Exploros | Writing a Formal Letter

Writing a Formal Letter

Students brainstorm about letter writing. Then, they learn the difference between informal and formal (business) letters and study formal letter format. Next, they consider the purposes of the parts of a business letter, and they explain why business letter format is important. Finally, they write a letter of complaint and a letter responding to it.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

Engage

Overview

In this experience, students brainstorm about letter writing. Then, they learn the difference between informal and formal (business) letters and study formal letter format. Next, they consider the purposes of the parts of a business letter, and they explain why business letter format is important. Finally, they write a letter of complaint and a letter responding to it.

Students will collaborate in small groups for scene 4.

Objectives

Compose a formal letter registering a complaint.
Respond to a formal letter registering a complaint.

Duration

One class period.

Every day, the U.S. Postal Service delivers mail to every address in the United States. People used to get personal letters in the mail almost every day. Now, people usually send messages by email or text. However, some kinds of letters are still sent on paper, by mail. Think about what types of mail people receive. In this experience, you will learn how to write and respond to formal letters.

Objectives

Compose a formal letter registering a complaint.
Respond to a formal letter registering a complaint.

Imagine it’s your job to bring the family mail inside every day. What types of mail would you expect to see?

Brainstorm some ideas about types of mail your family receives at your house.

Post your answer

Briefly discuss students’ responses.

Many of the letters people send now are for official purposes rather than personal ones. When writing about a serious matter to a government agency, a company, or an institution such as a university or a museum, it’s important to keep a written record of what was said, when the letter was sent, and who signed the letter. This is known as leaving a “paper trail.” Most people don’t need to do this very often, but when they do, it’s probably pretty important!

Ask for a volunteer to paraphrase the meaning of paper trail. One rewording is: the written records left by a person or organization in the course of activities. Having a paper trail is important during legal or financial disputes.

When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.