E-MAILING WRITERS 

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1. Learn about the writing process

2. Develop communication skills with adult writers through emails

3. Explore themselves as writers  

1. Email address for writers
2. Questions developed as a class for first email exchange
3. Format for correct emails

1. Students will choose a genre that they are interested in (novelist, poet, newspaper writer, TV news copywriter, essayist, or magazine writer).  Once they have chosen a genre, students will give their choice to their teacher.
2. Teacher will give students e-mail addresses for the genre they are interested in.  Student may already know a writer and receive the Okay from the teacher to email him or her.
3. Class will collectively develop questions and a form letter to begin the email exchange.
4. Students will email their writer within 3 days of the class completing the form letter.
5. Students will respond to their writer once they have received an email.
6. Students should conduct at least 4 email exchanges with the author about the writing process.

1. Students will turn in a copy of their email to their writer before they send it to the writer.
2. Students will print out a copy of their email to their writer as well as the response the writer sends back
3. The last day of the 6 weeks grading period all students will report their findings to the class.  Students must have an outline for their speech as well as a reflective essay about what they learned concerning writing

10.3 Access resources for planning instruction available via telecommunications (e.g., experts, lesson plans, authentic data, curriculum materials)--This goal is met because students must contact an expert

10.6 Locate, evaluate, and select appropriate teaching/learning resources and curriculum materials for the content area and target audience, including computer-based products, videotapes and discs, local experts, primary documents and artifacts, texts, reference books, literature, and other print sources--This goal is met because I look for experts that would be willing to correspond with students.

11.4 Use technology to facilitate teaching strategies specific to the discipline--This goal is met because this activity fosters writing which is specific to this discipline

12.1 Develop performance tasks that require students to (a) locate and analyze information as well as draw conclusions and (b) use a variety of media to communicate results clearly--This goal is met because students must use email to communicate with an expert and communicate their findings with the rest of the class.

12.7 Select and create learning experiences that are appropriate for curriculum goals, relevant to learners, based upon principles of effective teaching and learning, incorporate the use of media and technology for teaching where appropriate, and support learner expression in a variety of media using a variety of media communication tools--This goal is met because the activity is designed to help students see how literature and writing are relevant to the students' lives

3.1  Use word processing and/or desktop publishing for a variety of writing assignments/projects--This goal is met because students must first type their letter for the teacher before they send it to their professional writers

3.3  Select and use technological tools for class assignments, projects, and presentations--This goal is met because students must email professional writers.

3.4  Adhere to Fair Use and Multimedia Copyright Guidelines, citing sources or copyrighted materials in papers, projects, and multimedia presentations--This goal is met because students must use copyright guidelines when writing their reports about their authors..

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