How to write a letter or e-mail – intro

At some point you will have to write a letter or e-mail to someone you do not know, or someone of importance (e.g. a teacher, or a person who leads a group or organization).

The way you write these letters and messages is very different to how you would write one to a friend or class mate, or maybe someone you write to often.

Here are some helpful hints to remind you how to go about this: –

  1. Remember – these letters and messages are different to instant messaging! Usually you need to write more then a couple of words or sentences.
  2. There are certain ways in which to begin these letters (salutation – do you know what this means?)
  3. There is always a respectful ‘tone’ in these messages and letters (especially if you might need to ask questions or for something in particular)
  4. There are certain ways to end these messages and letters

You will probably need to write to an organization and your mentor during the Exhibition process. Jump to here for a post on practicing these skills.

Use one of these addresses to write your pretend e-mail to.

toni_favilli@wab.edu

melissa_roosen@wab.edu

rkorfage@wab.edu

 

 

 

Practice in finding a deeper issue

Vocabulary you might need to know before going any further: –

‘Face value’ of something

‘Beyond the literal’

Glacier

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Let’s take an awareness test: – Awareness test

Can you see beyond what’s in front of you?

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So there you are, scouting around the internet trying to find something to capture your interest and passion. On top of that, you have been asked to look for the deeper issue behind what captures your imagination. But how do you do this?

Some things we must do when trying to find a deeper issue: –

Think                   Connect to other issues            Listen to other people’s ideas

Reflect                 Discuss                Have an opinion               Ask questions

 

Here is something we can work on together to practice this. Let’s look at ‘Glacier calving’.

Don’t know what a ‘Calving Glacier’ is? Check out this link for a brief explanation.

Let us watch this video about Glacier Calving.

Please note: –

One of the interesting things about such well-made videos like this is that sometimes they can be distracting. You may find yourself watching the video over and over again simply because it looks ‘cool’ rather then searching for a deeper meaning or issue. Be strong! Look beyond the literal!

Cool, huh?!

Get into groups of 4 or 5. Make sure your group is mixed and that you are not with people you normally go with. Answer these questions together; every member of the group should make  their own notes on a scrap piece of paper.

After your group discussion you will make a new post called ‘Glacier Calving – the deeper issues’, where you will write what you discussed in your group. Use the Six Thinking Hats to help you guide your discussion. Put this post under the U.o.I. category.

The 6 Thinking Hats

(This will help you structure your thinking)

White – FACTS

  • What was the video about?
  • What is/are the issue/s that is/are the focus of the video?

Yellow – BENEFITS

  • What did you like about this video?

Black – JUDGEMENT

  • What did/didn’t you like about it?

Red – FEELINGS

  • How did you feel about the video?
  • How did you feel about the issue?
  • What were your feelings when talking in a group?

Blue – THINKING

  • Why do you think those two men you saw filming this video did this? What was their purpose?
  • ‘WHY SHOULD I CARE?’ – ‘SO WHAT?’
  • Are there deeper issues beyond the face value of the video?
  • Can the issues you have thought of as a group be connected to other issues?
  • What did other people in your group think about this video and the issues it focuses on? What were their opinions?

Green – CREATIVE

  • Did watching this video and talking about it inspire you to learn more about the issues you identified?