Cheryl MizellCindy Vega

4300 ADr Tonja Root

Fall 08

Simulated Letters

Prewrite Stage Cindy Vega

GPSELA3W2 The student begins to write in a variety

genres, including narrative, informational, persuasive, and response to literature. Critical Component:The student produces a response to literature that:

f. May include prewriting.

PLO

The students will complete a graphic organizer for the prewrite stage of writing a simulated letter.

What is a Simulated Letter?Instructional strategy

A simulated letter is a letter that is written by an author that assumes the identity of a historical figure.

A simulated letter is written to a selected audience.

The voice of a simulated letter portrays the historical time period or event.

Prewrite: Instruction

Prewriting is the getting ready to write stage.

1. Choose a topic. Civil Rights and Segregation

2. Choose a form of writing. Simulated letter

3. Select your Voice.

4. Choose your Audience.

5. Purpose for writing: Express you feelings about civil rights.

Complete a graphic organizer. A graphic organizer is a device that is used for gathering thoughts and organizing ideas.

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The National Archives: Beyond The Playing Field Jackie Robinson,Civil Rights Advocate. Retrieved October 27, 2008 from

http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/jackie-robinson/letter-1967.html

hr: Antiques: How much is an Abraham Lincoln handwritten letter worth today?

Retrieved October 28, 2008 from: http://hrantiques.com/how-much-is-an-abraham-lincoln-handwritten-letter-worth-today/

Practice Activity The teacher will read a section

from Martin’s Big Words The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. written by Doreen Rappaport.

The teacher will model and use the shared pen technique to complete the graphic organizer for a simulated letter.

The letter will be written as Martin Luther King Jr.

Assessment Activity After reading the book, This

Is The Dream by Diane Z. Shore & Jessica Alexander. The students will complete their own graphic organizer prior to writing a simulated letter.

The letter will be written as an African American during segregation.

Drafting

GPS for Drafting Stage:

ELA3W2 The student begins to write in a variety genres, including narrative, informational, persuasive, and response to literature.

h. May include a revised and edited draft.

PLO: Students will construct a draft of a simulated letter using the graphic organizer from the prewriting stage.

Drafting Instruction:Putting Ideas on paper

1. Form ideas from graphic organizer in prewriting stage into complete sentences.

2. Label draft as rough draft.

3. Skip every other line to make room for revisions.

4. Correct spelling is not important in this stage of the writing process. (The content is important at the drafting stage.

Parts of a Letter for children:Greeting: To whom you are writing the letter

to.

Body The information about the event the writer is telling. This is often called the “meat” of the letter.

Closing: The closing is at the end of the letter.

Types of closings: Sincerely, Your Friend Love, Very truly yoursHeading: Put the date in the heading.

Practice Activity

The students and teacher will participate in a shared pen activity to develop a rough draft of a simulated letter using their graphic organizer.

Assessment for Drafting

Students will individually write a draft of a simulated letter after completing the graphic organizer.

References Tompkins, G.E. (2009). Language arts: Patterns of

practice (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Shore, D. & J. Alexander (2006). This is the dream. Harper Collins Publishers .

Rappaport, D. (2001). Martin’s big words. New York: Hyperion.

Vega, C. (2008). Simulated letter graphic organizer.

Unpublished graphic organizer, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA.