Red Lion Area School District - EATS Lesson - Career Acquisition - Grade 5 Writing Friendly Letters vs Business Letters

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia

Lesson plan for Grade 5 writing in the Red Lion Area School District, centered on Career Acquisition (getting a job). Students compare and contrast personal (friendly) letters and business letters using essential questions, assessment prompts, vocabulary, and a Venn diagram organizer. Instruction includes guided reading from Writers Express, explicit focus on components and formatting rules (personal letters with five parts and indented paragraphs; business letters with inside address and left alignment with no indenting). Assignments require drafting a follow-up note summarizing similarities and differences.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time1 min

AccessFree to download

Essential Question

Assessment Prompts

Activating Strategy

Key Vocabulary

Teaching Strategies

Graphic Organizer: Venn Diagram

Instruction: Friendly Letters

AT #1

Instruction: Business Letters

AT #2

Compare and Contrast Reinforcement

AT #3

Assignment and Summarizing Strategy

Follow-up Note

Red Lion Area School District – EATS Lesson A lesson is a chunk of learning not a chunk of time Topic: Career Acquisition (Getting a Job) Career Education and Work Academic Standards 13.2.5.C Language Arts Standards Types of Writing 1.4.5.B Kelly Stauffer Grade 5 Mazie Gable Elementary School 100 East Prospect Street Red Lion, Pa 17356 [staufferk@rlasd.k12.pa.us](staufferk@rlasd.k12.pa.us)[ ](staufferk@rlasd.k12.pa.us)[244-5523](244-5523) Subject/Grade(s): Writing/5th | Essential Question: What is the difference between a business and personal letter? | | | --- | --- | |
What do students need to know and be able to do to answer the LEQ?
Assessment Prompt 1: What is a personal letter and its components?
Assessment Prompt 2: What is a business letter and what is its format?
Assessment Prompt 3: How do the personal and business letter differ? How are they the same? | | | Activating Strategy: Have students write a note to a classmate telling him/her something they know about the essential question. Deliver the letters and have students share the contents of their letter or the information he/she wrote in his/her letter. | | --- | | Key Vocabulary to Preview: career, friendly(personal) letter format, business format, compare, contrast | | Teaching Strategies:
Graphic Organizer: Blank friendly and business letter, Venn Diagram | | Instruction: Together read and discuss in the Writer's Express book pages 116-121 Writing Friendly Letters. Focus on the format having five parts. Stress that this type of letter also has indented paragraphs. Discuss reasons for writing friendly letters. Include in the discussion this format is used for example to thank a possible employer for an interview.
AT \#1: Handout the blank friendly letter format for students to complete with the help of their book. Have students check his/her completed organizer with a friend.
Instruction: Together read and discuss pages 142-147 in Writers Express Writing Business Letters. Focus on the format and reasons for writing this type of letter. In addition to the discussion of letters of request, complaint, and editorials include how a business letter is used to assist with gaining employment. Stress the addition of the inside address and that the entire letter is aligned to the left margin. (No Indenting)
AT \#2: Handout the blank business letter format for students to fill in with the help of their book. With a birthday month partner discuss the completed organizers. | Revised 2/14/11 | Instruction: Review what it means to compare and contrast. Handout the Letter Format Venn Diagram to students and have them work together to fill in the organizer using their Writers Express and their letter organizers to help recall.
AT \#3: After completing diagrams use the Elmo projector to show some of the finished projects. Have students add to their diagrams as others are displayed. | | --- | | Assignment: | | Summarizing Strategy: Have students write another note to the same person they had written to in the activating strategy answering the essential question again. | Revised 2/14/11

FAQs

What is the essential question of this Grade 5 EATS lesson?

It asks what the difference is between a business letter and a personal (friendly) letter.

How does the lesson define and assess personal (friendly) letters?

Students learn the personal letter format with five parts and indented paragraphs, then complete a blank organizer and review it with a friend.

What formatting rules does the lesson emphasize for business letters?

It stresses the inside address and that the entire business letter aligns to the left margin, with no indenting, and explains that this format can support gaining employment.

Sep 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia