Email Chain Letter Activity

This activity is an effective way to help students practice the three main sections of an email:

• Lead Paragraph
• Body Paragraph (Details)
• Closing Paragraph (Call to Action)

In this writing exercise, students write different sections of the email collaboratively. Here are the steps for this writing exercise.


1.  Write out enough email situations for each student in the class.
Examples:

• You need to cancel a meeting with your boss.
• You need to order printer ink.

2.  Each student starts on a different situation by writing the greeting.


3.  Students pass their papers to the left and continue to write the next section of the email they receive.


4.  The teacher monitors progress and determines when students pass the papers.


5.  After 6 passes (greeting, opening, body, call to action, complimentary closing, editing) the activity is finished.


6.  The teacher can take up the work in a number of ways depending on the number of students and time restraints. 

The reason this activity works is because it is fast, interactive, and collaborative.  Students share ideas and work together.  It is much more dynamic than simply having students write email independently.