Fair warning to readers stumbling upon this blog: this is intended to be a final project for a class I’m taking. As such, it may be too chock full of goodness for you. Or not. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section either way.

Lesson Plan: Letter to Elected Official

Grades 11-12 ELA

Objectives: Students will research a bill or resolution currently under consideration by any US legislative body, analyze the bill, and form an opinion using multiple sources such as news and media outlets, sponsors, and expert opinions as to why the bill or resolution should be passed or voted down. Students will then write a letter to an elected official in support or opposition of the bill using a descending order of importance.

After students have revised and edited the letter, students will be asked to interpret their writing in the context of a different audience, and write a single introductory paragraph for an academic essay to examine how the purpose and intended audience impacts their approach to writing as an exit slip. 

This lesson includes many mini-lessons on things such as formatting a letter, determining bias and credibility in research, considerations in writing for a certain audience, and writing for clarity. I did not delve into those here, but please be aware and take them into account when allotting time for this lesson.

Materials Needed: Student laptops or desktops

Time frame: Extremely flexible. 2-6 weeks, allowing time for independent work while continuing curriculum in the classroom.