Lesson Plan:
For Teachers: A Letter to Terry Fox
| Type: | Assignment |
| Subjects: | Social Studies, English Language Arts |
| Grades: | Grades 6-8 |
| Duration: | 1 to 2 lessons |
| Purpose: | To research an historical figure |
| Summary: | Students write a personal letter to Terry Fox, using information gathered from the site. |
Before Exploring
Discuss with students the general format and purpose of personal letters. Develop a list of criteria that one would expect to find in a well-written personal letter. Explain to the students that they will be writing a personal letter to a famous young Canadian historical figure -- Terry Fox.
Outline the Opportunity
Allow students at least 30 minutes to review the two topics Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope and
Terry Fox 25: Reliving the Marathon of Hopeon the CBC Digital Archives website. Ask them to interact with any clips they wish, and to make brief, point-form notes about events, ideas, or other pieces of information that seem important. Remind students that they will be using the information they have gathered to write a personal letter to Terry Fox.
After viewing, clarify any questions that students still have. Then provide them with the Download Sheet for this activity (Terry Fox Letter) and have them use it and their notes to write their letter to Terry Fox.
Revisit and Reflect
Have students bring their finished work back to the group for a Think-Pair-Share. Divide the group into pairs, or have students choose a partner. In each pair, students exchange letters and offer helpful comments and reactions to one another. Students can revise their work based on their partner's comments.
Invite interested students to read their letters out loud. Encourage students to discuss why they chose to write what they did to Terry Fox. Post some or all of the letters in the classroom.
Extension
Consider sending the letters to:
The Terry Fox Foundation
Suite 303, 46167 Yale Road
Chilliwack, BC
V2P 2P2
E-mail: national@terryfoxrun.org
(addresses as of Mar. 21, 2012)
Download PDF
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