Friendly Letter Format

Return Address Line 1 1 Return Address Line 2 Date (Month Day, Year) 2 Dear Name of Recipient, 3 Body Paragraph 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Body Paragraph 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Body Paragraph 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Closing (Sincerely...), 5 Signature 6 P.S. 7

In the friendly letter format, your address, date, the closing, signature, and printed name are all indented to the right half of the page (how far you indent in is up to you as long as the heading and closing is lined up, use your own discretion and make sure it looks presentable). Also the first line of each paragraph is indented. Your Address 1
All that is needed is your street address on the first line and the city, state and zip on the second line. (Not needed if the letter is printed on paper with a letterhead already on it.)
Date 2
Put the date on which the letter was written in the format Month Day Year i.e. August 30, 2003. Skip a line between the date and the salutation.
Salutation 3
Usually starts out with Dear so and so, or Hi so and so. Note: There is a comma after the end of the salutation (you can use an exclamation point also if there is a need for some emphasis).
Body 4
The body is where you write the content of the letter; the paragraphs should be single spaced with a skipped line between each paragraph. Skip 2 lines between the end of the body and the closing.
Closing 5
Let's the reader know that you are finished with your letter; usually ends with Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Thank you, and so on. Note that there is a comma after the end of the closing and only the first word in the closing is capitalized.
Signature 6
Your signature will go in this section, usually signed in black or blue ink with a pen. Skip a line after your signature and the P.S.
P.S. 7
If you want to add anything additional to the letter you write a P.S. (post script) and the message after that. You can also add a P.P.S after that and a P.P.P.S. after that and so on.

Qualities of a Friendly Letter

Purpose of a Friendly Letter

A friendly letter (or informal letter) is a way of communicating between two people (sometimes more) who are usually well acquainted. There are many uses and reasons for writing a friendly letter, but usually friendly letters will consist of topics on a personal level. Friendly letters can either be printed or hand-written.

Friendly Letter Writing

The friendly letter is typically less formal than that of a business letter. Usually the first paragraph of the body will consist of an introduction which will give the recipient an idea about you're writing to them with a short summary of the main topic of your letter. If you don't know the person you are writing to, you may want to introduce yourself in this introductory paragraph as well.
The next few paragraphs will usually consist of the message you want to get across along with any details you may want to convey.
The last paragraph will usually be the conclusion where you wrap everything up. You can sum up your main idea in this paragraph, thank the recipient for their time, wish the recipient well, and/or ask any questions.
Since friendly letters are less formal, you can feel free to write it however you like, but the above format is fairly common.

THE PEN PAL PROJECT

WELCOME TO THE PEN PAL PROJECT!

Thank you for visiting your online resource for LETTER WRITING. 

We look forward to helping you implement a writing experience that your students will never forget!  Your students will develop a positive association to writing and you will see them become self motivated.   There is nothing more rewarding than watching a student who is self motivated!  Thank you, again, for participating in this exciting classroom experience!

HAPPY WRITING!

STAMPS and COLLECTORS are born

Stamps and Collectors are Born!

The birth of the postage stamp dates back to May 6, 1840, when Britain issued its first stamp, the "Penny Black." But, how did people receive mail before this time, and what led to the idea of using stamps?

Primitive message systems have been in place as long as man has been in existence. Until 1840, however, regardless of how primitive or how elaborate, all these systems operated without the benefit of a postage stamp.

In the early days of the postal service, stamps and envelopes did not exist. (For the most part, envelopes were not used because they were considered to be an additional sheet of paper which cost more to send.) When you wanted to send a letter you would fold it up and seal it shut, and the person who received the letter had to pay for the delivery costs. Since rates at that time were very high, many people refused to accept letters. In fact, many people developed secret codes by which they could cheat the postal services. They would place secret marks on the outside of the letter that conveyed their message and all the addressee had to do was read the secret message, refuse to accept the letter, and thus not have to pay for it. Mainly for this reason, postal services turned to a means of prepaying postage.

In 1837 Sir Rowland Hill, the British Postmaster General, introduced the "Post Office Reforms" whereby the mail could go anywhere in the British Isles at the same rate (a penny a half-ounce); the postage was to be paid by the sender -- not the addressee; and payment was receipted by placing a small piece of colored paper on the outside of the letter -- THE STAMP! Of course Hill's proposal was heavily debated for a few years, but after serious discussion the change was enacted and instituted in 1840. Thus on May 6, 1840 (first date of valid use) the first government-printed postage stamps were born.

Sir Rowland Hill himself designed the first stamp which cost one penny and bore the profile of Queen Victoria. Because the stamp was printed in black, the 1-cent stamp soon became known as the "Penny Black" -- the world's most popular stamp. These first stamps were imperforate, meaning that people had to cut apart the sheets of stamps. The first perforated stamps did not appear until 1854 (1857 in the United States, 1854 in Great Britain).

