Letter to Self:  A Personal Time Capsule

Designed by:   Lisa A. McClain, Hand Middle School  

GRADE LEVEL: 6th      SUBJECT(S):  Reading/Language Arts

1) CORE CURRICULUM OBJECTIVE(S): Write various types of compositions (letters).  (6-WA-4) (PACT:  IV.E)

RESTATEMENT:  Students will learn the parts of a friendly letter and how to correctly write a letter by creating a letter to themselves.

2) OVERVIEW:    The Letter to Self project allows students to both learn about the process of writing a friendly letter and the parts of a friendly letter.  It also allows students to reflect on their sixth grade year.  Once the letters are completed, the teacher keeps them until two years later when the students have completed eighth grade.  At that point, a celebration is held and the letters are returned to the students.

3) FOCUS/ESSENTIAL QUESTION(S):

* What are the five parts of a friendly letter and where are they located within the letter?

4) TIME FRAME:    This project is completed over a period of time.  Approximately 30-45 minutes will be needed to pass out the assignment sheet, review the project content, and discuss the project rubric.  Once students begin writing, I usually allow approximately 20-30 minutes per day for 5-6 days for students to work on their rough drafts and editing.  If it takes them longer than that to complete the draft, it is assigned as homework.  The final draft is typed in the school's computer lab and generally takes about four 50-minutes periods.  Arrangements need to be made for students requiring additional time to type.  (Final copy can be handwritten if the lab is unavailable or if there is insufficient time.)

5) RESOURCES:  assignment sheet, rubric, computer lab

6) ASSESSMENT:  The students will write a friendly letter to themselves, which documents their current feelings, interests, desires, and dreams.  Students will be assessed using the provided rubric.

7) INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:

* Pass out the project assignment sheet.  Read over the project content answering any student questions.  This should not be the first time students have been exposed to the parts of a letter, so remind the students of that prior instruction.   Review the parts of a letter as necessary.  Also let students know that the information about the parts of a letter are something they will use throughout their lives as they communicate via written documents.

* Pass out the project rubric and discuss how the students will be assessed.

* As you discuss the project, emphasize that this project is only as valuable as the student makes it.  They need to be totally honest with themselves if they wish to end up with a document that is meaningful to them.  Since the emphasis on this project is on letter writing, grading mechanics, spelling, etc. is not as important as assessing their ability to write a letter accurately.  Students need to feel free to express their innermost thoughts.  I have found it helpful to provide the students with a way to indicate paragraphs that they do not want me to read.  That way they do not have to worry about having me read sensitive, personal, or embarrassing material.  (We usually agree on a symbol, such as a star, to be placed at the beginning and end of the section that they do not want me to read.)  I let them know that I have to be able to read at least two paragraphs in each section of the letter so that I can assess whether they are writing following the conventions of the English language and adequately fulfilling the requirements of each section.

* Using the mini-lesson model, provide students with the five parts of a letter and how they are set up.  Since multiple days are used for drafting, a different part of the letter can be presented each day.

* Time should be provided for students to work on their prewriting and rough draft.  I generally give 20-30 minutes per day for 5-6 days.  Since the letter is divided into five sections, students usually complete the prewriting in class, begin the rough draft in class, and then complete the rough draft for homework.  They are also to self-edit the rough draft for homework.  The next day, students pair up and peer edit their drafts.  (Because of the personal nature of this activity, I allow students to self-select their editing partners.)  The teacher is available during editing time to answer questions and to provide feedback.  They then complete the prewriting for the next section and begin the rough draft.  This process is followed until the entire letter is complete.  The teacher will monitor and conference with students as they work.

* Once rough drafts are complete and have been edited, students go to the computer lab and type the final copies of their letter. 

* Once the letters have been assessed using the provided rubric, both the letter and the rubric are returned to the students.  Each student places his or her letter into a self-addressed envelope and seals it.  The teacher then places all the letters into a box labeled with the year the letters will be returned (at the end of the students' eighth grade year).  The letters remain in that box in a visible location until they are returned to the students. 

* When letters are returned, I turn it into a celebration.  The celebration is held as close to eighth grade graduation as possible.  Invitations are sent to all the involved students, and they report to my room during one of my planning periods.  I have refreshment, catch up with my former students, make a little speech, and return the letters.  It is a delight to watch the faces and reactions of the students as they revisit the person they used to be!

LETTER TO SELF

  As a major English writing project, write a letter to yourself.  This "Letter to Self" (LTS) has five sections.  You can do the sections in any order, and the entire project must be completed by _______________________.  You will have time in class to work on your "Letter," and you are expected to complete parts of it as homework.  View your LTS as a personal time capsule.  It is also a chance to learn the proper way of writing a friendly letter.

The purposes of doing the "Letter to Self" are:

* To provide a record of who you are now

* To remember your current views, philosophy and outlooks

* To explore your feelings, attitudes, and opinions

* To create a document that, years from now, will have significant value to you

The five sections of the "Letter to Self" are: 

ME, NOW: my hopes, fears, dreams, intentions, goals, problems, concerns, likes, dislikes, joys, frustrations, what I like about myself, what I don't like about myself what I'm proud of, what I think about, what bothers me, who I am, etc.

MY WORLD: a description of my home, bedroom, school, neighborhood, town, favorite places to go, chores, allowance, pet(s), possessions, clothes, religion, current events that concern me, FAVORITES - books, music groups, movies, TV, etc.  Include a map.

WHAT I DO: my hobbies, pastimes, sports, school activities, what I do when I'm alone, what I do with friends, favorite snacks and foods, how I spend my weekends and vacations, special activities I do, organizations I belong to, etc.

PEOPLE IN MY LIFE: my family, my siblings, my friends, my teachers, the opposite sex, "him" or "her," who I like, my best friend(s), people I'd like to know better, people I admire and respect, important people in my life, people who annoy me, etc.

MY FUTURE: predictions, what I want to do, my long range intentions, what I'm looking forward to, what I'm dreading, my goals, my hopes and fears for the world, the next school year, summer vacation, high school, college, marriage, employment, etc.

In doing this "Letter to Self," you are to write about each sub-topic, but include the information that is important to you.  You should write at least _______ page(s) for each part.  You may also want to write about something important that isn't mentioned above.  That is fine as long as you also address the five required parts.  This "Letter to Self" is for you, and it should deal with the things that are important and real in your world - "the good, the bad, and the ugly."  The more honest you are with yourself, the more you will appreciate and value your letter in years to come.

Your completed "Letter to Self" will be returned to you in June of ________.  No one will read your LTS except you and those you choose to share it with.   Have fun!  And create something memorable!

LETTER TO SELF RUBRIC

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