Extension Week: Letter to My Favorite Author

This week, the Grade 6 class will be working on and completing formal letters. These are also sometimes called business letters. Formal letters are what we write to people we don't know or those who are of a higher social standing than us. This writing lesson teaches the children a valuable skill that they will be able to use throughout their academic and professional careers.

Students will write a letter to the their favorite author. Their assignment is to share what they admire about the author and the author's work, ask thoughtful questions about the craft of writing, and offer suggestions for new work or invite them to Taipei for a book signing. This assignment teaches students the importance of the formal letter format, the use of a formal tone in writing, and how a good letter can get your voice heard by famous and powerful people alike.

We hope to finish the letters by the end of the week and have them mailed after Christmas Break. In the past, my students have received replies from some of the authors they have written to. I hope we are so fortunate again. Please see the materials below to review how to write a formal letter.