Government Module

Unit 2: Making Change Happen 

LESSON 2:  Writing a Letter of Complaint

Materials Needed:

  • Flip chart / newsprint paper or large board and markers
  • A computer for each student with a word-processing program such as Word
  • A printer
  • Optional: computers with Internet access
  • Workbook for Crossroads Café

[Savage, K., Cuomo, A., Gonzales, P., McMullin, M., Minicz, E., Omari, L., & Powell, K.  (1996).  Crossroads Cafe. (Video and workbook series).  Boston: Heinle & Heinle]

NotesThe students need to have already done Unit 2, Lesson 1 before doing this lesson.

Word bank:  See previous lesson.

Introductory Activity: Remembering Rosa’s Problem

  • In the Crossroads Café video “United We Stand,” you saw what Rosa, the waitress, did when she had apartment problems that her building manager would not fix.
  • To help you remember the story, look at p.47 in the Crossroads Café workbook.  Take a few minutes and do the first exercise.  Discuss the answers together.
  • Think about the part in the episode where Rosa is trying to decide whether to write a letter of complaint about her apartment problems.  Who doesn’t think Rosa should write a letter?  Why?  Do you agree?  Why or why not?
  • Form a small group and discuss this question.  You must explain your opinion to the other members of the group. 
     

Activity 1:  Sequencing

  • Look at the five sentences in the middle of p. 47 (where it says “Put the sentences in order.”)
  • Start the word-processing program on your computer.
  • Type each of the five sentences, in the order you see them in the book.
  • Practice highlighting each sentence by moving the cursor over the sentence.
  • Cut and Paste the sentences so they are in the correct order of the story.
  • Check your answers with a partner or on p.194 in the workbook.
     

Activity 2:  Reading

Notes Discuss the idea of tone and elicit from students those words that helped them to understand the tone.

  • Now you are going to see the letter Rosa wrote to her building manager to complain about her apartment problems.  Look at p.52 of the workbook.  Read the questions on the top of the page and then read Rosa’s letter very quickly to find the answers.
  • Discuss the answers as a group, or check your answers on p.195 of the workbook.
  • Read Rosa’s letter again.  As a group, discuss the vocabulary questions on the bottom of p.52 or on the bottom of p.195 of the workbook.
     

Activity 3:  Brainstorming

  • Think of a problem or situation in your community that you would like to change.  What would you do?

Notes Try to get the learners to decide what items they would like to see changed.  However, in case no ideas are forthcoming, you may want to present these as possible examples of items that may spur their thinking

(Here are some examples.)    

  • The county wants to tear down a park and build a shopping center in its place.

  • There has been a lot of crime in your neighborhood recently.

  • There is a dangerous intersection near your house with no stoplight; there are a lot of accidents there.

  • People are selling drugs outside of your apartment building.

  • The school system has decided to change the school for your neighborhood, so your children will have to take a long bus ride every morning to a school on the other side of town.

  • The library in your neighborhood is not open on Sundays, and you would like to use the library on Sundays.

  • In a small group, discuss what you would like to change and how you would take action.  If you are working by yourself, write a few sentences about the problem and what you would do.

  • For ideas about what you can do to take action, you may want to look at the Fairfax County Citizen Handbook, which you can search by keyword on the Fairfax County’s web site http://www.co.fairfax.va.us/handbook/main.htm

Activity 4:  Writing

  • Using Rosa’s letter on p.52 as a model, write your own letter of complaint about the problem you talked or wrote about in the brainstorming activity.  Compose your letter on the computer.  Be sure to save your document frequently.  (press “Ctrl-S”)

Notes You may want to go over the business-letter format, showing learners how to use the “tab” key to align return address and closing.

  • After you have finished writing, save your letter again.  Then read it one last time.  Is the grammar correct?  What about the spelling?  Are there any words you would like to change?  Make changes on the computer, and save the document again.

Notes If time permits, have students volunteer to read their letters aloud to the class or you may introduce a peer-editing stage in which partners read and comment on each other’s letters.

  • Print your letter and give me a copy.

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