Develop Literacy Skills and Civic Competency: Plan the ‘Writing Letters for Change’ Activity
Our ultimate objective in learning about anything is to try to create and develop a more just society than we have seen.
– Yuri Kochiyama
INTRO
“Do Something” performance tasks ask students to demonstrate their anti-bias awareness and civic competency by applying their literacy and social justice knowledge in an authentic real-world context. Truth to Power: Writing Letters for Change is an effective advocacy tool with the potential to create change while building student confidence. Writing for social change encourages writers to use their own voices and promotes literacy skills.
OBJECTIVES
- Develop students’ literacy skills in an authentic real-world context
- Students demonstrate their anti-bias awareness and civic competency
“Do Something” performance tasks ask students to demonstrate their anti-bias awareness and civic competency by applying their literacy and social justice knowledge in an authentic real-world context.
Literacy development through writing encourages students to combine identity and action. Letters allow students to communicate directly with someone who can effect change. Developing formal writing skills is in itself a liberating act—the more confident students feel as writers, the more natural it will be for them to use writing to address injustice.
ACTIVITY: Writing Letters for Change
Students write informed letters to corporate or elected officials, outlining their views on a social issue and calling for specific action.
Estimated time: 1-2 weeks
Suggested Grade Level: 6-12
PURPOSE
Formal letter writing is an effective advocacy tool with the potential to create change while building student confidence. Writing for social change encourages writers to use their own voices and promotes literacy skills.
STEPS
Research constituent letters and letter writing campaigns such as those found at change.org, or write your own letter for change. Provide examples to students as mentor texts.
Instruct students to collect information from a variety of sources. The below questions can help guide their research:
- Who does this issue affect?
- What parties are involved?
- What is currently being done?
- What is your proposed course of action to bring change?
- Who would oppose your action plan? Who would support your action plan? Why?
Students should evaluate their research to determine the best recipient for their letter. Who is in the position to make change? Who has the greatest impact on the issue?
Provide students with ample time to research, draft, revise, peer edit and publish their letter. Integrate the writing processes used in your classroom.
Ask students to read their letters out loud in class. Provide time for students to respond to each other’s work and provide peer feedback.
Have the students mail or email their letters.
REFLECTION
- Use journal writing or Talking Circles to facilitate student reflection. Some suggested reflection questions include:
- What did you learn from this experience? What moments of the process stand out for you?
- How did your letter relate back to our reading of the central text?
- What did you expect to happen when you wrote the letter? Did the result match your expectation?
- Did you receive a response? What will you do if you do not receive a response?
- Discuss the effectiveness of writing for social change.
TIPS
- English Language Learners
- English language learners can benefit from seeing a variety of sample letters. When presenting sample letters, explicitly teach the vocabulary unique to the task, such as the word “sincerely.” Provide opportunities to discuss work with peers. When providing feedback, make your comments specific and clear.
- Key Moves are efforts that require a bit of planning, such as the activity above, but can be implemented within the next three to six months.
- Interested in similar activities?
- Check out Learning For Justice, and their full resource page with 34 suggestions.
- This activity could also be modified for younger students.
Responses