The popularity of this new system of sending mail and collecting the fee in advance spread fast and it didn't take long for other countries to use similar systems. In 1847, the United States Post Office Department printed its first stamps, a 5-cent stamp picturing Benjamin Franklin and a 10-cent stamp picturing George Washington.

With the birth of stamps came the birth of stamp collectors or philatelists as they have become known. Shortly after adhesive postage stamps were introduced by Great Britain in 1840, people began collecting them. In 1841, a women even placed an advertisement in the London Times in which she requested help in collecting stamps so that she could paper a bedroom wall.

The two terms philately and philatelist, which refer to the collection and study of postage stamps, were derived from the Greek word phileo, meaning "I love" and ateleia, meaning "free of charges", in the sense that postage stamps replaced a cash postal charge. As people began to collect these interesting pieces of paper, no one realized how valuable stamps could become.

The advent of special commemorative stamps greatly increased the popularity of the hobby. The first U.S. stamps issued to specifically commemorate (remember and honor) our history were issued in 1893 to celebrate Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World. A few of those 1893 Columbian stamps are now worth thousands of dollars!

Stamps have undergone many changes since that first stamp in 1840. They have been perforated, coiled, and printed in many different colors. Stamps have been introduced in many types, formats, and designs. Our next section entitled "Stamps Through the Years" is a brief chronological listing of how stamps evolved. Click here to continue to the next section.

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Welcome to the Hobby - Stamp Collecting

Welcome to the Hobby
-- Your Adventure Begins

Through STAMP COLLECTING you can venture back in time to the Old West, rocket into outerspace, sail the open seas with the explorers, meet famous people, or learn about customs, history, landmarks, animals, or plants from around the world. It is a wonderful hobby that reflects your interest, does not need to cost a lot of money, and most of all is FUN!
Of course you are bound to have a lot of questions: How do I start collecting stamps? What kinds of stamps are there? What should I collect? What tools do I need?
Read on in the following sections below to see how to start your own stamp collection. And remember, take your time building an exciting stamp collection - the enjoyment you get from it can last you a lifetime. Have FUN!

http://www.stamps.org/kids/January/welcome.htm 

Who Decides Who is Pictured on a Stamp? And, Where Do the Ideas Come From?

For a long time the Postmaster General decided what should go on stamps. However, when Congress began passing legislation requiring certain subjects be honored, in 1957 the Postmaster General created a committee to review the ideas of the entire public.

The Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee, a group of 12 to 15 members appointed by the Postmaster General, considers about 50,000 ideas a year, most of which come from the American public. The Committee then recommends about 35 new subjects for commemorative stamps each year to the Postmaster General. The Postmaster General makes the final decision. To ensure consistent and fair consideration of all proposals, the Committee has established standards of eligibility for stamp designs. One such standard is that no living person can be depicted on a U.S. stamp and, except for former Presidents, an individual cannot be commemorated until at least 10 years following death. This allows the person's accomplishments to be viewed in the appropriate historical perspective. The exception allows a means of special recognition for past Presidents each of whom is honored with a memorial stamp on the first birthday following their death.

After a stamp subject has been selected, the Committee commissions an artist to undertake the project and the artist begins drawing preliminary designs. The designs are presented to the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee for its comments. The Commitee then makes recommendations to the Postmaster General who makes the final decision. Once the final design is selected, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing or an outside contractor prints the stamp. The stamps are then perforated and inspected for flaws. The finished stamps are sent to post offices and held for date of issue. Finally, the stamps go on sale at post offices nationwide.

Please keep in mind that the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee does have guidelines and criteria that you must consider before submitting a stamp design. Should you be interested in submitting design ideas, please visit the United States Postal Service site located at http://www.usps.com/communications/organization/csac.htm for more details.

Now that you have a basic understanding of how stamps came to be, how they have changed through the years, and how and who decides what is pictured on a stamp, let's start collecting stamps! Click here to learn how to get started in the hobby.

Return to the Review Session main page

History of the Postage Stamp

History of the postage stamp

From the start of postal services throughout the world, a problem arose which lasted several centuries: who should pay the postage the sender or the recipient? Although methods often varied from one country to another, it remained the custom for a long time for this task to be that of the recipient. But what if the receiver exercised his right to refuse the letter and not pay the postage? Many attempts were made to find a solution which would guarantee that the postal organizations would receive the tax that was their due. In France, a certain Monsieur de Velayer had the idea of creating a small post office and in 1653, he offered his customers small pieces of paper with the mention receipt for the payment of transport. These were to be put into letterboxes that were emptied at more or less regular hours and then sent to their destinations. In 1814 the Sardinian postal service took up M. de Velayer's idea and relaunched the stamped paper principle, but again it was used only for a short time. It was not until 6 May 1840 that the pre-payment of postage in the form of an adhesive receipt took off. The postage stamp was born when English post offices initiated the sale of the first stamps, the Penny Black stamp and the two Penny Blue stamp with the portrait of Queen Victoria, as well as two prepaid envelopes. The world's first postage stamp, the Penny Black, was introduced by Great Britain. At first the public found it very hard to adapt to the idea of buying envelopes or stamps in advance and caricatures of these first envelopes very soon appeared. It required some months to reconcile the public to this new procedure for sending mail. But it worked and between May 1840 and January 1841, 72 million Penny Blacks were issued. The method was rapidly adopted by other countries and the postage stamp thus found its reason for existence it had become a receipt for services to be rendered. The appearance of stamps on envelopes, postcards, bills and forms also gave rise to a new passion philately.

