Lesson Outline

Grade Level: ​First-and second-grade

Subject/Content Area: ​English Language Arts
Unit of Study:​ Writing Friendly Letters

Prior to beginning learning Students will compose a

Informal Assessment of
Prior Learning or
Pre-assessment
segment, an informal friendly letter to a friend or
assessment will be given to family member without any
assess students’ ability to literacy instruction of the
compose a complete, format.
detailed, sequential narrative
in letter format by having the
students write a letter to a
friend or family member using
a letter template, but not
given any instructions of what
to include. Assessment will
be evaluated by final
published letter rubric.

Title: ​Creating a Plan

Central Focus: ​Students compose a complete, detailed, sequential narrative in the form of a
friendly letter free of misspellings and grammatical errors by editing and revising.

Content Standard(s):
● CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3​ Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated
event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and
feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.

Learning Objectives:​ Students will be able to create a four-box plan by outlining the details
they want to include in their letter, so that they will have an idea of what to write about.

Instructional Resources and Materials: ​Toot and Puddle​ by Holly Hobbie mentor book,
ladybug projector, whiteboard, dry erase markers and eraser, blank paper, pencils,
self-reflection checklists

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks: ​I will read aloud the mentor text, ​Toot and
Puddle​, to the class. We will examine the postcards written from Toot to Puddle. I will prompt
the students to the language that is used (i.e., vocabulary and format). I will use wait time for
all students to have an opportunity to examine the postcard. When enough students have
their hands raised, I will call on them to share their observations with the class. I will record
their observations on the whiteboard. I will state the purpose of this learning segment, which
is to write letters to soldiers overseas. We will discuss topics to write about in a friendly letter
(examples, about yourself, school, interesting stories, sports, music, movies, etc.) The
students will return to blue chairs at desks to create a four-box plan of what they want to
include in their letters.

Differentiation and planned universal supports:​ Student with EI IEP will remain at home
seat throughout the lesson and will have a stress-relief mechanism (such as, squishy toy), if
needed. Student with CI IEP and student with ASD IEP will receive one-on-one support when
creating a plan.

Language Function students will develop. Additional language demands and language
supports: ​Describe (function) actions, thoughts, and feelings within their narrative or body of
letter. Vocabulary: date, greeting, dear, body, closing, sincerely, and signature. The format of
a friendly letter. Supports: word wall, personalized individual dictionary, and anchor chart.

Type of Student Assessments and what is being assessed:

● Informal Assessment: A four-box plan of what they will write about in their letters
● Modifications to the Assessments: N/A

Evaluation Criteria:​ Checklist for their four-box plans: included four details to include in
letter. Does not have to be sequential.

Relevant theories and/or research best practices: ​Allowing students to use invented
spelling and drawings in their four-box plans. Giving students a purpose for writing creates
avid writers.

Lesson Timeline: ​ 30 mins (10 minutes for introduction, 20 minutes students work)

Title: ​Anchor Chart for Friendly Letters

Central Focus: ​Students compose a complete, detailed, sequential narrative in the form of a
friendly letter free of misspellings and grammatical errors by editing and revising.

Content Standard(s):
● CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.3​ Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated
event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and
feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.

Learning Objectives: ​Students will be able to write a friendly letter by using the correct
format and continuously editing and revising, so that they can learn the process of writing.

Instructional Resources and Materials: ​Example of a friendly letter, ladybug projector, chart
paper, marker, lined paper, pencils, erasers, four-box plans previously created by students,
letter writing paper titled “draft”
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks: ​ I will enlarge a friendly letter that the
students can use as a reference on the ladybug projector. I will create an anchor chart
outlining the components of a friendly letter (greeting, date, body, closing, and signature) that
the students will also be able to reference while they compose their own letters. I will state the
appropriate greetings to use “Dear Sir/Madam” or “Dear Service Member.” I will hand out
letter writing paper titled “draft” to students. Students will return to blue chairs to draft their
friendly letters based on their four-box plans they created on the prior lesson. If a student
finishes early, then he/she will help other students.

Language Function students will develop. Additional language demands and language
supports:​ Describe (function) actions, thoughts, and feelings within the narrative. Vocabulary:
date, greeting, dear, body, closing, sincerely, and signature. The format of a friendly letter.
Supports: word wall, personalized individual dictionary, and anchor chart.

Type of Student Assessments and what is being assessed:

● Informal Assessment: Draft of a friendly letter composed by student
● Modifications to the Assessments: Draft of a friendly letter written by teacher, dictated
by student

Evaluation Criteria: ​Checklist for writing a friendly letter; included date, greeting, closing, and
signature. The body or message of the letter was a complete, sequential narrative.

Relevant theories and/or research best practices:​ Allowing students to use invented
spelling in drafts. Giving students a purpose for writing creates avid writers. Improving
phonemic awareness by using invented spelling.

Lesson Timeline:​ 65 minutes over two days (Day One - 15 minutes introduction, 20 minutes
students work; Day Two - 30 minutes students work)

Title: ​Revising and Editing our Friendly Letters

Central Focus: ​Students compose a complete, detailed, sequential narrative in the form of a
friendly letter free of misspellings and grammatical errors by editing and revising.

Content Standard(s):
● CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.5​ With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on
a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
● CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.1​ Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard
English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
● CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.2​ Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard
English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
 Learning Objectives:​ Students will be able to edit and publish a friendly letter that will be
sent to soldiers overseas with conventional spelling and grammar used.

Instructional Resources and Materials: ​Letter writing paper, pencils, erasers, letter drafts,
self-reflection checklists

Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks: ​I will handout self-reflection checklists to

students. During meeting, I will read the checklist and point out the parts of the letter to revise
and edit. I will provide students with various techniques (such as, stretch a sentence) to
revising a narrative to provide more details. Students will read over their letters and revise and
edit them using the self-reflection checklist. I will walk around the classroom providing
assistance to the editing process when needed. When their draft letter has been approved by
an adult, students will publish their letters on letter writing paper.

Differentiation and planned universal supports: ​Students who are struggling writers will
receive one-on-one support with writing their letters.

Language Function students will develop. Additional language demands and language
supports: ​Describe (function) actions, thoughts, and feelings within the narrative. Vocabulary:
date, greeting, dear, body, closing, sincerely, and signature. The format of a friendly letter.
Supports: word wall, personalized individual dictionary, and anchor chart.

Type of Student Assessments and what is being assessed:

● Informal Assessment: Published letter
● Modifications to the Assessments: Published of a friendly letter written by teacher,
dictated by student

Evaluation Criteria:​ Rubric for writing a friendly letter; included date, greeting, closing, and
signature. The body or message of the letter was a complete, detailed, sequential narrative.
The letter was free of any misspellings or grammatical errors. Their handwriting is neat and
legible. Student used self-reflection checklist while editing and revising their own letters.

Relevant theories and/or research best practices:​ Giving students a purpose for writing
creates avid writers. Providing conventional spelling and grammar for students to use in their
published letters improves students’ abilities to detect misspellings and grammatical errors.

Lesson Timeline: ​120 minutes over two days (Day One - 10 minutes introduction, 20 minutes
students work, Day Two - 15 minutes students work)