Make-A-Wish Believe Guide 2021 - Santa Letter Writing Guide - Lesson Plan

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Adam

Macy’s Believe campaign learning activities guide students in holiday giving through creative writing and visual art, emphasizing the real-world practice of philanthropy. The guide provides step-by-step lesson plans for writing a letter to Santa, including structure components (greeting, body, closing), sample text, practice time, assessment ideas, and donation/delivery instructions tied to Make-A-Wish. It also includes middle and high school activities on defining philanthropy, researching nonprofits, identifying community helpers, exploring wish-granting types of support, using resources like GuideStar, and reflecting on personal responsibility to help those in need.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time4 min

AccessFree to download

Write a Letter to Santa

Elementary School

Middle and High School: Philanthropy and Good Deeds

Reflection

Make-A-Wish Mission

The Macy's Believe campaign presentsa number of opportunities to explore the themes of holiday giving with creative writing and visual art. In addition to enjoying the fun activity sheets, and reading about the importance of giving back, these learning activities will be maximized by putting what students have learned into practice in the real world. Following are a variety of suggested activities you can participate in with students to further their engagement in learning the life-lesson of philanthropy and helping grant wishes for children in your local community. Write a Letter to Santa Help make a child's wish come true! From now to Dec. 24, Macy's will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish® for every letter received, up to $1 million. Write your letter online or drop it off in-store at a Macy's red letterbox. When you write letters to Santa, you'll help bring experiences of hope and joy into the lives of children with critical illnesses. National Believe Week: Nov. 28-Dec. 4 Submit a letter this week and double your donation! Scan the QR Code or Visit [http://bit.ly/santaME](http://bit.ly/santaME)[ ](http://bit.ly/santaME)to Write a Letter Online or Print the Included Template and Drop Off at the Macy's in The Maine Mall Elementary School Writing A Holiday Wish Letter Learning Objectives Letter writing structure and writing mechanics Duration 45 minutes Lesson Letters should include three main components: Greeting Establish who the letter is for and make an introduction Ex. Hello!; Dear Santa; Happy Holidays!; To Santa & Reindeer Body What is your letter about? Ex. This holiday I want to grant wishes to other kids in need; I’d really like a puppy! Closing Finally, you need to end your letter. This can include a farewell message and your name, so the recipient, in this case, Santa, knows who sent the letter Ex. Thanks Santa! Love, Billy What is a letter? Write out an example letter to show students what a letter is and explain why we write letters. Ex. To keep in touch with family and friends, to address an issue, and of course, to share with Santa what we want for the holidays! Then, teach them the concept of a greeting, body, and closing. You can also use this opportunity to teach students how to write a date. Time to practice! List out several different greetings as examples, then have your student come up with their own different greetings. Ask students to write down what they want to say in their letter in the body. List out several different closing words or phrases, then have your student come up with their own ways of closing their letter. Remind students to always sign their name in the closing. Letter Writing Activity Have your students practice writing a letter to Santa on their own on the stationary provided. Assessment Have student read letter aloud or review your student’s work and discuss any necessary skills to work on. [You can send a letter online at bit.ly/mainesanta or](You can send a letter online at bit.ly/mainesanta or) drop off letters at the Macy's store at the Maine Mall in the big red letterbox. P.S. You can write as many letters as you want! Middle and High School Philanthropy and Good Deeds Learning Objectives Define philanthropy, research nonprofits, and help raise money to grant wishes Duration 45 minutes Materials Journal, Internet Access Instructions Write the words "philanthropy" "nonprofit" and "hero" on the board or share on screen. Ask students to define the words as part of a class discussion. Teacher may provide guidance to define philanthropy as the giving or sharing of time, talents, or treasure for the common good. Guide students to define heroes by brainstorming examples of heroes in literature, the news, and in the school and community. Make a list of these people and what they did for others. Ask them to think of the common traits of these heroes. Students should write the definiti

FAQs

What are the main parts students should include in a letter to Santa?

Letters should include a greeting, a body explaining what the letter is about, and a closing that ends with a farewell message and the student’s name so Santa knows who wrote it.

How long is the elementary or middle/high school lesson activity?

The elementary and middle/high school activities are both planned for 45 minutes.

What does the philanthropy activity ask middle and high school students to do?

Students define philanthropy-related terms, research nonprofits, identify local resources, discuss why helping those in need is a responsibility, and reflect on an issue they want to address using philanthropy.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Adam