STATIONARY

Use this stationery to spice up your writing.
Just click on the stationery and print.

http://primarygames.com/print_zone/stationery/older/bigstationery.htm

YOUNGER WRITERS:
http://www.primarygames.com/print_zone/stationery/stationery.htm

http://www.amphorastationery.com/stat-printable.html

http://www.billybear4kids.com/stationery/mainpage.html

LARGE LINED STATIONARY:
http://www.billybear4kids.com/worksheets/downloads/stationery/download.html

Support Our Troops - WRITING WITH A PURPOSE

Salutes from Students provides classrooms an opportunity to share their support and concern for the service men and women stationed around the world.  Receiving a letter from home can provide a morale boost for our brave men and women making the ultimate sacrifice.  Creating letters and cards can offer students an opportunity to express their appreciation and concern for our troops.  

TO FIND OUT MORE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW:

http://jc-schools.net/salutes/

Friendly Letter Writing for a Year

Each month, the children are given a topic to write about in their letter:

• October - Introduce yourself. Describe your family and your interests.  Enclose a picture of yourself.

• November - Tell your pen pal what life is like in the USA.  Enclose a post card or picture with your letter.

• December - Explain some of your winter holiday traditions.  Enclose a holiday card with your letter.

• January - Describe some of the animals that live in our area.  Draw pictures of the animals.

• February - Describe the different seasons we experience.  Draw a picture that shows each season.

• March - Tell some of the fun things you've learned about in school this year.  Enclose a picture of the whole class.

• April - Describe the rural, suburban, and urban areas near us.  Enclose a map of our town and state.

• May - Write a story about your pen pal.  Make your pen pal the hero of the story.  Enclose an illustration.

• June - Tell your pen pal what you plan on doing over the summer.  If you have your parent's permission, you can exchange home addresses or e-mail addresses.

It's fun way to practice letter-writing skills and learn about people in other parts of the world.  The kids love receiving letters from their pen pals, seeing the international stamps on the envelope, and exchanging small "gifts" with their pen pals throughout the year.

Pen Pal Letters Lesson Plan

 Pen Pal Letters

By - Jamie Rettke
Subject - Language Arts
Grade Level - 3-4
Topic Reading/Writing - Friendly Letters

Standards

State Goal 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes. Learning Standard A: Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure.
Learning Benchmark 3.A.2: Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types.
Learning Standard C: Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
Leaning Benchmark 3.C.2a: Write for a variety of purposes and for specific audiences.
Student Objectives: When asked, the students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an ability to create a letter of at least 2 paragraphs
2. Edit letters for clarity, punctuation, capitalization, and correct verb tense

Materials

All about me sheet (optional)
Writing materials
Example letter, showing format

Materials Preparation: Create an All About Me sheet for students to record their interests, hobbies, etc. The students will be able to use these sheets to refer back to when needing ideas for their first letter. This sheet will be filled out by the students before introducing Pen Pal Letter.

Integration of Technology

The students with use Microsoft Word to type the final copy of their letters.

Criteria: letters must include:

At least two paragraphs
Correct use of punctuation
Correct use of capitalization
Motivation component
Ask students to define what they think a "pen pal" is. Ask students if they have ever had a pen pal. Explain how when you were a bit younger than they are now, you started writing a girl in Washington. Talk about the experience and how just two years ago, you went to Washington, to be in the girl's wedding. Explain to class that we are now going to start writing to students in another 5th grade class, in New York. Ask a student to come to the map to point out New York.

Procedures

1. Brainstorm ideas to write in the first letter. Make the first suggestion, then ask the students for further possibilities. Remind the students that this other class lives in New York and may have never been to Illinois.
a. Suggested ideas: hobbies; what you did over the summer; talk about the town/state; if you have ever had a pen pal; , etc.,
b. Remind student that they should try to ask their pen pal questions, so that person has something to respond to.
2. Write all ideas on the board for the students to refer back to.
3. Review the format of a friendly letter. Create a large sample letter on the board; label the following: date, greeting, body, closing, signature.
4. Either on the board or on a large piece of poster board, model a sample letter with the students. Tell the students to refer back to the brainstorming ideas or to their "All About Me" sheet for ideas.
5. Define criteria: letters should have at least two paragraphs and must include capital lettering and correct punctuation.
6. Explain that because there a may be an uneven number of boys and girls in the two classrooms, boys may write to girls and visa versa. So, all the names of the students in New York are written on index cards. Students will pick from the face down cards, so it is all by chance who you get. Have students begin writing their letters. Circulate around the room.
7. Once letters are completed, they should be checked (and edited, if needed). Once edited, they may begin writing their final copy of the letter.
8. For the final copy, the students will go to the school computer lab and type their letters using Microsoft Word. The final draft will be mailed to the school. All other copies should be kept in the writing folders.

