Ashley ClarkAshley ClarkLauren PowersLauren PowersAshley ClarkAshley Clark

Lauren PowersLauren Powers

ECED 4300 CECED 4300 CDr. Tonja RootDr. Tonja Root

Fall 2008Fall 2008Letters To An AuthorLetters To An Author

Ashley ClarkPrewriting

GPSELA4W1 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

GPS Elementa.Selects a focus, an

organizational structure, and a point of view based on purpose, genre expectations, audience, length, and format requirements.

PLOThe students will fill out a graphic organizer and create a point of view, audience, length, and format requirements for their letters to an author.

Form of Writing: When writing to an author or illustrator, you want to introduce yourself. Write positive things about why you enjoyed the book. You can ask any questions that you might have about the book. Then you want to end your letter.

Stage of Writing: During the prewriting stage, you want to get your main ideas down on the graphic organizer. You do not worry about spelling or writing in complete sentences. Instead, write short phrases so you know what you want to elaborate on when you write the letter.

Graphic Organizer Dear: Main Idea 1:

Main Idea 2: Main Idea 3:

Published letterJune 2, 1999

  952 Northwind

Dr.Dover, DE 19901

 Dear Joanna Cole, 

My name is Suzy Watkins. I go to school at Fairview Elementary School. I read your book, The Magic School Bus: Inside a Hurricane in my science class. I really enjoyed the book. It taught me a lot about hurricanes. I liked how you used real vocabulary words in the book. It was also neat how you knew so much about hurricanes. The characters were real funny, especially Arnold. He always gets lost. I hope to read even more of your books. I enjoy learning science words from your books.  

Sincerely,

Suzy Watkins

Practice Activity•The practice activity that we would do with the students is to fill out a graphic organizer as a class. We would write to the author Joanna Cole, the author of The Magic School Bus books.

Assessment Activity•Each student would complete their own graphic organizer.

•They use short phrases, and not worried about spelling. They would write only their main thoughts and ideas, so they could later write the complete letter.

DraftingLauren Powers

•GPS: ELA4W2 The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres. The student produces informational writing (e.g., report, procedures, correspondence) that:

GPS Element

•c. Creates an organizing structure appropriate to a specific purpose, audience, and context.

PLO•The students will compose a draft of their letter to an author or an illustrator using their completed prewriting graphic organizer.

Form of Writing•Letters to an author or an illustrator

•These are friendly letters that inform the author or illustrator of how you feel about their writing or pictures.

Form of Writing Continued

•Five elements involved:1. The Heading

2. Salutation 3. Body

4. Closing5. Signature

Stage of Writing•During the drafting stage, you will use your prewriting graphic organizer.

•The main purpose of writing a draft is to take your ideas from your prewriting graphic organizer and make them into complete sentences.

Stage of Writing Continued

•You will also get the general form (structure) of your letter written.

Graphic Organizer

___________________________________

___________________________________

___________________________________ (Your Address and the Date)

___________________________________ (Greeting) (Body)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  ____________________

(Closing) 

____________________ (Your signature)

 Smith, N. (2007). Letter Format. Unpublished organizer, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Ga.

Published LetterOctober 24, 2005

Lance Kirkland902 Habersham RoadSan Diego, CA 92115

Dear Ms. Margret Rey,

My name is Lance Kirkland and I am in the third grade at Alcott Elementary School. I love all of your Curious George books. My favorite is Curious George and the Firefighters. I really like how Curious George dresses up in the firefighters clothes. I think it is funny how George gets into so much trouble. I wanted to know, how you know so much about firefighters and fire stations? I will be looking forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Lance Kirkland

Practice Activity•The practice activity we will do is to use the prewriting class graphic organizer to complete a class draft. We will complete all sections of the drafting graphic organizer.

Assessment Activity•Each student will complete their drafting graphic organizer.

•They will use their prewriting graphic organizers to get their ideas from.

•They will form complete sentences from those ideas.

Assessment Activity•They will use their drafting graphic organizers to write their draft.

•They will complete all five components (heading, salutation, body, closing, & signature) of writing a letter to an author or illustrator.