editor? What current topics would warrant a letter to the editor today? What topics would be considered appropriate or inappropriate for letters to the editor? How might writing a letter to the editor affect your job as a teacher, business owner, politician? What other jobs could writing a letter to the editor have a positive and/or negative impact upon? |
2. Write a letter to the editor or use examples of one on the overhead following student recommendations in the creation or evaluation.
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Idea |
Active voice can be reviewed using the letter on the overhead or through the writing text of your choice |
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Strategy |
This activity could be in the form of a handout or could be completed in a computer lab on a smart board or on a computer projector. |
3. Create a scoring guide to use to design or evaluate an already existing letter to the editor.
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Idea |
Possibly find one effective and one ineffective letter and have students contrast. Possibly compare a letter to the editor and a persuasive essay. |