Code and Invisible Messages - Be a creative Pen Pal

Code Writing for Children

How to Send Hidden Messages to Friends Like a Spy

Secret Code Writing for Kids - Susan Caplan

Codes allow kids to communicate with friends without letting others know the messages they are sending. Parents can tuck a special note written in code into their child’s lunchbox. Sharing messages is also a great way for young children to practice their writing and reading skills.

Letter Cipher

In this method of code writing, the sender of the message inserts a letter at the end of each word in the note and then breaks up the letters of the words into different combinations. The recipient only needs to read the secret letter to unscramble the message.

1. Write out the message. For example, "Have a good day, love you, mom".
2. Add a letter to the end of each word. Use commonly used letters like "e" or "r" instead of letters like "q" or "z". For example, "havee ae goode daye lovee youe mome".
3. Rewrite all the words of the message, including the secret letter into one long word. "haveeaegoodedayeloveeyouemome".
4. Next, break up the message into three letter words."hav eea ego ode day elo vee you emo me".
5. Let the recipient know, in another note or phone message what the key letter is so they can decipher the message.

Write a Message Using Invisible Ink

Skip writing messages in lemon juice and instead stick a piece of wet paper onto a mirror or window to write the message. Keep a towel handy to wipe up the water that runs down the glass (and avoid doing this project near wood furniture).

1. Dip a piece of plain white paper into a pan of water.
2. Smooth the paper onto a mirror or window.
3. Set a dry piece of paper over the wet paper.
4. Write a message on the dry paper with a ballpoint pen. Holding a ballpoint pen at this angle will prevent the ink from flowing. It doesn’t matter if the ink flows, the important part is the pressure the pen tip makes on the paper.
5. Remove the dry paper and throw it away. Leave the wet paper in place on the glass. The message will be visible but will vanish as the paper dries. When the paper dries, it will fall off the window.
6. Tell the letter recipient to dip the paper in water to read the message.

Code Crackers

1. Write the alphabet across the top of the page.
2. Give each letter a number, but instead of starting the "A" as "1", start with another letter and then continuing labeling the letters in numerical order. After "Z", continue numbering at "A".
3. Now, write out a message and then translate it using this code. So, if the code is set up so "M" is "1", then "Have a good day" becomes 22-15-10-19 15 21-3-3-18 18-15-13. Connect the letters of individual words with dashes.
4. Let the letter recipient know what letter to start numbering the alphabet. To go back and forth with letters, a child can, at the bottom of a letter, tell the other person what letter to label as "1" when they write a response.

Kids can have fun writing notes to one another with codes or invisible messages. Kids can break up words into confusing patterns, assign letters a numerical code, or write a secret message on wet paper. They can send hidden messages to friends or family while practicing their reading and writing skills.

Paragraph Structure

Paragraph Structure

Integrate the Pen Pal Experience

Incorporate Pen Friend Letter Exchanges in all Content Areas

Writing to pen pals have become a thing of the past for a lot of kids these days. With some encouragement, kids can reap the benefits of a friendship that spans the country or even the globe.

Writing Skills Can Be Enhanced by Writing to a Pen Pal

Perhaps the most obvious academic aspect of having a pen pal is in the improvement of writing skills. Writing is oftentimes the most resisted activity in the school day. A great way to get children excited about writing is to have them write to a friend.  Children will have an incentive to spell words correctly, use complete sentences and incorporate proper grammar and punctuation. They will also learn the parts and format of a friendly letter. Students can brainstorm what they would like to write to a friend, write a rough draft, edit and then write a final draft. They may want to type their letter on their computer and print it out to mail, practicing keyboarding. Students will also practice how to properly address an envelope.

Students will practice Geography Skills Because of a Pen Pal Friendship

Standards require educators to incorporate Geography in the Social Studies segment of the school day. Students can use online resources or traditional books from the library to find information about the state their Pen Pal lives.  Children can create brochures touting the state’s landmarks and geographical features. Students can also include information about what products the state produces. Research skills as well as writing skills would be incorporated into this project.

Math Skills May be Enhanced Through a Pen Pal Program

Students can practice math skills by researching the population of their pen pal’s state at different times of its history and comparing the growth. They may also look at a map to figure out the distance to their pen pal’s home.

