Grades 2 and 3
Day 1: Classroom Instruction
Engage students by asking them to tell you about one of their close friends. Where are they from? What are their favorite things to do? What do you like to do together? Remind students that close friends know a lot about each other. They become closer friends as they learn more. This will be very important for getting to know your ePals.
Finding specific words to describe themselves may be hard for students, but the worksheet All About Me can help. Tell students that they will use the All About Me worksheet as a guide to help with their first ePals email exchange.
Show students how to fill out the All About Me worksheet by filling out one about you in front of the class. Then pass out All About Me to your students. Give ample time to complete the worksheet or assign this for homework. Give students time to share the information on their All About Me forms.
If students are completing their worksheets in class, have students who quickly complete it draw a picture that represents who they are on the back of the paper. A picture of this drawing can be included in the email.
Day 2: Writing Email
Before beginning, remind students about what makes a good pen pal. Brainstorm with students about questions they want to know more about their pen pals.
A suggested structure for their email might be: 1. Students introduce themselves and open their letter.
2. Students share the information from their “All About Me” worksheets.
3. Students ask their ePals questions about themselves.
4. Students end their letter with a friendly closing (how excited they are to receive their ePals’ letter, etc.).
Grades 4-7
Day 1: Classroom InstructionEngage students by asking them to tell you about one of their close friends. Where are they from? What are their favorite things to do? What do you like to do together? Remind students that close friends know a lot about each other. They become closer friends as they learn more. This will be very important for getting to know your ePals.
Provide students with vocabulary for the lesson – trait, characteristic, unique. Discuss with students how these concepts connect to the idea of a stereotype.
Using the My Pen Pal and Me worksheet, model for students how they can think of the 5 most important facts, characteristics or traits about themselves. Do the same for what they want to know about their pen pals. You should model how they can work in small groups to answer this question. Encourage students to share with each other what they think makes the other person interesting and unique.
Encourage students to spend time learning more about their pen pals country if they have finished the worksheet.
Day 2: Writing Email
Before beginning, remind students about what makes a good pen pal. Brainstorm with students about questions they want to know more about their pen pals.
A suggested structure to the email might be:
- Students introduce themselves and open the letter in a friendly way.
- Students share the information from their My Pen Pal and Me worksheets.
- Students ask their ePals questions about themselves based on their work on the My Pen Pal and Me worksheets.
- Student offer a friendly closing to the letter (they tell their ePal how excited they are to hear from them, etc.).
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