Letter writing project

As the 5th grade students are continuing their research on their chosen states for social studies, they are finishing up a very special project for writing time. I asked the students to write a letter to the Governor of their state that tells of two things they learned about the state, and one question for the Governor. This lesson that accompanied this assignment showed students how important mail has been through history. They saw letter examples from the Civil War, the Tower of London (1500s), and from President Obama. We talked about how the current letter may be seen in many forms, including text messages or e-mails, but students agreed that there is just something special about having something tangible, that is carried from great distances. The students were so excited to know that their final drafts would actually be mailed. This picture shows the mailbox I made, where students can deposit their letters. Soon they will finish their final drafts, complete the envelope, and put a stamp on these masterpieces. I'll post more pictures of the letters before sending them off. I really hope we get at least one reply from a Governor! If we don't dream big then big things may not happen .  :)

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