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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 July? (August / September / June / January) → AugustPrompt: Start at January and say the months in order.
  3. Which is the correct spelling? the day after Monday (Tuseday / Teusday / Tusday / Tuesday) → TuesdayPrompt: 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 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 (12 May / Dear Grandma, / Love from, / Rosa) → 12 MayPrompt: A letter goes: date, greeting, body, closing, signature.
  2. Read the question. Which punctuation goes after "Dear Sam" in a letter? (a question mark / an exclamation mark / nothing at all / a comma) → a commaPrompt: 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 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 (Grandma / 12 May / Rosa / Love from,) → RosaPrompt: A letter goes: date, greeting, body, closing, signature.
  2. Read the question. Which is a good closing for a thank-you letter? (Dear Ana, / Hello there / Best wishes, / Monday) → Best wishes,Prompt: Picture a letter from top to bottom.

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

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

  2. Question 2

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

  3. Question 3

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

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

  4. Question 4

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

  5. Question 5

    Read the question. Which punctuation goes after "Dear Sam" in a letter?

    • A. nothing at all
    • B. an exclamation mark
    • C. a comma
    • D. a question mark

  6. Question 6

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

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

  7. Question 7

    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

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

  8. Question 8

    Read the question. Where does the date usually go?

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

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Answer key: Parts of a friendly letter

  1. 1. A. Best wishes,

  2. 2. D. 12 May

  3. 3. C. the main message

  4. 4. B. Thank you for the dinosaur book…

  5. 5. C. a comma

  6. 6. D. Dear Uncle Joe,

  7. 7. A. Rosa

  8. 8. C. at the top