Sí, Se Puede: Making a Difference, One Letter at a Time

Materials and Technology

Student Interactives

Printouts

Websites

Preparation

 

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

• ¡Si, Se Puede!/Yes, We Can!: Janitor Strike in L.A by Diana Cohn
• Chart paper/white board and markers
• Computers with Internet access (for each student, if possible)
• Letter to the Editor from local or national newspaper of your choosoing (make an overhead transparency, or you may project the letter from online)

back to top

 

STUDENT INTERACTIVES

Grades   K – 12  |  Student Interactive  |  Writing & Publishing Prose

Letter Generator

The Letter Generator is a useful tool for students to learn the parts of a business or friendly letter and then compose and print letters for both styles of correspondence.

 

back to top

 

PRINTOUTS

• Letter to the Editor Peer Review Questions
• Persuasion Map Planning Sheet
• Invisible Questions (Option 1)
• Invisible Questions (Option 2)
• Possible Interview Questions

back to top

 

WEBSITES

• How to Communicate with Journalists, from FAIR
  

  This website, from FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting), provides uselful information on writing to and communicating with newspapers through letters to the editor or opinion pieces.

• Tips on Writing Letters to the Editor
  

  This site, from the American Civil Liberties Union, provides helpful hints and ideas for writers writing letters to the editor.

• Write an Opinion Piece or a Letter to the Editor for Your Local Newspaper
  

  This resource, from the National Council of Teachers of English, provides information on writing letters to the editor or opinion pieces as a means of advocacy.

back to top

 

PREPARATION

1. Locate ¡Si, Se Puede!/Yes, We Can!: Janitor Strike in L.A. in your classroom library, your local library, or a bookseller.  Familiarize yourself with the content and the images within the book.
2. Arrange for current issues of local, regional, or national newspapers for the classroom. Each student should have a newspaper for this activity. You may ask each student to bring a newspaper from home. If computer access allows, you can also use online newspaper sites. In addition to local newspaper sites, you can use resources from the Newseum collection of Today's Front Pages. Students will need to be able to print articles from online newspapers or to return to those pages throughout this lesson.
3. Print copies of the Persuasion Map Planning Sheet, Letter to the Editor Peer Review Questions, Invisible Questions (Option 1), and Invisible Questions (Option 2).
4. Make overhead transparencies of the Persuasion Map Planning Sheet and Possible Interview Questions, and a letter to the editor of your choice (that discusses/supports a current issue).
5. Notify staff members in your school that they may be asked for an interview, and remind them that they are welcome to decline the invitation if necessary.
6. Review the following guidelines for composing letters to the editor and determine which are appropriate for your class:
   • How to Communicate with Journalists, from FAIR
   • Tips on Writing Letters to the Editor, from the ACLU
   • Write an Opinion Piece or a Letter to the Editor for Your Local Newspaper, from NCTE
7. Test the Letter Generator and Persuasion Map on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

back to top