Pen Pals

1. Pen Pals Autumn Amos Sarah Tucker ECED 4300 A Dr. Tonja Root Fall 2008

2. Prewrite StageAutumn Amos • GPS: ELA5W2 The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres. The student produces informational writing (e.g., report, procedures, correspondence) that: • c. Creates an organizing structure appropriate to a specific purpose, audience, and context. • PLO: Students will complete a graphic organizer.

3. What are Pen Pals?Instructional Strategy • A Pen Pal is someone who you write to on a regular basis. • It is usually written through postal mail. • Pen Pal relationships are often used to improve literacy and fluency, practice writing and reading skills, and to learn more about foreign countries and their cultures. • Pen Pal letters are not formal. • The writer shares information about themselves such as: family, interests, hobbies, friends, activities, etc.

4. Prewrite: Instruction • Prewriting is the stage of writing where you are preparing to write an upcoming text. • Pick a topic. Friendship • Choose a specific form of writing: Pen Pals • Choose your audience • What is the purpose for writing? To express how important it is to have communication with friends. • Complete a graphic organizer. Graphic organizers are used for putting your thoughts together.

5. Graphic OrganizerSpider Map Hobbies Family ABOUT YOU Name: Age: School: Grade: Location: Favorite Subject Interesting Fact Amos, Autumn and Tucker, Sarah. (2008, Nov.). Spider Map. Unpublished graphic organizer, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA.

6. Here is an example of a Pen Pal Letter... Dear Pen Pal, Hello! How are you? My name is Michael and I am nearly 13 years old. I live in Boston, Massachusetts with my family. I will send you a picture in my next letter, but right now I will just describe myself. I am about five feet tall and 100 pounds. I have black hair and brown eyes. I have an older brother and a younger sister. We visit my grandparents often. They live in New York, which is about 200 miles away from Boston. My school is close to my house. It’s less than a mile away. My favorite class is gym. I love to play basketball. When gym is over, I feel like I have to drink a gallon of water before I go back to class! My teacher only lets us get a quick drink, though. Boston is a nice place to live. It is a city in Massachusetts. There’s lots to do here. Last summer, for example, my family and I drove to Mt. Greylock, which is the highest point in Massachusetts, measuring 3,491 feet! In the summer, it is usually around 80 degrees. But, in the winter, it gets so cold. It may read 20 degrees on the thermometer, but it feels like below zero with the wind! Well, it was nice writing to you. It’s nearly 1:00 and that’s when we eat lunch. Sincerely, Michael

7. APA Citations (2000)Pen pal letter organizer. Retrieved November 5, 2008, from the following website: balancedassessment.concord.org/docs/m023tr.doc

8. Practice Activity • We will be writing to our Pen Pal in Australia named Emily, who lives in the Outback. • As a class, we will be using the shared pen technique to complete a graphic organizer and write to our Pen Pal.

9. Assessment Activity • Students should complete their graphic organizer by using brief key phrases only. Complete sentences should not be used.

10. DraftingSarah Tucker GPS: ELA5W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a satisfying closure. The student b. Writes texts of a length appropriate to address the topic or tell the story. PLO: Students will use their graphic organizer to complete a draft of a Pen Pal Letter.

11. Form of Writing: Pen Pal Letters • A Pen Pal is someone who you write to on a regular basis. • It is usually written through postal mail. • Pen Pal relationships are often used to improve literacy and fluency, practice writing and reading skills, and to learn more about foreign countries and their cultures. • Pen Pal letters are not formal. • The writer shares information about themselves such as: family, interests, hobbies, friends, activities, etc.

12. Stage of Writing: Drafting • Drafting is the second stage of the writing process. • Drafting is the stage where the writer uses their previously completed graphic organizer to write their thoughts on paper using complete sentences. • Spelling and grammar are not of great importance • Skip lines for editing and revising. • Label this copy “rough draft.”

13. Drafting Graphic Organizer

14. APA Citation • Walz, Andrew. HARAMBEE. Retrieved November 5, 2008, from Kambi Primary School Web site: • http://www.kambiprimaryschool.net/penpals.htm

15. Ways to Use the Example • This example of the graphic organizer is an appropriate model for fifth grade students. • This model would be useful and appropriate to use when students are writing their personal Pen Pal letters.

16. Practice Activity • We will be using our graphic organizer from the prewriting stage to write the draft of our pen pal letter to our Aussie friend, Emily. • Discuss the different parts of a pen pal letter, such as the address, greeting, body, and closure. • The teacher will call on students randomly to help complete the drafting graphic organizer.

17. Assessment Activity • Students will use their graphic organizer to complete their own personal draft of a pen pal letter. • Grammar, punctuation, and spelling are not of great importance. Students should focus on content ONLY!! • Students will write their own pen pal letter following the example the teacher gave them.