The Art of the Thank You Letter

Great thinkers are able to piece together words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs that yield a desired emotional impact on the reader, thus your audience. If your letter is written effectively, your reader will have that emotional reaction.  

1. Use magnets on board to represent people we need to thank, helping students "get" their reader in their mind.

2. Brainstorm in small groups what they remember about the person--what he/she did, how he/she was helpful.

3. Pass out note card. On one side, write the name and address information. On the other side, write the desired outcome. What are the key thoughts on how you want your reader to feel after he/she reads your letter?

from E. Witney

4. Brainstorm on the rest of the card memories you have of this person.

5. Use a teacher model to demonstrate how you blend in a story/memory into a note to evoke emotion and appreciate.

Thesaurus Poem

Happy

Blessed

Spiritual

Devoted

True Blue

Enthusiastic

Wholehearted

Happy

To Write

To write in English is based on the root word writan-- "to score, outline, draw the figure of."  In short, it's meant to be more of an art than strictly a communication.