Amy Cichon & Abby Thurmond

ECED 4300 B Dr. Tonja Root Spring

20114th grade

Prewriting Simulated Letters

Abby ThurmondPrewriting

ELA4W4 The student consistently uses a writing

process to develop, revise, and evaluate

writing. The student a. Plans and drafts

independently and resourcefully.

PLOThe student will plan their writing using a graphic organizer to construct a draft of a

simulated letter.

Form of Writing• “Pretend” letters • Not actually sent to the

person you are writing to. • Author pretends that they

are someone else. • Take on persona of a

character from history, or a character in a story.

Form of Writing Continued

• Next you will need a greeting. Often times a greeting begins

with “Dear person you are writing to” or just the

person’s name followed by a comma.

Form of Writing Continued

• Following the greeting, you will write the body

of the letter. The body is the main part which

includes what you want to say.

Form of Writing Continued

• The last part of a simulated letter is the closure. Here you will end your letter.

• Finally you will sign your name, or the name of the character you are pretending to be.

Stage of Writing• Prewriting

–Everything you do before you write your draft.

–Focus on • Form- genre of writing• Purpose- why you are writing• Audience- who you are writing to

• Topic- what you are writing about

Simulated Letter Graphic Organizer

Who Am I? What Do I want to Say?

When did this take place?

Where did this happen?

Why am I writing this letter?

Eunice, Jeannett. (2003). Simulated letter graphic organizer. Retrieved by Abby Thurmond from vstate.info/.../Graphic_Organizers.../Graphic%20Organizers%20F03.doc

Published Example Hey Gilly, That was the best note you have ever written. That was cool because you actually made Miss Harris curse. I bet you none of the kids at this school could ever make a teacher do that. I wish I could write cards like that and make teachers curse. You are also very brave because you wrote that to a teacher. No kid is crazy enough to do something like that. That is how crazy I think you are. Your classmate, Steven

Paterson, K. (1987). The great Gilly Hopkins. New York: Harper & Row.Personal Writing. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/hip/us/hip_us_pearsonhighered/samplechapter/0131597892.pdf

Practice Activity• With guided

instruction students will plan

a graphic organizer based around the story

of The Three Little Pigs.

Assessment Activity • Read students the book,

“Escape North! The story of Harriet

Tubman.”• Have students write a

simulated letter taking on the persona of a slave thanking Harriet Tubman

for helping him or her escape to freedom.

Amy Cichon

Drafting

• ELA4W4 The student consistently uses a writing process to develop, revise, and evaluate writing. The student a. Plans and drafts

independently and resourcefully.

PLOThe student will plan their

writing using a graphic organizer to construct a

draft of a simulated letter.

Form of Writing

• “Pretend” letters • Not actually sent to the person you

are writing to. • Author pretends that they are

someone else. • Take on persona of a character

from history, or a character in a story.

Form of Writing Continued

• Next you will need a greeting. Often times a

greeting begins with “Dear person you are writing to” or just the

person’s name followed by a comma.

Form of Writing Continued

• Following the greeting, you will write the body of

the letter. The body is the main part

which includes what you want to say.

Form of Writing Continued

• The last part of a simulated letter is the closure. Here you will end your letter.

• Finally you will sign your name, or the name of the character you are pretending to be.

Stage of Writing• Drafting

–Form sentences from graphic organizer

–Do not focus on •Grammar•Spelling •Mechanics

Simulated Letter Format Amy Cichon Abby Thurmond ECED 4300 Section B

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Published Example

Dear William,

I ’m having f un here. There was a very big storm here. I t was so big it looked like the sea. Sometimes I am very lonesome for home but sometimes it is very f un here in Ohio. We swam in the cow pond and I taught Caleb how to swim. They were af raid I would leave. Maggie and Matthew brought some chickens. Love, Sarah

MacLachlan, P. (2004). Sarah, plain and tall. New York: HarperCollins.Personal Writing. (2007). Retrieved from http://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/hip/us/hip_us_pearsonhighered/samplechapter/0131597892.pdf

Practice Activity Students will draft a simulated

letter from the graphic organizer we completed on

the story of The Three Little Pigs.

Assessment Activity

Students will draft a simulated letter from the graphic

organizer completed from the book, Escape North! The Story of Harriet Tubman.