Information on Chosen Island Nation

Day 3

Goals:

1. Review standard format of letter requesting information.

2. Finish writing letters to particular island nation.

Time:

50-60 minutes

Resources/Materials:

chalk, chalkborad, pens, letter writing paper (if necessary), list of island nations' embassies, addresses in U.S., other addresses of island nation public relation organizations, and a computer lab if instructor chooses to have the letters typed.

Procedure:

1. Begin lesson discussing some of the elements that make up the standard letter format for requesting information.

2. Use the chalkboard to diagram and illustrate the necessary parts of a professional letter and where the parts go. Ask students to place the date, title, and other specifics on the illustration.

3. Ask the students to write (type) a rough draft of their letter sthat will request information about particular island nations that they have chosen in the previous lesson. Students need to decide if they want any information on particular sites on the island nation they have chosen. This is the time to request information about those sorts of things such as - carnivals, music, historical sites. Special requests need to be included in these letters.

4. Review the format the letters should have - date, to whom and title, introduction explaining who you are and what you would like, what our class is studying, particular information about things you would like to know more about, appreciation for the person you are writing to take the time to read the letter, and finally signing off.

5. After the students have written their rough drafts, trade the letters for proofreading.

6. Collect final drafts and correct them appropriately. Send these letters out in the school mail as soon as they are finalized.

Assessment:

For this lesson, a product rubric can be used to evaluate the final letter:
 
4 The student has created a letter that meets or even exceeds conventional standards.

3 The student created a letter that meets the average criteria.

2 The student created a letter that does not meet one or a few important requirements.

1 The student created a letter that does not address the majority of the requirements.

Curricular Strands:

Language Arts - writing letters, structure, organization, expression

Social Studies - resources

Cooperative Learning - pairs of students writing and correcting letters

This page submitted by St. Norbert College Ocean Voyagers Program