(I got the idea from a lesson I found on the askERIC site, it was submitted by: David W. Sell San Elizario H.S. San Elizario, Texas email dsell@san-elizario.k12.tx.us -- Suanna Rens (SuannaKay@aol.com) ***************************************** A Quick and Painless Way to Understand Audiences & How to Speak to Them Your objective is to write 4 letters for 4 different audiences with the appropriate language and style for each, all telling (about...) the same story. Here is your prompt: You went to your cousin’s birthday party Saturday night. The live music was loud, the food was outstanding (and catered!), and everyone you know was there. Overall, the party was a real blast, in fact, the police were called to quiet the party down. Your task: Write a letter to the following people: your principal, your parents, the owners of the house/barn/restaurant/dock where the party took place, and one to your best friend who wasn't in town. Simply tell them about the party. Use the appropriate language and style for each audience. Be sure to be specific and use details to make your letter live. Please Note: This assignment is intended to be a fun way to illustrate an important point about writing, but you will need to remember that ultimately, I am your audience, and that I will not accept any graphic story telling, no offensive language, or allusions to such language. If tempted to be explicit, you will need to find more creative ways to express yourself, or you will receive a zero. Grading Information: When I grade each of your letters, I will ask myself the following questions: •Did they follow the assignment? •Did they vary their language and style for each letter? •Is their letter grammatically correct? (Even letters written informally need structure, and should follow basic rules.) •How is the spelling? (Contractions and slang phrases should be spelled correctly...if in doubt, look it up or ask me.) •Were they very detailed? Creative? Did they grab my attention? Important Information: •Each letter is worth up to 25 points. •Letters may be handwritten, but need to be double- spaced and NEAT. If your assignment is not legible, I will return it to you and take off 10 points. •Due no later than MONDAY. •I will deduct 10 points for each day that it is late. •I WILL NOT ACCEPT INCOMPLETE ASSIGNMENTS, so please DO NOT ASK me to. •I WILL NOT ACCEPT any assignment that is 5 or more days late. Teacher's Note: At the close of this assignment, after letters have been read (by you first--check the language...), discuss the varities of language used and the styles that seemed to work best. Ask students: Which letter was easiest to write? Which was most difficult? Why?