Thank You Helpers

Summary

Students will recognize helpful people in their lives, learn to build relationships with them, and write thank you letters to them.

Materials

• Invited guests(people who are helpful to the students i.e. Secretary, Librarian, Custodian, Police Officers, Firemen, etc.)
• Notebooks/pencils
• Pencil/writing paper

Student Prior Knowledge

Students should be familiar with asking interview questions and writing responses to questions.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will practice interviewing skills, letter writing skills, and learn to appreciate people who help them in their lives.

Instructional Procedures

• Inform students that a special visitor will be coming to the classroom. Tell students who the visitor is and ask them what they know about the person.
• Ask students what they would like to know about the person. List their questions on the board.
• Give each student a notebook or paper to write one question on. This will be their official interview question.
• When the guest arrives, each student will take turns asking the guest their special interview question and writing the response to the question on their paper/notebook.
• After the guest has answered all of their questions, the guest or the teacher may discuss any information that wasn't covered in the questions that will help the students understand the important role that this person plays in their life. The teacher should also make sure that the guest was asked how they use reading, writing, math skills, etc. in their job.
• After the guest has left, students will use the information gathered to write thank you letters to the guest.

Strategies for Diverse Learners

Struggling students can buddy up with a partner to write a letter that they will both sign.

Extensions

An option to this lesson would be to have several guests come in, even on different days, and then students can choose which guest the would like to write to, or they could write to each one.

Assessment Plan

Teacher will observe students asking questions and listening. After the guest has left, students can self-assess by giving them selves a "thumbs-up" or "thumbs-sideways" or "thumbs-down" for each of the following behaviors:

• How well did I listen to the guest?
• Did I ask my question loud and clear?
• Did I write the response so that I can read and understand it?

The Letter Writing Rubric can be used to evaluate the letters after the are written.