21St Century Skills Writing Right

Career & College Readiness Lesson Plans Writing Right 21st Century Skills

Grade Level 12

Overview Students will learn how to write effective business letters including cover letters, thank you letters, and others. They will use the California CareerZone to create and save draft letters.

Learning Outcomes At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

 Utilize effective writing skills that are essential to career success.

Language Objectives At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

 Verbally articulate the parts of a business letter.

 Write precisely to create draft business letters.

Standards Alignment

 California Common Core State Standards: College & Career Readiness Anchor Standards: o RI. 1, 3, 4, 5; W. 4, 6; SL. 1, 4, 6; L. 1, 2, 3, 6  California Career Technical Education Anchor Standards: o 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 10, 11  California Standards for Career Ready Practice: o 1, 2, 4  National Career Development Guidelines: o ED2, CM4  International Society for Technology in Education Standards: o 2, 6  English Language Development Standards: o Part I: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11

o Part II: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7

California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education 21st Century Skills Writing Right

Materials 1. Computer with Internet access for students

2. Computer with Internet access and projection capability for instructor

3. Projector and screen

4. Instructor Resource

 California CareerZone Account Setup Instructor’s Notes (p. 5)

5. Handout

 California CareerZone Student Account Setup (p. 6)

6. Online Resource

 Letter Builder, California CareerZone http://www.cacareerzone.org/jobtools/coverletter/type

Academic Vocabulary

 Cover letter: is the introductory document included with a job application packet that describes the applicant’s interest in and ability to do a job.

 Interview: is a meeting of people especially for consultation; a formal meeting in which one or more people question, consult, or evaluate another person.

 Job application: is a form or collection of forms that job seekers must fill out as part of the hiring process.

Activity

Students will learn about the types and content of business letters, including cover letters and thank you letters. They will use the California CareerZone Letter Builder to create and save draft business letters.

Lesson Procedures Preparation

 Before using this lesson, take time to visit the California CareerZone Letter Builder tool (link in Materials section).

California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education 2 of 7 21st Century Skills Writing Right

 You need to have a student account to access the CareerZone Letter Builder. If you do not have an account, create one (see the California CareerZone Account Setup Instructor’s Notes).

1. Begin the lesson by introducing the role business letters play in the job search process.

 Business letters may be the initial opportunity to make a first impression that can either lead to or limit further interaction, such as the invitation to an interview.

 They provide an opportunity to convey information about oneself and/or demonstrate knowledge about the position providing information that may not be in the application or resume.

 Clearly written business letters can demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively and convey an understanding of the situation of the person or business to which they are written.

 Ask students to brainstorm the various types of business letters. Write them on the board or review their list. Then tell students there are at least four basic types of business letters. Put the four basic types of business letters up on the board and have the class sort their brainstorm results into the four letter categories.

1) Introduction letters are used to introduce yourself to a potential employer or for a prospective informational interview. These letters are useful if you are contacting someone you have never met.

2) Cover letters should be included anytime you submit a job application or resume. They may not be required but they provide a great opportunity to describe why you believe you are the best candidate for the job. Remember the potential employer is interested in hiring someone who can fill a need they have so focus on how your skills can help the employer, not how this job would be a great benefit to you.

3) Thank you letters should always be sent following a job interview or informational interview. These letters convey an appreciation for the time given you by the potential employer and provide an opportunity to make one more good impression that could factor into the hiring process.

4) Reference letter requests come from the employer to the job applicant asking the applicant to provide the name, telephone number, or a written reference for you.

o Generally, references are from someone you know well, have worked for, or taken a class from. Avoid using family members as

references because potential employers assume they will be biased.

o Ask someone if they will be a reference for you before you give their name and information to a potential employer. Tell that person clearly that you are asking them to be a reference and let them know if you are asking them to be a reference for a specific job or want a letter you can use for a variety of potential jobs.

 Review the basic format that can be used with any business letter: o Contact/Address—to whom are you sending the letter, include the name and address.

o Body—explain why you are writing and what you hope will be the result of sending the letter. Include information about how you can be contacted. If you do not already have an appropriate e-mail business address, now is a good time to set one up and begin using it.

o Closing/signature—for business letters this should be formal even for someone you know.

 Have a short discussion with students about what is and is not an appropriate

e-mail address for business purposes. Explain that e-mail addresses are important.

 Use the computer and projector to show students the California CareerZone Letter Builder tool (link in Materials section) and note that the Letter Builder requires the user to be logged in to their account. Confirm that all students have a CareerZone account and provide the set up directions to those who do not.

 Brainstorm the types of businesses or people they could write business letters to and then instruct students to use the CareerZone Letter Builder to create and save a draft cover letter, thank you letter, and request for a reference.

Estimated Time One class session

Evaluation

 Participation in discussion with the class.

 Written draft of business letters.

Additional Resource

 Cover Letter Tips, California Career Center https://www.calcareercenter.org/Home/Content?contentID=133

Adaptation

 The background information could be provided during the class session while development of the letters could be a homework assignment.

California CareerZone Account Setup Instructor’s Notes

The step-by-step account setup instructions are in the student handout. As the instructor, it is important for you to know that:

 Students can complete some of the activities on the CareerZone without having a student account. However, students’ assessments results and occupational research will not be saved unless students are logged into their accounts. Because career and college planning is an ongoing process, having students save their work means they will be able to access it for another class or at a later date.

 To help your students remember their passwords, you may wish to establish a password convention. Here are a few examples:

o student initial + class period + lesson title [tsperiod2highschoolplan]

o student initial + year + class period [ts2015period1]

o student initial + school’s initials + year [tsDSH2015]

IMPORTANT: State and Federal laws govern the conditions and limitations for Internet usage by children under the age of 13. Before using the Internet, check your district policies and/or State and Federal regulations.

California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education 21st Century Skills Writing Right

California CareerZone Student Account Setup

Follow these steps to set up your CareerZone account: 1. Go to CareerZone, http://www.cacareerzone.org/index

2. Select “Sign In” (the button is at the upper right hand corner of the page)

3. Select “Create an Account”

4. Enter the required information:  Username  Password  Zip code (of your school)  First and last names (Suggest you do not use your full name.)  E-mail  School name  Answer the dropdown menu questions 5. Select “Create account”

California Career Resource Network, California Department of Education