Name: ___________________________________________________________ Period:__________
Isle Royale Management Plan Letter
As a part of your assessment for the Ecology Unit, you will write a letter to Isle Royale National Park
with your opinion on the best plan for the management of the wolf problem on the island.
Purpose: Isle Royale has scientific value because it offers a protected location for scientists to observe
a natural food chain in action. According to the committee deciding the fate of Isle Royale, there is
a need to create a moose-wolf-vegetation management plan because:
Moose have important effects on island vegetation, … and wolves are the only
moose predator on the island. The moose-wolf-vegetation food web is tightly
coupled. Given that the wolf population at Isle Royale is very low and their longterm survival on the island is in question, the moose population is likely to increase
in the short term (5-10 years), which could result in impacts to vegetation and
forest cover because of over-browsing. (3)
Format: You are writing a letter, not an essay, so your writing should be formatted like a letter.
1. Write the name and address of the recipient in the upper left hand corner of the page.
2. After the address, include a salutation. In this case, it should read “To Whom it May Concern:”
3. Write an introductory paragraph. Introduce yourself, summarize the wolf problem, and explain
which of the 6 different options you feel like the committee should take concerning the wolf
issue on the island.
4. Write a body paragraph where you explain why they should pick that option. Have at least
two reasons to support your opinion, supported with evidence taken from two of the three
references we provided you (the two initial articles and the new article). Your evidence should
be restated or quoted directly from the text. Cite your evidence by putting the number of the
article in parenthesis. Your teacher will number the articles for you.
5. Write a conclusion paragraph. Form a hypothesis about what you will think will happen to Isle
Royale in the next ten years if they select your option. Summarize your evidence supporting
your opinion. Thank the committee for their time. Sign your name.
6. List the articles you used in your writing. Follow the format provided by your teacher.
The name and address of the committee:
Isle Royale National Park
Attention: Moose-Wolf-Vegetation
Management Plan
800 East Lakeshore Drive
Houghton, Michigan 49931
Tone and Style: You are writing a letter to a professional organization. Your tone should be polite. Do
not use slang. Write using a formal style (limit your use of pronouns, use longer, compound sentences,
and don’t use contractions or abbreviations). Do not weaken your argument by using phrases like “in
my opinion” or “I think.” It sounds much stronger if you state your opinion as though it were a fact.
Citations: Put the articles you use in the following format:
(Article number). Author’s last name, first name. Date of publication. Title of article. Title of
publication.
#
1
2
3
Title of Article
The Wolf, the Moose, and the Fir
Tree: A Case Study of Trophic
Interactions
Isle Royale researchers debate
intervention to help wolf
population
Moose-Wolf-Vegetation
Management Plan/EIS
Author
Gary M. Fortier
Title of publication
National Center for Case
Study Teaching in Science
Date
1999
Stephanie
Hemphill
Minnesota Public Radio
2013
Phyllis A. Green
Isle Royale National Park
2015
Options: Pick one of the following options to support in your letter:
Name: __________________________________________________ Period: _________ Score: ____/25
Isle Royale Management Plan Letter Rubric
Name of Grader: _________________________________________
Format
Yes
No
The address is written in the upper left hand corner of the page.
All parts of the address are included.
The correct salutation is included (To Whom it May Concern:)
The letter has three distinct paragraphs.
Introduction (Paragraph 1)
The author introduced him/herself.
A short summary of the wolf problem is given.
The author proposes one of the six solutions.
You can easily tell what the issue is and which option the author supports.
Body (Paragraph 2)
The first sentence states the first reason supporting the author’s opinion.
Evidence from an article supports the first reason.
A source is correctly cited for evidence number one.
A second reason is provided supporting the author’s opinion.
Evidence from an article supports the second reason.
A source is correctly cited for evidence number two.
Conclusion (Paragraph 3)
A hypothesis for the next ten years on Isle Royale is included.
The author restated his/her position/opinion.
The conclusion sounds different than the introduction.
The author thanks the committee.
The author signs his/her name.
A list of sources is included.
The sources are correctly cited at the bottom of the letter.
Tone and Style
The letter is polite
Limited use of slang, pronouns, and abbreviations.
A variety of sentence lengths are used (few short simple sentences).
Author does not use the phrases “I think”, “In my opinion,” or something
similar.
Total
Count the number of times you marked yes
___/25
Name: __________________________________________________ Period: _________ Score: ____/25
Isle Royale Management Plan Letter Rubric
Name of Grader: _________________________________________
Format
Yes
No
The address is written in the upper left hand corner of the page.
All parts of the address are included.
The correct salutation is included (To Whom it May Concern:)
The letter has three distinct paragraphs.
Introduction (Paragraph 1)
The author introduced him/herself.
A short summary of the wolf problem is given.
The author proposes one of the six solutions.
You can easily tell what the issue is and which option the author supports.
Body (Paragraph 2)
The first sentence states the first reason supporting the author’s opinion.
Evidence from an article supports the first reason.
A source is correctly cited for evidence number one.
A second reason is provided supporting the author’s opinion.
Evidence from an article supports the second reason.
A source is correctly cited for evidence number two.
Conclusion (Paragraph 3)
A hypothesis for the next ten years on Isle Royale is included.
The author restated his/her position/opinion.
The conclusion sounds different than the introduction.
The author thanks the committee.
The author signs his/her name.
A list of sources is included.
The sources are correctly cited at the bottom of the letter.
Tone and Style
The letter is polite
Limited use of slang, pronouns, and abbreviations.
A variety of sentence lengths are used (few short simple sentences).
Author does not use the phrases “I think”, “In my opinion,” or something
similar.
Total
Count the number of times you marked yes
___/25