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Key
Pals
Designed
by: Colette
Dryden, Satchel Ford Elementary
Core
Curriculum Objective:
Engage
in sustained writing of various types of compositions
(journals, letters, reports, poetry, stories).
(2-WA-3)
Grade
Level: Second
Subject: Writing
Overview:
Students
will learn the proper form of friendly letters.
They will then write to Key Pals using e-mail on a
regular basis.
Focus
Question: How
can we write to key pals?
Time
Frame:
3 one hour class periods initially
; Regularly throughout the school year to keep up
correspondence.
Resource/Materials:
www.scholasticnetwork.com
paper
pencils
computer
lab with internet access
printer
scanner
or digital camera (optional)
overhead
transparency
of friendly letter
blank
transparency
chart
paper
red
checking pens
6)
Culminating Assessment:
Students
will submit their rough draft and final copy of the letter
to the teacher. The
teacher will assess the student’s understanding by using
the following rubric.
Key
Pals Rubric
| POINTS |
SALUTATION |
BODY |
CLOSING |
CONVENTIONS |
| 2 |
Correct
salutation |
Body
is informative and clear |
Correct
closing |
Convention
(spelling, grammar, punctuation) errors are few |
| 1 |
Partially
correct salutation |
Body
is brief, unclear |
Partially
correct closing |
Several
mistakes in conventions |
| 0 |
Incorrect
salutation or omitted |
Illogical
body |
Incorrect
closing or omitted |
Many
errors in conventions interfering with meaning |
7)
Instructional Activities:
Teacher
Preparation: The
teacher should register her class with the Scholastic web
site for a Class Match.
Go to www.scholasticnetwork.com
Then
click on Class Match.
Enter grade level and Language Arts for subject.
Click on Find.
Go to Class Key Pals and register.
Activity
One: The
teacher will begin by asking students if they have ever
written a letter. Have
students share the topics they wrote about.
Tell them they will become Key Pals with another
class. The
teacher should already have registered at Scholastic web
site. Tell
them a little about the other class (such as country or
state, grade, etc.)
Begin
by showing a copy of a friendly letter the teacher has
written. Put
it on the overhead. Show
the students the salutation and discuss.
Show the body of the letter and discuss.
Finally, show the closing and discuss.
Next,
have students take out 2 sheets of paper.
Tell them they will write a rough draft and will
have a chance to edit before sending the letter to their
Key Pal. On a
blank transparency on the overhead, show them how to make
the salutation. The
teacher should write this letter to the teacher of the
other class. So
begin with Dear Ms. Jones,
Discuss
the capitalization and comma.
Have students write their salutation while the
teacher monitors and helps any students requiring
additional information.
Next,
begin your letter. Model
for the students how to skip a line and how to indent the
paragraph. Discuss
things they could write about.
Topics could be what their school is like, their
favorite subject, the weather, etc.
Remind students to ask their Key Pal questions in
the body of the letter.
Model this as you write your letter on the overhead
and by thinking out loud.
Have
students begin the body of their letter as the teacher
circulates and monitors, giving assistance as needed.
You may want to limit them to one paragraph for
this exercise, depending on keyboarding skills.
After
the students have completed the body of the letter, model
how to write the closing.
Brainstorm a list of different closings they could
choose from. You
may want to record this list on chart paper and post it in
the room for future reference.
Some examples may include Sincerely, Yours
Truly, Fondly, etc.
As you model your closing discuss the
capitalization and the comma.
Also point out that the writers’ name goes below
the closing.
Have
students close their letter by choosing the proper closing
and signing their name.
Tell students to now go back and re-read their
letter looking for any spelling, punctuation, or
grammatical errors. Also
tell them to make sure their letter makes sense.
Fix any mistakes using a red checking pen.
Have
students exchange papers with a friend.
Have the friends give the student “2 plusses and
a wish”. They
tell each other 2 things they like about the letter and
give 1 way to improve the letter.
Give students time to fix any errors.
Activity
Two: Students
will use their rough draft to type their letter.
The teacher will monitor and assist as needed.
Have students print out their letter.
Turn in the rough draft and the final copy to the
teacher. The
teacher will assess the students’ understanding by using
the scoring rubric.
Activity
Three: Students
will e-mail their letter to their key pal after the
teacher has given them the go-ahead.
If any students need additional instruction, the
teacher will use this time to work with those students
individually.
Once
all students have sent their letters, have students check
regularly for any responses they receive.
They may wish to share their Key Pals response with
the class. Continue exchanging correspondence throughout the year.
Extensions:
If you have access to a digital camera or
scanner, you could send pictures of each child with the
initial letter. You
may also want to send pictures of your class on field
studies, in plays, at recess, at the computer lab, etc.
throughout the year.
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