Please click here to download this section in MS Word (.DOC) format. Use the Lost script as stimulus for the text level work as part of your literacy session. Link your current learning objective with an activity below. Instructional texts Recounts of events Letter writing News Reports Writing composition Diary writing Scenes of a story Letters Lost can provide ideas for letter writing: A letter of apology from Sharon and Wayne to the Chief Constable. Why would Sharon and Wayne apologise; what might they say? Would they try to explain their behaviour; would they thank the Police Officers? A letter from the Headteacher to the Press regarding the issue. How do you think the Headteacher will be feeling about this? Do you think that the journalists will be sympathetic towards him or her? How could the Headteacher improve the safety for children in his or her school? Perhaps this could relate to earlier work on instructions for walking to or from school. A letter from Mr and Mrs Greenfield to the Chief Constable and the Police Officers. What might the parents of Sharon and Wayne want to say? Do you think they will do anything differently in future? What kind of language would they use to say 'thank you'. What were their feelings when the children were found? Use word or sentence level time to plan the letters carefully making an appropriate vocabulary list. Aspects of formal writing and use of connectives should also be encouraged where appropriate; include work on introductions and how to end a letter. Choose one of the letter ideas and create a whole class plan of the letter to be written. Who will the letter be addressed to? How shall you address this person? Who will the letter be from? Encourage creativity, for example, people from the scenario, important members of the community. What kind of language would be used? Is the writer a child or an adult? - discuss formal and informal approaches. Children should then write a letter based on the whole class plan and use plenary time to evaluate their own and each others' work. To further develop letter-writing skills, children could choose to create another letter using the scenario. Each letter should be planned using the guidelines from the discussion of the class-built letter and draft the parts - introduction, contents and conclusion. © Copyright actis 2001-2003 Terms and Conditions