Activity / Time Description Resources Notes Warm-Up 20 min. Outline 20 min.

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1 Word Processing Day 7 Cover Letters Daily Objectives (Students will be able to) Computer Skills: Type original work using Microsoft Word. Tasks (Students will have completed) Content Quiz Outline and 1 st Draft of Cover Letter sorting cover letter phrases Vocabulary Materials & Activities (at the end of this lesson) Laptop, Mouse, USB Disk, Headphones, LCD Projector Author s Intent Exercise Literacy Skills: Use the writing process to write an outline and a first draft for a cover letter. Content Quiz Activity / Time Description Resources Notes Warm-Up Outline On computer, practicing reading passages and Author s Intent Exercise bolding the words and phrases that specifically convey the author s intent Introduce the writing process - we often have to write something many times in order to make it perfect. Students will be responsible for an outline, a first draft (w/o formatting) and a final draft of a cover letter. Explain what an outline is, have students hand write out an outline for their Cover Letters. The cover letter will include: An introduction - a statement of who you are and why you are sending the letter A sales pitch - an overview of your qualifications, skills, abilities, and accomplishments related to the position Thanks and call to action - a request for a specific action such as an interview and an expression of gratitude for consideration. If Ss didn t pick a job ad to respond to in the last class they need to do that before they start. Teach may want to model creating an outline in Microsoft Word, or may want to have students create outline with pencil and paper.

2 Cover Letter Phrases 15 min. Cover Letter 1 st Draft 45 min. Content Quiz Review phrases commonly used in cover letters. (Have students sort phrases into the different sections introduction, sales pitch, thanks/call to action.) After most students have finished sorting, review where students placed each phrase. Some phrases might be useful in more than one section. Ss should typing out a cover letter based on the job ad they selected in the last class and the outline they created. In this class they should focus getting words on the page not on spelling, or formatting. Letters should address introduction, sales pitch and thanks/call to action each with a short section. Sort the cover letter phrases hand out. The document can be downloaded from: (Click on Sort the Cover Letter Phrases) This quiz will basically be a quiz to see how Reading Skills Content Quiz they are mastering terms like tone and intent. They should be given 10 min. to complete, 10 to go over. After student complete independently ask them to correct them in a different color pen or with a pencil. Teacher could ask student to type or drag and click the phrases into two columns of a document or have students actually cut up the handout and physically sort the phrases. Students who finish quickly should be challenged to add detail particularly specific descriptions of their work experience and training. Student may also want to look in a dictionary or thesaurus for more advanced vocabulary, etc. This should be collected and used as a benchmark for how students are mastering the literacy material. (Teacher can use to add information to checklist.)

3 Identifying Author s Intent (and review of tone) Day 7 Read the passage. Answer the questions. Change the words in the passage that helped you find the answer to BOLD. Underline the words that help you determine the tone. 123 Henley Rd. Jamaica NY December 9, 2010 Ms. Irma McCartin, Director of Customer Service Horizon Cell Phones 999 East 32 nd Street Flushing NY Dear Ms. McCartin: Until two months ago I was very proud of my Horizon Cell Phone and recommended it to friends. I am half way through my one year contract with your company. Recently I have received miserable service from Horizon. On my October bill there were four ridiculous charges for service I did not order and do not use. I immediately called Horizon. The useless representative who answered was completely unable to help me. She told me her manager would contact me within twenty four hours. Four days later I still had not received a call. Again I called and again the poorly trained staff could not help me. I was told to wait for the manager to call me. After weeks of waiting, my November bill had a late charge for not paying the unreasonable charges on the October bill! I am writing to ask you to immediately remove the charges from my bill. I will be looking forward to switching to Z Mobile Cell Phone service at the end of my contract. Sincerely, Doris J. Snicklefritz 1. What does Ms. Snicklefritz hope that Ms. McCartin will do after reading the passage? a. Get a Z Mobile Cell Phone b. Contact a Manager c. Make Changes to her telephone bill d. Dance 2. Which of these statements best supports the idea that Ms. Snicklefritz has received miserable service? a. I am half way through my one year contract with your company. b. I was told to wait for the manager to call me. c. I immediately called Horizon. d. Four days later I still had not received a call. 3. The tone of this letter could be best described as.

4 How to Write a Cover Letter Writing a cover letter often seems like a particularly daunting task. However, if you take it one step at a time, you'll soon be an expert at writing letters to send with your resume. A cover letter typically accompanies each resume you send out. Your cover letter may make the difference between obtaining a job interview and having your resume ignored, so, it makes good sense to devote the necessary time and effort to writing effective cover letters. A cover letter should complement, not duplicate your resume. Its purpose is to interpret the data-oriented, factual resume and add a personal touch. A cover letter is often your earliest written contact with a potential employer, creating a critical first impression. Your cover letter should be designed specifically for each purpose outlined above as well as for each position you seek. Do not design a form letter and send it to every potential employer (you know what you do with junk mail!). Effective cover letters explain the reasons for your interest in the specific organization and identify your most relevant skills or experiences (remember - relevance is determined by the employer's self-interest). They should express a high level of interest and knowledge about the position You could write the best resume in the world and be highly qualified for a job, but if your cover letter is poorly written, generic, or misguided, you can pretty much throw your chances out the window. The cover letter is your first, and sometimes your only opportunity to grab an employer's attention and let them know why your resume is worth reading. 4. The purpose of the passage is to: a. Report about good cover letters written last year. b. Explain the difference between a resume and a cover letter. c. Write the best resume in the world. d. Explain the importance of a good cover letter. 5. The tone of this article could be best described as.

5 Reading Skills Content Quiz 1. Which of the following is how a story or message is being told? a. Tone b. Character c. Writer s Purpose d. Author s Intent 2. Which of the following can be proved true or false with evidence? a. Tone b. Fact c. Opinion d. Description 3. This part of speech describes and modifies nouns: a. Adjectives b. Adverbs c. Nouns d. Adjective Clauses 4. If you are talking about the tone of a story, what are you concentrating on? a. If the piece is meant to be happy, sad, serious, etc. b. What the piece is about. c. Why the author wrote it d. How the author describes his characters. 5. Which of the following adjectives best describes the tone of a cover letter? a. Depressing b. Somber c. Professional d. Happy 6. Read the following sentence, Which part of speech is in italics?: All of the hardworking students were studying quickly for the hard test while the obnoxious teacher talked loudly. a. Nouns b. Verbs c. Adverbs d. Adjectives 7. What word is a synonym for intent? a. Purpose b. Meaning c. Reason d. Tone