Technology May Be Used to Stay in Touch With Pen Pals

Traditional letter writing is rapidly becoming a thing of the past but with a little encouragement, kids can still have the opportunity to exchange letters with a friend. Still, our lives are surrounded by technology and we cannot ignore it. There may be times in the student’s long-distance friendship when technology could be very useful. Email can provide a quick response from a pen pal. Skype can also provide a fun and free face-to-face conversation for the pen pals, no matter where the other child is located.

Having a pen pal provides a wealth of opportunities, both academically as well as socially. Perhaps letter exchanges will lead to lifelong friendships.

Provide Plenty of topics to Write About

Pen pal letters should be friendly and chit-chatty. 

They should give news and views of the locality of the writer. 

Where he lives and what that place is known for. 

Are there any famous people from your hometown? 

Is there anything interesting to see there?

Any products manufactured there that are unique?

For example, "My hometown boasts a factory that produces, from seaweed, a gum which is used in many food products. Our town has an Indian Council House which serves as a museum. It is the capital of a Native American tribe."

What is your town famous for?

• Famous foods?
• An annual festival?
• Horse racing?
• Flower or herb gardens?
• A celebrity citizen?
• A fine old building?

For example, "My pen pal lives in Honduras and she writes about growing pineapples, swimming in the ocean, her work in a mission and a hospital, and watching monkeys play in the trees."

What would your pen pal like to know about where you live?

• About your family?
• Your school?
• Your daily activities?
• Animals or birds in your region?
• Politics?
• Gardening?
• Laws?
• Housing?
• Streets and Roads?
• Jobs?
• Money?
• Local sights?
• Stores and Restaurants?

Keep your letters interesting and you will get more replies.

These suggestions will give you some ideas for your next letters:

• Talk about family birthdays, special events, trips you’ve been on and big achievements
• Share funny stories about your pets
• Tell your friends about your new computer game, CD or DVD
• Wish someone a Happy Birthday
• Give some news about school - your teacher, your friends, excursions you’ve been on, special visitors and activities
• Write about what’s been happening in your street, town or city
• Tell a friend about a great book you’ve read, or an exciting film you’ve been to see
• Share a secret
• Tell a riddle or joke
• Ask questions to find out what they’ve been doing and what interests them
  
  

Creativity Counts

Spice up your letters! 

You can be creative and write poetry or decorate the paper and envelope you are sending. 

This can teach your pen pal a lot about your personality and interests. 

Be sure not to get carried away and write all over the front of the envelope, as your letter might not be delivered if there's anything on the front other than the mailing and return addresses.

Discussing Writing Topics with Your Students

Topics

Do you have a tough time finding good topics to talk about in your letters? 

     Talk about yourself, talk about your school. Talk about what you may have done in the last week or month, any movies you have seen, what type of music you like to listen to, what clubs you belong to, etc. When writing to a pen pal, your letters should be less awkward to write after the first few. This is because you will get to know who your pen pal is and what they like from their letters. Also, you and your pen pal will start a conversation through your letters, and topics will start to develop naturally.

     If you find regular topics boring to talk about in your letters, then try posing a question to your pen pal. Discuss a topic you have been thinking about or learning about lately and at the end of the letter ask a question that relates to what you have been talking about. The best types of questions are ones that require more than 'yes' or 'no' answers. If you ask them what their opinion is on a subject then this will encourage them to frame their next letter around this topic.

Assessments

Assessing Letter Writing

http://www.eduref.org/Virtual/Lessons/Language_Arts/Writing/WCP0224h.pdf 

Practice Editing Friendly Letters

Practice! Practice! Practice! 

Can you find the errors in this letter? Help your students practice good detective work as they discover the errors in these letters!  Finding the errors on these practice sheets will help them have less errors when they write their own letters.

Click on the links below for practice sheets:

http://jc-schools.net/write/sams-letter.pdf

http://jc-schools.net/write/pinkstonmarion-editing.pdf

http://jc-schools.net/write/tyrel-letter.pdf

http://jc-schools.net/write/edit4.pdf

http://jc-schools.net/write/letter-edit5.pdf

http://jc-schools.net/write/letter-edit6.pdf

Friendly Letter Printable Template

Here is a printable writing worksheet for elementary school students to learn to write a friendly letter with the five basic parts.

http://prek-8.com/english/writing/writeTemplate1.html

Graphic Organizers - Letter Writing

Persuasive Letter Writing Graphic Organizer:

http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/graphic/opinion.pdf
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/scottforesman/read_1_U6_WP.pdf 

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/scottforesman/read_2_U6_WP.pdf

General Letter Writing  Graphic Organizer:

http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/graphic/letter1.pdf 

Basic Letter Writing Graphic Organizer:

http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/graphic/letter2.pdf

General Graphic Organizers:
http://www.edhelper.com/teachers/graphic_organizers.htm
http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/
http://schools.dcsdk12.org/education/components/links/default.php?sectiondetailid=1857&parentID=680


