WW7: Focus and Goals Focus: Letters can be used for a variety of purposes ranging from conveying information to maintaining personal relationships. Letters can be either formal or informal. Much like other modes of writing, there are established conventions and processes for writing letters. Goals: To write letters that: • Reflect an opinion, register a complaint, or request information. • Demonstrate a business context. To achieve this goal, you will engage in a series of activities in which you work with your teacher and with your classmates to construct two model letters. You will then use these models to write your own letter.

Activity 1 After reading the sample business letter text, answer the following questions: a. Organization: What do you notice about the structure of the letter? How does it begin? How does it end? b. Audience: To whom is the letter written? How do you know? What is the relationship between the letter writer and the audience? c. Purpose: Why did the writer write the letter? What examples from the text support your response? d. This letter is written in a business, or formal, context. From your experiences and your reading of this text, brainstorm the characteristics that make a letter formal.

Personal Connection: Have you ever written a business or formal letter Personal Connection: Have you ever written a business or formal letter? If so, how did you organize your letter, who was your audience, and what was your purpose?

Activity 2 Prompt: With your partner, write a letter to the principal in which you agree or disagree with her proposal to cancel all remaining field trips as stated in the sample text. Make sure your letter meets the requirements listed in the goal statement for business and other formal letters. Now that you have analyzed the purpose and audience of the sample business letter text, brainstorm your arguments for and against the principal’s proposal. Create a T-chart to record your arguments and reasons. after brainstorming individually, you will pair-share your ideas before sharing them with the whole class.

Arguments and Reasons for Cancelling Field Trips Arguments and Reasons Against

Activity 2, cont. Business and other formal letters are written to reflect an opinion, register a complaint, or request information. Return to the sample text, and determine whether it is reflecting an opinion, registering a complaint, or requesting information. How do you know?

complete the chart with the audience and purpose for your letter. Activity 2, cont. As a class, you will decide upon the purpose of your partner-constructed letter. In the chart below, record the audience and purpose of the sample letter. Then, complete the chart with the audience and purpose for your letter. Audience Purpose Sample letter from principal Partner-constructed letter

Activity 2, cont. Writers must consider the audience when composing their work. Keep in mind your audience as you work on the partner-constructed letter. You would not write in the same way to the principal as you would to your best friend. Consider your voice as the writer; avoid slang words, and be as direct and clear as possible when writing so that your audience takes you seriously. The opening paragraph of your letter should express your purpose for writing the letter, along with some background information on the subject. Co-construct your opening paragraph with your partner.

Activity 4: Independent Writing Prompt: Your principal has asked students to suggest a school rule that should be changed. Think of one rule that you would like to have changed. Write a letter convincing your principal that this rule should be changed. Be sure to support your opinion with convincing reasons. This letter should meet the requirements listed in the goal statement.