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Mrs. Barragree's fifth grade website

"Preparing Minds for the Future;
Souls for Eternity!"

Friendly Letter

Lesson 1 (Parts of a Friendly Letter):

  • See the "Penguin Page" in your notes in your English section of your binder, or go to the Friendly Letter Format page.

Lesson 2 (Creative Writing):

  1. Draft a friendly letter to a distant (in location) relative or friend that you do not visit often. Be sure to include ALL of the parts of a friendly letter! Skip lines. You may choose to write in print or cursive. The body of the letter should be at least 3 paragraphs in length. The first paragraph should tell about yourself, such as interests, hobbies, sports, etc. The second paragraph should tell about what you are learning in school. The third paragraph should tell about something you are looking forward to. You may add additional paragraphs on topics of your choice. The first three paragraphs should be 5 to 10 sentences each.
  2. Have an adult help you edit your letter. Check first that all parts of the letter are included. Verify that your address is correctly written; pay special attention to spelling, capitalization, and punctuation in the address. Then, use your Revising and Editing Guide to improve the body of your letter.
  3. Write a final copy of your letter in your best cursive handwriting onto the stationery you designed. You should write on every line.
  4. You may choose to color the stationery if you have the time. This is optional!
  • Alternate ideas (check with your teacher before using):
    • Write a friendly letter to a pen-pal from a foreign country or another state describing yourself and where you live.
    • Write a friendly letter to an alien from outer space describing some of the things he or she could see as a tourist in your area.

Lesson 3 (Sending Letters):

  1. Follow your teacher's instructions to properly fold a friendly letter to fit into a standard 3 5/8 x 6 1/2-inch envelope.
  2. Place the letter inside the envelope and seal it. (With a parent's permission, you may add a picture of yourself or other flat, lightweight items if you wish.)
  3. Place your own name (first and last) and home address (or school address, at parent's request) in the upper left-hand corner on the front of the envelope. This is called the return address. Print neatly in small-size writing.
  4. Place the name and address of the person to whom you will mail the letter starting slightly above the center of the envelope, and writing to fill the lower, right quarter of the envelope's front. Print neatly. Write a little larger than your return address.
  5. Place the postage stamp in the far upper right corner of the front of the envelope.
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