One of the early February projects in my English classes was to discuss how meaningful a handwritten letter can be. Students were encouraged to choose someone who had made a difference in their lives and write a letter to them expressing their gratitude.
Writing notes and letters will give your students the opportunity to express their gratitude to parents, teachers, and friends. To help students narrow their focus, we discussed how even one kind or helpful act can often make a big difference in someone’s life. I asked for examples, and students were happy to describe them.
“My mom goes to every one of my softball games, and she gives team members rides to practice.”
“My friend, Pat, sat up with me all night when my cat was sick, and went with me to the vet the next morning.”
“My dad left work and drove all the way home to get the science project that I forgot to take to school.”
After the students had decided who their audience would be and what they would say, we reviewed the best practices for capitalization and punctuation when composing a friendly letter. I gave them a template to follow.
Next, they wrote a first draft on notebook paper. After proofreading their letters and making any necessary corrections, they chose a sheet of Valentine's Day stationery on which to write their final draft. I provided printed sheets of decorated paper.
Click here for a free packet of stationery your students can use for their final draft.
It was their choice if they wished to deliver the letter to its intended recipient, or mail it to them.
I usually bought envelopes at the dollar store and showed them how to fold the letter into thirds and insert the letter. If they planned to mail it, I put an example of a properly addressed envelope on the whiteboard. Mailing the letter was not a requirement, and they had to provide their own stamp.
My students felt good about this assignment, and participated eagerly.
Here’s another assignment your students will enjoy.
Teach your students to rewrite sentences without changing their meaning to achieve sentence variety. At the same time, they will be reminded of things that are associated with Valentine's Day. Click here.
I hope your Valentine’s Day is special, and you spend it with people you love.
Thanks for reading,
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