Beacon Lesson Plan Library
Pen Pal Party
Shelia Scofield
Bay District Schools
Description
Students write letters to students in other areas of the state, country, or world focusing on using the correct friendly letter form as well as describing their lives and asking questions to learn about someone else's life.
Standards
Florida Sunshine State Standards
LA.B.2.2.3
The student writes for a variety of occasions, audiences, and purposes.
Florida Process Standards
Information Managers
01 Florida students locate, comprehend, interpret, evaluate, maintain, and apply information, concepts, and ideas found in literature, the arts, symbols, recordings, video and other graphic displays, and computer files in order to perform tasks and/or for enjoyment.
Effective Communicators
02 Florida students communicate in English and other languages using information, concepts, prose, symbols, reports, audio and video recordings, speeches, graphic displays, and computer-based programs.
Materials
-List of Pen Pals which may be gathered from weeklyreader.com or firn.edu (see Web Links)
Preparations
1. Prepare a list of possible pen pals. Pen pal names may be collected from another school in the state, another state, or another country. Pen pals can be obtained from WeeklyReader.com or firn. edu under teacher projects.
Procedures
1. Review with students the parts of a friendly letter on the overhead projector which are heading, greeting, closing, body, and signature.
2. Explain what a pen pal is and give students their pen pals' names and go over the pen pal rubric that will be used to assess their letters.
3. Students write their letters using rubric as their guide.
4. Students must have their letter edited by at least two of their peers prior to submitting in to the teacher.
5. Teacher will complete a final edit prior to the letters being sent.
6. As an extension, another lesson on addressing envelopes could be included and the students could then address their own envelopes to their pen pals and mail or give to the teacher to mail.
Assessments
Assess students using the Pen Pal rubric in the attached file of this lesson plan.
Extensions
Students who receive replies can share them with the class on a bulletin board.
Web Links
Web supplement for Pen Pal Party Weekly ReaderWeb supplement for Pen Pal Party FIRN
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