Rules of Writing List:

http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/graphic/Rules%20Writing%20Checklist.pdf

Learn to Write a Letter On-line Game

Learn to Write a Letter Game

Look over a letter and then see if you can put the letter back together. Drag the pieces into place and when all the pieces are in position press the check button. You need 8 points to win but have only 180 seconds to complete the game. There is a worksheet to follow the game or use in centers.

http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/letter/lettermain.html

Letters must be laid out correctly and be formal or informal depending on who you are sending your letter to. Try writing your own letter.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/english/writing/letters/play.shtml 

Second Graders Learn a Lesson About Lasting Friendship - Pen Pals

Pen Pals - Then And Now

Calif. Second Graders Learn A Lesson About Lasting Friendship - From Teachers Who Know

By Steve Hartman

• Play CBS Video Video Bringing Back Pen Pals Old-fashioned letter writing is making a comeback among a group of elementary students whose teachers met as pen-pals almost 20 years ago. Steve Hartman reports for "Assignment America."
  

• • In the 2nd Grade classrooms of two Irvine, Calif., schools, students are learning a lasting lesson on friendship - by writing letters to their pen pals.  (CBS)
    
  •  (CBS)
    

  Previous slide Next slide

(CBS)  Pen pals - thanks to technology, chat rooms and social networking - are slowly becoming a thing of the past. But not for the kids you're about to meet. They're keeping it alive - for very good reason, CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman reports in Assignment America.

---

"We want to know eight divided by two is what?" second grade teacher Amy Frueh asked her students. "You have a couple minutes."

Division is not the highlight of second grade. The highlight of second grade, for both Amy Frueh's class and across town in Katie Bentley's class … is getting the mail.

"The entire day will be like, 'Can we get our pen pal letters now? Please can we? Now? Right now,'" Bentley said.

For those of you too young to remember the concept - here's how it works.

"First get assigned a pen pal and then we write letters to each other back and forth," one kid says.

Why don't they just talk on the phone?

"Well we don't have phone numbers and besides that would kind of ruin the pen pal thing," a student explained.

The schools involved are Westpark Elementary, where Bentley teaches, and Culverdale Elementary, where Freuh works. They're in Irvine, Calif., about a mile apart. The two classes traded letters all year - until a few weeks ago, when the kids finally got to meet their pen pals at a picnic.

And that was the official end of the assignment. Now it's time for them to keep up their friendships - and many will - because they already know the second half of the story.

Hartman asked the classes: "How many people remember how Ms. Frueh and Ms. Bentley met? Do you remember?"

Nineteen years ago, Bentley was a second grader herself at Westpark. Freuh - a second grader at Culverdale. And, yes, they were pen pals. They traded letters all the way through high school.

Today, they're best friends - teaching the same classes at the same schools they were at when they met.

"I just can't believe that everything fell into place the way that it did," Freuh said.

The kids can't believe it either … friends since 1991.

"Do you know how long ago that was? 1991?" Hartman asked.

"Yeah, that was before they invented cars, they had to use wheels and horses," one student said.

Another said: "And boys had to wear skirts."

"Do they teach history here?" Hartman asked.

"No," the student said.

Fortunately, there's an even better lesson to be learned here - a lesson about friendship that pen pals like Alexander Doan and Mitchell Rogers are already taking to heart.

After their meeting at the picnic, two of the boys made a commitment.

"Do you think you guys will be friends?"

As one kid said: "To the end."

To the end?

"Yes, until 6th grade," he said.

Children bond through pen pal program

June 01, 2010|By Joyce Moed, Special to the Journal

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Students from Donna Klein Jewish Academy, in Boca Raton, and Pine Grove Elementary School, in Delray Beach, have formed unlikely yet bonding relationships.
It all began when two friends — who each taught at one of the schools — found some similarities between the two different school cultures. With the help of school administrations, and of course, the children themselves, a pen pal program was created where children from Donna Klein Jewish Academy were matched with students at Pine Grove Elementary School.
At the beginning of each school year, each classroom teacher takes photographs of their students, and then attaches them to handwritten notes from the students. When students from one school read the notes from students at the other school, they often learned they had a lot in common, and started to really look forward to when they would get letters from their pen pals.
"Each time a 'special delivery' came to the classroom door, the kids would cheer, and couldn't wait to hear from their pen pal," said Carol Routman, DJKA Middle School art teacher/Pine Grove Elementary liaison.

