School Library Connection Archive

Improving Email Writing Skills to Empower Student Self-Advocacy

Lesson Plan

Sannwald: Improving Email Writing Skills teaser

During distance and hybrid learning, it has become clear that students need to develop stronger email writing skills in order to effectively communicate their needs and questions with teachers and other adults. This lesson introduces the concept of self-advocacy and how to translate one's needs into a professionally worded email.

SUBJECT:

English / Language Arts
GRADE LEVEL:

Middle School

High School
OBJECTIVES:

Students will identify needs and use their written voice to advocate for themselves.

Students will write an effective email that includes a specific subject, a formal greeting, a clear explanation of their issue, a courteous request for assistance, and an appropriate closing.
MATERIALS:

Using Email to Advocate for Yourself During Distance Learning (or Anytime) (hyperdoc), which includes links to the following materials:
TIME NEEDED:

60 minutes

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURE

For asynchronous instruction, post "Using Email to Advocate for Yourself During Distance Learning (or Anytime)" hyperdoc in your Learning Management System so that each student may explore and complete their own copy of the digital lesson.

Alternatively, the hyperdoc may be broken up and chunked:

  • Watch the embedded video and discuss.
  • Explore "Basic Email Tips," "Sample Email" model, and sample sentence frames.
  • Provide students with scenario options that ideally match a real-life situation that they are currently facing.
  • After students select a scenario, have them compose an email either in a document or to actually send. Remind students to reference tips and sample sentence frames.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Lee, Andrew M. I. "The Importance of Self-Advocacy for Kids Who Learn and Think Differently." Understood, October 22, 2020. https://www.understood.org/en/friends-feelings/empowering-your-child/self-advocacy/the-importance-of-self-advocacy.

About the Authors

Suzanne Akemi Sannwald

Suzanne Sannwald, MLIS, is a teacher librarian at West Hills High School in Santee, CA. Suzanne completed the teacher librarian credential program and earned her master of library and information science from San José State University's School of Information, where she is now a course instructor. As a Spectrum Scholar and AASL Induction Program alumnus, she mashes up her previous professional experiences as a classroom teacher, classified employee, and technology administrator at the middle, high school, and higher education levels within both public and corporate settings. Connect with her on Twitter: @suzannesannwald

Anthony Devine

Anthony Devine, MLIS, formerly served as the teacher librarian at El Cajon Valley High School in El Cajon, CA. He is now the Educational Technologist at Netzaberg Elementary School in Eschenbach, Germany. He cares deeply about building a culture of collaboration among his colleagues. Also, he is an advocate for using digital portfolios to help students become more mindful of what and how they are learning. He believes that part of helping students develop into expert learners includes empowering them to share their learning with a wider audience. Connect with him on Twitter: @anthonyrdevine

Stephanie Macceca

Stephanie E. Macceca, MA, is a teacher librarian at Valhalla High School, Grossmont Union High School District, El Cajon, CA. Macceca earned her bachelor's in English literature from the University of California, San Diego, and her master's in education from Claremont Graduate University. After teaching English and Spanish for many years, she earned her teacher librarian credential from Fresno Pacific University. Macceca has written a number of books for teachers and students, including Reading Strategies for Social Studies and George Washington Carver: Agricultural Pioneer. She has presented at SDCUE, CUE, CSLA, and was invited to present at NCTE and ISTE in 2020. She is the AP Coordinator and served as Section Leader for the 2020 AP English Literature and Composition exam. Twitter: @ReadingPusher email: smacceca@guhsd.net.

MLA Citation

Devine, Anthony, Suzanne Akemi Sannwald, and Stephanie Macceca. "Improving Email Writing Skills to Empower Student Self-Advocacy." School Library Connection, November 2020, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/LessonPlan/2257212?topicCenterId=2252405.

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https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/LessonPlan/2257212?topicCenterId=2252405

Entry ID: 2257212