Enrichment Lesson 1: Letter to the President

Gain insight into General George Washington's role at Valley Forge with a learning exercise that challenges scholars to examine a primary resource—a letter to Governor George Washington—and answer one focus question.   

Middle schoolers aren't too young to feel strongly about politics, social issues, consumer rights, or environmental problems. Demonstrate the first steps toward social change with a project about action-oriented writing. Eighth graders...

Lesson 1 kicks off a unit on fairness and analysis by building an understanding of what fairness is. Sixth graders view and analyze a photo, create a T-Chart, and discuss what it means to be fair and if the world is fair and just. They...

The history of women's education can be traced back to the delicate stitching of student samplers from the 19th century. Modern-day pupils examine and analyze four primary sources, three of which are images of embroidered samplers, which...

The political and economic climate during the 1930's was uncertain and tumultuous. But Americans' minds and hearts were eased with the reassuring words of their president, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and addresses over the radio. High...

Analyze the motivation, purpose, and value of letters to the editor by examining letters written in response to the violence at Columbine High School. For homework, middle and high schoolers write their own letters to the editor about an...

Learners analyze three primary source letters from 1939, each detailing the use of tobacco stringing. After thorough investigation, pupils take part in a grand conversation about the letters' purpose, accuracy, and relevance to the...

To celebrate National Poetry Month, young writers focus on the role letter writing has played in the development of poets. They begin by journaling three to five associations to a writing prompt that requires them to identify their...

Add a strong poetry lesson to your literature unit. Middle and high schoolers investigate their writing voices with journaling and group discussion, then choose a famous poet to study. They write letters to their chosen poets, explaining...

Patricia MacLachlan's novel Sarah, Plain and Tall serves as an excellent tool for examining point of view. During reading, the class thinks about how characters feel. Just before the climax of the novel, they write friendly letters to...