MISUNDERSTOOD GENERATION TEACHER INSTRUCTIONS In this assignment, students will write an open letter discussing the seven greatest misunderstandings people have about their generation and why they are different than the way people perceive them. Below are some suggestions for implementing this assignment in your classroom. 1. VIDEO CLIP & Presentation Start the class by opening the PowerPoint presentation and showing students the video clip on slide two. Use the presentation to guide you through the lesson. 2. Information Teach students the process of writing an open letter using the informational handout. 3. Planning Have students use the brainstorming sheet to develop their ideas and the outlining sheet to organize those ideas into an open letter format that touches on each of the seven misunderstandings. You might also consider sharing seven misunderstandings that students have about teachers to model a strong response. 4. Draft & Revise © John Spencer © Presto Plans Have students use the prewriting pages and open letter information sheet to write the rough copy of their letter (double sided pages included). Have them use the revision checklist to improve their writing. 5. WRITING YOUR LETTER A double-sided final copy page is provided. Give students the opportunity to read their letters aloud to a small group or the whole class. INFORMATION WRITING AN OPEN LETTER WHAT IS AN AN OPEN LETTER? While letters are typically private and closed conversations between two people, an open letter is meant to be communicated publicly. Sometimes an open letter may be written to a specific person, like to a politician for example, but it is actually meant to be read by a large number of people. Open letters can also be written to a group of people who have a specific similarity, like to a particular age-group for instance. What is the purpose of an open letter? Open letters are usually written in protest of something or as an appeal for a person or a group of people to change their opinion on a particular topic. Open letters also aren’t always written with the intent of making a change. Sometimes, they are simply used as a way for someone to purge their emotions and frustrations with a person or practice or build awareness in the general public about a particular topic or issue. How do you write an open letter? 1. Know Your Audience Open letters often have two audiences, an explicit one (the person/people you are writing to) and an implicit one (the group of people you are actually writing to). When you are writing, make sure that you are reaching both of these audiences. 2. USE AN ORGANIZED STRUCTURE Open letters are written in typical letter structure where you speak directly to a person/ group of people. Start by convincing them that a problem exists or there is a misunderstanding. Then, convince them that their actions or way of thinking is flawed. Finally, convince them that they either need to do something or change their mindset. Have a strong introduction and conclusion that relates to the purpose of your letter. 3. CONSIDER YOUR CONTENT AND TONE Open letters should be concise and to the point. Remember to not just use your letter as a way to complain, but also as a way to provide solutions or an alternative point of view. You’ll also want to intentionally consider your tone. Do you sound too critical or snarky? Are you being insincere? Too knowing? Tone can make all the difference in whether or not your letter will have an impact on your listener/reader. © John Spencer © Presto Plans BRAINSTORMING What is the biggest misconception that people have about your generation? Kids these days. You’ve probably heard that phrase tossed around to judge today’s youth. But what are the things that people misunderstand about your generation? Write an open letter to other generations discussing the seven greatest misunderstandings people have about your generation and why you are different than the way people perceive you. Start by brainstorming your ideas below. What do people misunderstand about your daily schedule? What do they miss about your work ethic or habits? What do they not understand about your hobbies / interests? What misconceptions do people have about your friendships, relationships, and methods of communicating? What misunderstandings do people have about the media you enjoy? (TV, movies, music YouTube channels etc.) What negative stereotypes do people have about your personality traits and behaviors? example: your use of technology What do people fail to understand about your generation’s values, ideas, or beliefs? © John Spencer © Presto Plans OUTLINING What is the biggest misconception that people have about your generation? Now that you have brainstormed your ideas, you will create a point form outline for an open letter that will provide a more accurate description of your generation. Your letter will focus on the seven greatest misunderstandings that people have about your generation and provide an explanation for why you are different than the way people perceive you. the main thesis of my letter is… my ideal audience is… my main points and support… my purpose is… ? misconception 4: misconception 1: misconception 5: misconception 2: misconception 6: misconception 3: misconception 7: my concluding point will be… © John Spencer © Presto Plans ROUGH DRAFT the 7 biggest misconceptionS about THIS generation _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ 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_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ © John Spencer © Presto Plans EDITING & IMPROVING EDITING & IMPROVING The 7 biggest misconceptions about this The 7 biggest misconceptions about this Now that you have finished your rough draft, you will be reading it over multiple times to check for errors and improve your writing. Start by revising your draft using this checklist: Now that you have finished your rough draft, you will be reading it over multiple times to check for errors and improve your writing. Start by revising your draft using this checklist: GENERATION GENERATION I have used proper punctuation. I have used proper punctuation. I have used correct spelling. I have used correct spelling. I have used proper capitalization. I have used proper capitalization. I have used complete sentences. I have used complete sentences. I have a beginning, middle, and end. I have a beginning, middle, and end. Now, improve your draft using this checklist: Now, improve your draft using this checklist: Read your first sentence/hook and consider how it can be improved to have a stronger emotional impact on the audience. Read your first sentence/hook and consider how it can be improved to have a stronger emotional impact on the audience. Add an anecdote to illustrate one of the points you made. Add an anecdote to illustrate one of the points you made. Add or improve 3 adjectives (a word that describes a noun). Add or improve 3 adjectives (a word that describes a noun). Reflect on your tone. Underline words that do not contribute to the tone you are trying to achieve and replace them. Add words to improve tone. Reflect on your tone. Underline words that do not contribute to the tone you are trying to achieve and replace them. Add words to improve tone. Read your conclusion. How can you improve it to leave your reader with an actionable plan or a changed mindset. Read your conclusion. How can you improve it to make it more positive, hopeful, or encouraging for your audience. Reread your letter and attempt to make it more concise. What can you remove? Can anything be reworded? Reread your letter and attempt to make it more concise. What can you remove? Can anything be reworded? © John Spencer © Presto Plans © John Spencer © Presto Plans FINAL COPY the 7 biggest misconceptionS about THIS generation _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ 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_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ © John Spencer © Presto Plans misconceptionS about THIS generation RUBRIC Name: _______________________________________ 1 Insufficient | 2 Fair | 3 Appropriate | 4 Accomplished | 5 Superior Conventions of Writing To achieve a superior in conventions, the student has demonstrated a strong grasp on spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure. They use conventions to enhance the writing. Content To achieve a superior in content, the student has a clear thesis statement and has provided detailed evidence to support their 7 main claims. Their content is engaging for their audience and supports their purpose. Organization To achieve a superior in organization, the student has included an engaging introduction that convinces the audience that a problem exists, body paragraphs that elaborate on the misconceptions and provide evidence to support their claims, and a conclusion that encourages the audience to change their mindset. Tone To achieve a superior in tone, the student has presented their arguments maturely resulting in an impactful piece that could change the perspective of the audience. © John Spencer © Presto Plans 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Total /20 misconceptionS about THIS generation RUBRIC Name: _______________________________________ 1 Insufficient | 2 Fair | 3 Appropriate | 4 Accomplished | 5 Superior Conventions of Writing To achieve a superior in conventions, the student has demonstrated a strong grasp on spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure. They use conventions to enhance the writing. Content To achieve a superior in content, the student has a clear thesis statement and has provided detailed evidence to support their 7 main claims. Their content is engaging for their audience and supports their purpose. Organization To achieve a superior in organization, the student has included an engaging introduction that convinces the audience that a problem exists, body paragraphs that elaborate on the misconceptions and provide evidence to support their claims, and a conclusion that encourages the audience to change their mindset. Tone To achieve a superior in tone, the student has presented their arguments maturely resulting in an impactful piece that could change the perspective of the audience. © John Spencer © Presto Plans 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 Total /20