Today DKJA, which is a K-12 Jewish Day School and Pine Grove Elementary School, whose demographic is predominately Haitian, are "partner schools." The students regularly interact, have field trips and do activities with the goal of them learning about each others' cultural differences and similarities.
The main structured project between the two schools continues to be the pen pal program for second-graders. Usually the students lose touch after their second-grade school year is over.
However, recently one last friendship was formed as a result of the pen pal program. Marcy Gurspan, who coincidentally is the daughter of a middle school Judaic studies teacher at DKJA, is now a third-grader and met her pen pal, Nadine, last year when she was a second-grader. Marcy felt she and Nadine had an instant connection, and when the 2008-2009 school year was over, she wanted to stay in touch. Unfortunately, it turned out she did not have Nadine's correct telephone number. Throughout this school year, Marcy said that the pen pal program shouldn't just end at the end of second grade, and added that she missed Nadine.

How to Address an Envelope

This would be a great visual if 

made into a POSTER:

http://www.abcteach.com/free/e/envelope_formatting.pdf

HOW TO ADDRESS AN ENVELOPE:

http://www.nhcs.k12.nc.us/parsley/curriculum/postal/Envelope.html

Address Puzzle:
http://www.joelson.addr.com/address.html

The Benefits of a Pen Pal

Pen Pals increase student awareness on so many levels - socially, geographically, linguistically, culturally, and more.

The Benefits of Pen Pals
Pen pal relationships offer a number of significant inter-disciplinary benefits for your students, including:

• valuable practice at writing letters in the proper format (Language Arts standard)
• increased awareness of societies and cultures from around the world (can be tied into Social Studies, Geography, and more!)
• a chance to maintain ongoing communication with people who live far away
• increased odds that your students will continue to be letter writers for the rest of their lives 

 Pen pal programs provide students with the opportunity to build  friendships that consist of sharing and learning.  

Wildwood elementary students pen letters to Georgia pals

 

By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer | Posted: Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Jezahia Merchado and Ana Garcia write to pen pals in Georgia with a school of the same name as the Glenwood Avenue Elementary School in Wildwood.

Photo by: Michael Martin

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WILDWOOD — Nine-year-old Amber Johnson loves writing to her 10-year-old pen pal in Decatur, Ga., and not just because the two happen to share the same name.
The girls have been learning about each other and sharing scenes of their hometowns through postcards. “It’s fun to write,” Amber said with her pencil in hand.
She and her fourth-grade classmates at Glenwood Avenue Elementary School each spent time Tuesday morning writing letters to their pen pals.
“Dear Amber Johnson, Do you celebrate Halloween? If you do, what were you for Halloween,” Amber’s letter began. She went on to ask about Thanksgiving and note her interest in learning to skateboard, something her pen pal loves to do.
“It’s fun to me. I always dreamed of writing letters to people,” Amber said.
The pen pal program has brought smiles to everyone in Vaia Kozanas’ fourth-grade class. It began when Wildwood Crest resident John Lynch, who works at the Wildwoods Convention Center, suggested the class write to another class at Glennwood Academy in Decatur, where his niece Jacquelyn DeWitt is a student teacher.
Kozanas said her 20 students were excited from the start and she welcomed the opportunity to focus on writing.
On Tuesday, all of her students were putting pencil to paper.
“Letter writing is something we don’t practice in schools anymore,” Kozanas said. “There’s so much text messaging and e-mailing.”
Kozanas added that “everything is geared toward writing paragraphs and stories, nothing about letters.”
Her students not only write letters, but they also then learn to edit by reading them aloud to a fellow student to make sure everything sounds just right.
On Tuesday, Kozanas and basic skills teacher Linda Booy spent time with as many students as they could, reviewing the letters before a final version is written.
Lynch, who is originally from Georgia and went to high school in Decatur, plans to travel to the area in a few weeks and will deliver the letters for them.
He started his affiliation with the school district by reading to a class at the elementary school, and then formed the Lunch with Lynch program in which he visits the school and its students as often as his schedule allows.
He said DeWitt casually mentioned the two schools of the same name should become pen pals and it grew from there.
“It’s a chance for the kids to learn about other people and places. It’s geography. It’s writing. It’s social skills,” Lynch said.
The program, he added, should continue with an international flavor next year when DeWitt takes a job teaching at a school in the Netherlands.
But the focus now is getting letters ready for Thanksgiving.
Dawan Hawkins, 9, questioned Kozanas about spelling, checking with her on the words that gave him a little trouble.
A student in Decatur named Gavriel is his pen pal.
“I like that you get to write to your friend and they write back to you,” Dawan said, his postcard from Atlanta prominently placed on his desk.
Nearby, 8-year-old Makayla Butler was crafting her letter to Alyssa, her 10-year-old Decatur pen pal.
She asked about Halloween and her plans for Thanksgiving.
Makayla has written letters before to family members, and was excited to have someone new to write to.
“Writing is my favorite thing in school,” Makayla said.
Kozanas said she hopes the pen pal program continues throughout the year.
“I don’t know who’s more excited, me or the kids,” Kozanas said.

