8/13/2019 COPP_Step 1-Lesson 5

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2Chapter 2 Step One—Identifying Issues

Lesson 5: Writing a Proposal Letter

Why Teach It? 

A proposal letter is a great tool or both teachers and students. By writing it, students willhave an idea whether they really have enough to say about the topic. By reading it, you’ll be

able to approve topics that should work or reject those that won’t, explaining why and makingsuggestions that will put students on the right path.

 Materials Needed 

Writer’s notebooks.•

Copies o the•  Model Proposal Letter and Rubric on page 24.

Opening the Lesson

ell students that to write about their preerred topic, they will have to show you that they havea good handle on it by writing you a proposal letter. Let them know that there are only twocriteria to make their proposals acceptable:

Tey must have an appropriate and narrow topic.1.

Tey must show that they can support their opinion on that topic.2.

 Modeling the Skill 

Review the Model Proposal Letter  with the class (see page 24). Point out how the first brieparagraph clearly states the narrow topic and the position the writer will take. Te secondparagraph answers the our questions or research.

Work Time

Have students draf their letters to you in their notebooks.

Closing Activity 

Have students share their drafs with each other and suggest changes and improvements.Students can either write their final drafs ollowing the share time or complete them ashomework. Have them attach a copy o the Model Proposal Letter and Rubric to their draf.

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24 © 2007 Tim Clifford. All rights reserved.

Model Proposal Letter and Rubric

10/12/07

Dear Mrs. Jones,

Afer giving it a lot o thought, I have decided to write about school lunches or my opinion

paper. I have decided that this would make a great topic or your class because every student in

this school eats school lunch 5 days a week. I plan to offer the opinion that school lunches need

to be healthier.

I’ve done some research on this opinion, and I believe I can back it up. I plan to use quotes rom

the USDA and to interview our school principal and lunch aides. I plan to use reerence works

such as Prevention magazine and the encyclopedia article on nutrition. One statistic that I can

use is that childhood obesity has risen 20% in the last 5 years. I also plan to use pictures o

actual school lunches to help my readers understand the issue.

I hope you approve my proposal. I look orward to writing it!

Sincerely,

Sally Sandwich 

Rubric for Proposal Letter

Did your Proposal

Letter:Good Needs Work  

State a narrow topicand take a position?

opic is narrow enough and yourposition is clear.

opic may need more narrowingor you may need to take a clearerposition.

State your source oquotes?

Source o quotes and intervieweeis clear.

Source o quotes and interviewee isunclear.

State your researchsources?

States sources and those sourcesseem acceptable or this paper.

Does not state sources or sourcesmay not be acceptable or this paper.

State statistics?States at least one relevantstatistic that you plan to use.

Does not state any statistics orstatistic is not relevant.

State source opictures?

Pictures cite and seem relevant tothe topic.

Pictures not cited or do not seemrelevant to the topic.

____________APPROVED! You’re ready to start working on your opinion paper!

___ _________ Address the issues in the “Needs Work” column beore you begin.

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