Global Studies
The Lorax: Letter to the Once-ler
The second part of your Lorax project is to use your creative writing skills to write a letter
to the “Once-ler” to persuade him to start taking action to preserve our natural resources.
You will be writing the letter as if you were the “Lorax.”
You will receive an envelope and a blank sheet of lined paper to complete your project.
The envelope must be addressed to the “Once-ler,” and the return address should be from
“The Lorax.” Please follow the instructions given in class to properly address your
envelope. I urge you to be as creative and neat as you can with your envelope as well!
Inside the envelope, you will include your letter to the “Once-ler.” The letter should be organized in a basic
letter format as demonstrated in class. Make sure that your letter is strong in the writing trait of
ORGANIZATION. In order to do this, make sure that your introductory paragraph introduces yourself to the
“Once-ler.” You should also explain your purpose for writing the letter. The body paragraphs of the letter
should include transitions that make your ideas flow smoothly. Finally, you will include a concluding
paragraph that brings a sense of closure to the reader and briefly summarizes your main ideas. In summary,
your letter will need one introductory paragraph, at least two body paragraphs, and one concluding paragraph.
Because you are writing from the perspective of the “Lorax,” you also should keep the trait of VOICE in mind
as you compose your letter. A letter that is strong in the trait of VOICE will speak directly to the reader by
using compelling ideas and details. Let the personality of the “Lorax” come through in your letter. Your letter
will be trying to encourage the “Once-ler” to preserve our natural resources, so your letter will naturally be
persuasive in its tone. Therefore, try to use some powerful words that would be helpful in convincing the
“Once-ler” to change his ways. Some examples of powerful words will be given in class, but you can also
consult a thesaurus for help.
Your letter will be worth 40 points. It will be graded upon the specific writing traits of ORGANIZATION and
VOICE. Rubrics for those two traits are included below. I encourage you to look at those rubrics as you are
writing your letter to self-evaluate your own writing. It also will be graded based upon its envelope (correct
addressing style), creativity, neatness, spelling, and the overall effort you put into it.
I expect you to put forth your personal best with this project, so that is what I should see when you turn it in.
Have fun and be creative!! 
organization
Voice
The internal structure, the thread of central
meaning, the logical pattern of ideas
Does the organization make the ideas easier to
understand?
The writer uses compelling ideas and engaging
language, and reveals details through writing
Would you keep reading this piece if it were longer?
5 – introduction draws the reader in
conclusion brings closure
thoughtful transitions
flows so smoothly the reader hardly thinks about it
3 - recognizable introduction and conclusion
transitions work well
organization sometimes supports the main point of
story line
1 - has no clear sense of direction
connections between ideas are confusing
organization is poor so reader cannot grasp the main
point
5 – writer speaks to the reader
writer engages the reader
language strongly connects with the audience
writer takes risks with revealing details
3 – writer seems sincere, but not fully engaged
attempt to connect with audience is weak
reveals some details, but avoids risks
1 – writer seems uninvolved with the topic and audience
fails to connect with audience
purpose is unclear
writer does not take risks nor give details