A New Spin on Letter Writing Lessons

It may feel as though letter writing has become a lost art. Students from even a young age know about e-mail and texting, but may not be so familiar with letter writing. They haven’t experienced the anticipation of waiting for the mail to arrive, hoping they get the letter they had been waiting for. But even though instant mail is the current norm, teachers know that letter writing is an important part of the curriculum, and a necessary skill. With a little creativity, that old letter writing lesson plan can turn into both a fun, and educational, activity.

The first step, however, is to give students a taste of letter writing. For younger students you might want to use an example of a friendly letter from one of their literature books, such as “Dear Mr. Henshaw” by Beverly Cleary. Or you may want to read an excerpt from a letter written by a famous person, such as Thomas Jefferson. Whatever you decide, the key is to read something that will peak their interest.

For older students you might be doing separate lessons on different types of letters, such as a friendly letter, business letter, or a letter to the editor. If the lesson involves a friendly letter, you might want to read something written by a historical figure, such as Abraham Lincoln, or Abigail Adams. Lincoln had a way with words, and Adams had some interesting things to say to John Adams about the need for women’s suffrage. But if you want to really grab your student’s attention, read one of Napoleon’s letters to his wife, making sure you edit out anything inappropriate. He really knew how to write a great letter.

The key to any successful lesson is motivation so here are some of my favorite lessons to get your students hooked. 

Elementary:

I’m Going to Sit Right Down and Write Someone a Letter:  This lesson talks about different types of letter writing, including business letters, invitations, and friendly letters. It gives links to historical letters, which I found particularly useful. Check out the letter from Bill Clinton to Ronald Reagan, or Houdini to his mom.

The President’s Roles and Responsibilities:This is a nifty lesson that gives you an overview of the president’s duties, and ideas for writing a letter to the president. This could be a way to talk about White House, Washington D.C., or any other related subjects. I liked the links, which even led you to such sites as White House Briefings. Very interesting.

A Letter to Sarah, Plain and Tall:  In this lesson plan students write to the main character in Sarah, Plain and Tall. They write from the point of view of one of the other characters. While you may want to use the lesson plan exactly as written, you could substitute any other book or literary character. Students might get a kick out writing to Harry Potter, Junie B. Jones, or Despereaux. The options are limitless.

Secondary:

Expressing Your Views to the Letter: This lesson asks students to focus their letters on particular events, including the Columbine shootings. While this lesson provides a good overview of the Letter to the Editor section of a newspaper, I would probably have my students write about a recent event affecting their community.

Letters from the Front Lines: This is a great lesson to help students learn about the importance of letters written during World War II. Students read and discuss letters written by a particular soldier, and watch parts of Ken Burns film about WWII. This is a great way to show why letter writing matters.

Write a Letter to an Elected Official: This lesson lays out the ways to write to an elected official in an easy to use format. I particularly liked the handouts, especially the one with "Tips for Persuasive Writing".