Georgetown Elementary students welcome pen-pals from sister school in Pingtung, Taiwan

Jessica Scott | The Grand Rapids PressTrace Doornbos, 9, right, talks with Taiwanese student Peter Chiu, left, after school inside Doornbos's mother's van. Chiu, along with several other students from Taiwan were visiting their sister school, Georgetown Elementary in Hudsonville and meeting their pen pals. Students, like Chiu also got to spend the night with a host family. The Doornboses hosted three students.

GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP -- Yi Chen Li was nervous about coming to Georgetown Elementary School. So were Georgetown students, who hosted 29 Taiwanese pen pals Thursday.
By the end of the school day, Yi and her American counterpart, Tessa Doornbos, were walking hand in hand.
"We really had a good time learning together," said 11-year-old Yi, who goes by the name "Angel."

The lesson?
"It taught us that, no matter where you live, we can all be friends," said Happy Bainbridge, a Georgetown fourth-grader whose pen pal is Peggy Bai.
After communicating by e-mail and blog, the Hudsonville district school welcomed 29 students and five staff from Raey Guang, a sister school in Pingtung. The students went to class, shared lunch and played at recess together before ending the day with an all-school assembly.
The Taiwanese students, some of whom speak little English, then went home with Georgetown families and planned to spend today with their pen pals at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
"What one student said to me is she realized she didn't have to be nervous because her Taiwan friend was just like her," said Theresa Reagan, Georgetown's principal. "Once we come together, we realize how similar we are."
Still, the Taiwanese visitors observed some instructive differences. Chung Wen Yu, the school's principal, said through a translator that the "teaching is very lively, different from Taiwan." And one of the school's English teachers, Sarah Lin, said she was impressed with the 4-year-old building's amenities.
"In Taiwan, our classroom is very narrow," Lin said. "I really love the environment here, It is a warm place for children."
During the assembly, students and staff from the two schools exchanged artwork and gifts, including pictures of U.S. and Taiwanese flags with a heart in the middle. Raey Guang students sang their school song in Mandarin, and students from both schools ended the day by singing Michael Jackson's "Heal the World" in English.
"No matter Raey Guang or Georgetown Elementary School, we all try to do our best to teach the students to 'work hard, learn well and be nice,' " said Lin, referencing Georgetown's mission.
"It's my first time to America, and I love your school -- I love all of it."

Perrysburg Pen Pals in Haiti 

Today Haitian students at Missions International of America's Brad Reddick school in Haiti are meeting new friends, pen pals from Perrysburg.
 “When I knew I was going to travel to Haiti, I wanted my students in fourth grade to be able to talk with students in a different country,” said Lynn Cherry, a fourth grade teacher at Perrysburg’s Woodland Elementary School.
Cherry is one of three teachers and a school psychologist from the Perrysburg school district.
Today she's delivering letters that her Woodland students wrote, introducing themselves; nothing too complicated mainly just names and hobbies.
The Haitian teacher translates then Haitian students scribble their thoughts and pictures in a response written in their native language, Creole.
 “Even though our skin color may be different, we're all very much the same and we all share a lot of the same feelings and a lot of the same issues,” said Christie Soltman, a Perrysburg School District psychologist.
While the men on the M-I-A team work on repairs to make the school better on the outside, these Northwest Ohio teachers are trying to make it better on the inside with a tool box filled with different ideas and teaching methods to help the Haitian educators better connect with these big smiles and bright min

Letter Writing Unit

The following website is an excellent introduction to letter writing:

http://eriesd.org/LessonPlans/LetterWriting/lettermain.htm

It provides the following:

1. Pretest
2. Power Point Presentation
3. Introduction to the Five Parts of a Letter
4. Commas in a letter
5. Capitals in an address
6. Identify parts of a letter
7. Post test

Start Your Writing Lessons with a Letter Writing Joke!

Hey kids check out these funny jokes! If you have any good jokes you want to share then send them to us via e-mail to education@auspost.com.au     Q. What did the stamp say to the letter? A. I’ve become attached to you! Q. How do you communicate with a fish? A. You drop him a line! That'sfunny! Q. What did the paper say to the pencil? A. Write on! HaHa Ha! Q. What eight letter word has one letter in it? A. Envelope! Q. Whywas six afraid of seven? A.Because seven eight nine. What a laugh! Q. What does an envelope say when you seal it? A. Nothing. It just shuts up! Q. What did the envelope say to the stamp? A. Stick with me and we’ll go places! Q. Why do posties carry letters? A. Because the letters can’t walk by themselves! Ha Ha Ha! Q. Why is a pencil so heavy? A. Because it is full of lead! That's a good one! Q. What was the first ever letter? A. a! Q. What stays in the corner yet travels around the world? A. A postage stamp! You're funny! Q. Where do you place letters addressed to boys? A. In a ‘male’ (mail) box! Q. What two words have thousands of letters in them? A. Post Office! Q. Is it better to write on a fullor an empty stomach? A. Neither, paper is much better!