In an effort to give my students a more authentic purpose for writing, I connected my fifth graders with soldiers who were deployed overseas through the Any Soldier Program. The lesson plan and the accompanying artifacts demonstrate not only my integration of reading, writing and geography, but also a community service project. My students were writing for a real purpose, not a prompt. They received grades, but more importantly they received responses from soldiers half way around the world.Established Goals:
Reading and writing standard 2, grades 5-8: Writing stories, letters and reports with greater detail and supporting material; and drafting, revising, editing and proofreading for a legible final copy.
Reading and writing standard 3, grades 5-8: Students write and speak using conventional grammar usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization and spelling.
Geography standard 2, grades 5-8: Describing human and physical characteristics of places; and explaining how places change due to human activity.
Reading and writing standard 2, grades 5-8: Writing stories, letters and reports with greater detail and supporting material; and drafting, revising, editing and proofreading for a legible final copy.
Reading and writing standard 3, grades 5-8: Students write and speak using conventional grammar usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization and spelling.
Geography standard 2, grades 5-8: Describing human and physical characteristics of places; and explaining how places change due to human activity.
Understandings:
That personal letters are much more than the notes they pass around in class.
Personal letters have a particular format and are publish in much the same way as any other writing
Students will understand the environment and conditions of countries such as Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
That personal letters are much more than the notes they pass around in class.
Personal letters have a particular format and are publish in much the same way as any other writing
Students will understand the environment and conditions of countries such as Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
Essential Questions:
How do you publish a well written personal letter?
What is it like to be an American soldier deployed overseas?
How do you publish a well written personal letter?
What is it like to be an American soldier deployed overseas?
Students will know...
The steps to publish a well written personal letter.
The proper format for a personal letter.
About the people, environments and cultures of other countries.
The steps to publish a well written personal letter.
The proper format for a personal letter.
About the people, environments and cultures of other countries.
Students will be able to...
Draft, revise, edit and publish a personal letter.
Locate their "pen pal" on a map and explain what that person is experiencing.
Locate their "pen pal" on a map and explain what that person is experiencing.
Performance Assessment: Draft, revise, edit and publish a personal letter to a soldier deployed overseas using proper format and conventions.
Other assessment evidence: Whole group sharing of soldier's letters, classroom discussions and questioning.
Learning Activities:
1. This is a writing exercise in which you connect your class with soldiers who are deployed overseas. This is an authentic way for students to write letters and learn about foreign countries in which the U.S. is involved. Two months prior to starting this activity, go to anysoldier.com and carefully select a variety of soldiers for your students to correspond with. Try to find soldiers who will match with your class (e.g. units that will be deployed until the end of the school year, units with females to write your female students etc...). Write a letters to them explaining exactly what your goals are. I suggest contacting twelve soldiers to start with.
2. Wait for responses. It can take in excess of a month for a letter to get to S.E. Asia and back.
3. Once you get a positive response, share the letter with the class and build background knowledge by discussing where the soldier is deployed. Post a map and mark the location of each soldier who you are writing to. Often these soldiers post pictures on anysoldier.com that can be printed and displayed in your class.
4. Explain the format and model the steps of planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing a personal letter.
5. A WORD OF CAUTION: There are certain security issues involved in corresponding with soldiers deployed in combat zones. I strongly suggest that all correspondence go through the teacher; either through the school address or preferably a personal address. This enables the teacher to monitor everything and limits incoming mail to one contact point. I also strongly suggest students only be allowed to use their first name and absolutely no personal addresses, phone numbers, photographs or email addresses. If needed you may use a parental consent form and/or seek approval from the school administration. This is not meant to frighten anyone. These are simple measures to ensure your student's safety.
6. Encourage your students to ask questions, and tell the soldiers about themselves. They are basically establishing a pen pal.
7. Mail the letters and wait for return letters. Again, this can take a month or more. APO adresses only require standard postage and it is free for soldiers to write to the U.S. Share return letters with the class. This is a great tool to talk about the geography, environment and culture and will spark more questions and ideas for their next letter.
8. Be prepared to adjust for a number of factors that are difficult to control. You may get several responses or very few. You may start with just a few responses and several more will come in later on. The amount of time it takes to get return letters will vary. Tracking who is responding to whom and making time throughout the year to maintain this correspondence requires management.
Other Ideas
Do a drive to send these soldiers some of the simple things they need as part of a community service project. This lesson idea can also be easily adapted to other areas. Instead of soldiers, contact other schools, soldiers homes, elderly organizations etc... The idea is to give them an authentic, interactive reason to write.
1. This is a writing exercise in which you connect your class with soldiers who are deployed overseas. This is an authentic way for students to write letters and learn about foreign countries in which the U.S. is involved. Two months prior to starting this activity, go to anysoldier.com and carefully select a variety of soldiers for your students to correspond with. Try to find soldiers who will match with your class (e.g. units that will be deployed until the end of the school year, units with females to write your female students etc...). Write a letters to them explaining exactly what your goals are. I suggest contacting twelve soldiers to start with.
2. Wait for responses. It can take in excess of a month for a letter to get to S.E. Asia and back.
3. Once you get a positive response, share the letter with the class and build background knowledge by discussing where the soldier is deployed. Post a map and mark the location of each soldier who you are writing to. Often these soldiers post pictures on anysoldier.com that can be printed and displayed in your class.
4. Explain the format and model the steps of planning, drafting, revising, editing and publishing a personal letter.
5. A WORD OF CAUTION: There are certain security issues involved in corresponding with soldiers deployed in combat zones. I strongly suggest that all correspondence go through the teacher; either through the school address or preferably a personal address. This enables the teacher to monitor everything and limits incoming mail to one contact point. I also strongly suggest students only be allowed to use their first name and absolutely no personal addresses, phone numbers, photographs or email addresses. If needed you may use a parental consent form and/or seek approval from the school administration. This is not meant to frighten anyone. These are simple measures to ensure your student's safety.
6. Encourage your students to ask questions, and tell the soldiers about themselves. They are basically establishing a pen pal.
7. Mail the letters and wait for return letters. Again, this can take a month or more. APO adresses only require standard postage and it is free for soldiers to write to the U.S. Share return letters with the class. This is a great tool to talk about the geography, environment and culture and will spark more questions and ideas for their next letter.
8. Be prepared to adjust for a number of factors that are difficult to control. You may get several responses or very few. You may start with just a few responses and several more will come in later on. The amount of time it takes to get return letters will vary. Tracking who is responding to whom and making time throughout the year to maintain this correspondence requires management.
Other Ideas
Do a drive to send these soldiers some of the simple things they need as part of a community service project. This lesson idea can also be easily adapted to other areas. Instead of soldiers, contact other schools, soldiers homes, elderly organizations etc... The idea is to give them an authentic, interactive reason to write.
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