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English lesson plan · 2nd grade (Year 3 in England) · 60 minutes

Parts of a friendly letter

Writing & Editing

CCSS L.2.2.BCCSS W.2.5England: Y2 Writing (letters)England: Y3 Writing

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Parts of a friendly letter.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Days of the week and months of the year

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: A model text, Planning frame, Checklists for editing, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 6 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Days of the week and months of the year). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which day comes after Sunday? Type it. → MondayPrompt: Say the days in order: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday…
  2. Which month comes straight after December? (January / November / June / February) → JanuaryPrompt: Start at January and say the months in order.
  3. Which is the correct spelling? the month after July (Agust / August / Augast / Augest) → AugustPrompt: Say the word slowly, the way it is spelled: Wed-nes-day, Feb-ru-ary.

Hook · 6 min

  • Show two openings to the same piece of writing and ask which makes them want to read on.
  • Share the objective: Parts of a friendly letter. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 12 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Read Rosa's letter. Which part is the body (the main message)? 12 May Dear Grandma, Thank you for the dinosaur book. I have read it three times already! My favourite part is about the fossils. Love from, Rosa
  • Step 1: Friendly letters have a date, a greeting (Dear…), a body, a closing (Love from…) and a signature.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: Thank you for the dinosaur book…
  • Answer: Thank you for the dinosaur book…
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 12 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Read Rosa's letter. Which part is the greeting? 12 May Dear Grandma, Thank you for the dinosaur book. I have read it three times already! My favourite part is about the fossils. Love from, Rosa (12 May / Dear Grandma, / Rosa / Love from,) → Dear Grandma,Prompt: A letter goes: date, greeting, body, closing, signature.
  2. Read the question. Which is a good greeting for a letter? (Love from Uncle Joe / Dear Uncle Joe, / Uncle Joe. / The end) → Dear Uncle Joe,Prompt: Picture a letter from top to bottom.

You do: independent practice · 17 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 7 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Read the question. Where does the date usually go? (at the top / after the signature / at the very bottom / in the middle of the body) → at the topPrompt: Picture a letter from top to bottom.
  2. Read Rosa's letter. Which part is the signature (the writer's name)? 12 May Dear Grandma, Thank you for the dinosaur book. I have read it three times already! My favourite part is about the fossils. Love from, Rosa (Rosa / Love from, / Grandma / 12 May) → RosaPrompt: A letter goes: date, greeting, body, closing, signature.

Watch out for

  • Writing everything at once without planning.
  • Editing only spelling and not whether the writing makes sense.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Days of the week and months of the year.
  • Use concrete materials: a model text.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-2.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Parts of a friendly letter

Name

Date

Score/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Read Rosa's letter. Which part is the body (the main message)? 12 May Dear Grandma, Thank you for the dinosaur book. I have read it three times already! My favourite part is about the fossils. Love from, Rosa

    • A. 12 May
    • B. Dear Grandma,
    • C. Thank you for the dinosaur book…
    • D. Love from,

  2. Question 2

    Read the question. Which is a good greeting for a letter?

    • A. Uncle Joe.
    • B. The end
    • C. Dear Uncle Joe,
    • D. Love from Uncle Joe

  3. Question 3

    Read Rosa's letter. Which part is the closing? 12 May Dear Grandma, Thank you for the dinosaur book. I have read it three times already! My favourite part is about the fossils. Love from, Rosa

    • A. 12 May
    • B. Dear Grandma,
    • C. Rosa
    • D. Love from,

  4. Question 4

    Read the question. Where does the date usually go?

    • A. at the very bottom
    • B. at the top
    • C. after the signature
    • D. in the middle of the body

  5. Question 5

    Read Rosa's letter. Which part is the date? 12 May Dear Grandma, Thank you for the dinosaur book. I have read it three times already! My favourite part is about the fossils. Love from, Rosa

    • A. Dear Grandma,
    • B. 12 May
    • C. Love from,
    • D. Rosa

  6. Question 6

    Read the question. What is the body of a letter?

    • A. the date
    • B. the main message
    • C. the greeting
    • D. the writer's name

  7. Question 7

    Read the question. Which is a good closing for a thank-you letter?

    • A. Dear Ana,
    • B. Monday
    • C. Hello there
    • D. Best wishes,

  8. Question 8

    Read the question. Which is a good closing for a letter to a friend?

    • A. Chapter 1
    • B. Once upon a time,
    • C. Dear Kim,
    • D. Your friend,

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Answer key: Parts of a friendly letter

  1. 1. C. Thank you for the dinosaur book…

  2. 2. C. Dear Uncle Joe,

  3. 3. D. Love from,

  4. 4. B. at the top

  5. 5. B. 12 May

  6. 6. B. the main message

  7. 7. D. Best wishes,

  8. 8. D. Your friend,