Informational Police Letter SPEEDER’s LAB Informational Police Letter

Speeding Humor  My dad was stopped by a policeman the other day. He said, “Do you know how fast you were going?” “I was trying to keep up with traffic,” my dad replied. The officer responded, “But there is no traffic.” My dad retorted, “That’s how far behind I am!”

Standards COMMON CORE: W.7.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. Establish and maintain a formal style. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented. PA STANDARDS: 1.4.7.B Write multi-paragraph informational pieces (e.g., letters, descriptions, reports, instructions, essays, articles, interviews) Use relevant graphics (e.g., maps, charts, graphs, tables, illustrations, photographs). Select and use primary and secondary sources, as appropriate, to task.

Essential Question How do I effectively create and write an informational piece?

Informational Writing Used to explain, describe, and relay information to the correct people Why is this a useful skill in Science? Science is a method for problem-solving You will want to communicate your findings with others after an experiment has been conducted. Once this information has been communicated a decision will need to be made as to what to do with this information.

How do you write an expository (informational) piece? You need to clearly explain, describe, give information to inform someone else. You can not assume that the reader or listener has prior knowledge or prior understanding of the topic that is being discussed. Use words that clearly show what you are describing Must be organized and written step-by-step.

Kinds of Informational Writing

What information are we going to use for our informational writing? We are going to share your Speeder’s Lab experiment findings with the Annville Police Department. Remember, you are the primary source of this information so give as much information from the experiment as you can!

What is the format for an expository letter? Date Salutation (greeting), Introductory paragraph 2-3 Body paragraphs providing facts Closing paragraph Formal closing, Signature Printed Name

Introductory Paragraph Begin with an attention-grabber. Try, a joke (police & school appropriate of course), a quote, a statistic (perhaps how many accidents there were in Lebanon county), a question, a contrast (think similarities between small towns/big cities), a short scenario (maybe this happened to you), or a description/visual scene Include who are you are and your purpose for writing Make sure if it clear what information you wan to share

Body Paragraphs Paragraph 1: Explain how the lesson was part of the study of motion and calculating speed What you were looking for by conducting this experiment Include where you observed this experiment Include your hypothesis

Body Paragraphs Paragraph 2: Explain experiment steps and observations Include speed formula Include information about reference points Include how you measured distance

Body Paragraphs Paragraph 3: Explain your results. Include if vehicles were speeding and what the fastest velocity was. Explain the percentages for speed ranges. Include your concerns and suggestions for the police.

Concluding Paragraph A short final paragraph to close your letter. Thank the police for taking the time to read your letter and analyze the data you recorded. Personalize this last paragraph Be polite!

Science Letter Scoring Rubric

Time to write to the police… You may work independently or with a partner (choose wisely). If you work with a partner, choose which experiment packet you will use to report your findings. Use the writing tools to help with your rough draft and good copy. Write/Type good copy on Google drive Edit your work! Quality work will be sent to the Chief Sutcliffe. Hopefully we will get a response!