Blood Drive Donor Thank You Letters
Geggie Elementary School
Overview
This is a follow-up activity to complete after a school-wide event, such as our blood drive. It’s a great way for students to reflect and to thank those who helped in the event. Our students wrote thank you letters to donors who came to the drive. Students not only wrote the thank you letters, but they also addressed and mailed the letters, taking complete ownership in the process. If your students are not familiar with the friendly letter outline, that skill should be taught in advance. For K-1, students could pair with an older “buddy” class to help write the letters.
Lesson Objectives
Students will write a friendly letter to a family or community member thanking them for taking part in the community blood drive.
Materials Needed
List of recipients (in our case, the blood drive donors)
Paper and pencils
Envelopes
Stamps
Mailing addresses
Paper and pencils
Envelopes
Stamps
Mailing addresses
Procedures
Hold a classroom meeting to discuss the event and reflect on the purpose. Was the event successful? Was a goal achieved? How was the community helped?
Other things to discuss during the meeting:
- Identify those who should be thanked for their participation in making the event
successful.
- Discuss who should be responsible for thanking these people.
- How would you want to be thanked for something you did?
- How does it feel to receive a letter in the mail?
- Why is it important to thank people for their service?
- How does thanking someone show good character?
Review the friendly letter process (Date, Greeting, Body, Closing, Signature). Remind students of the importance of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and handwriting for a proper friendly letter. Allow children to pick a donor to write their letter to. Start writing. Allow students time to write, review, and edit their letters. Pass out mailing addresses and materials for mailing. Collect letters and have a student or the class take part in dropping the letters off in the mailbox.
Other things to discuss during the meeting:
- Identify those who should be thanked for their participation in making the event
successful.
- Discuss who should be responsible for thanking these people.
- How would you want to be thanked for something you did?
- How does it feel to receive a letter in the mail?
- Why is it important to thank people for their service?
- How does thanking someone show good character?
Review the friendly letter process (Date, Greeting, Body, Closing, Signature). Remind students of the importance of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and handwriting for a proper friendly letter. Allow children to pick a donor to write their letter to. Start writing. Allow students time to write, review, and edit their letters. Pass out mailing addresses and materials for mailing. Collect letters and have a student or the class take part in dropping the letters off in the mailbox.
Assesment
Informal observation of student completion of letters
Student-Teacher conferencing during editing time
Friendly Letter Scoring Guide
Student-Teacher conferencing during editing time
Friendly Letter Scoring Guide
Extensions and Adaptations
Students may choose to share their letters with a friend.
Students may choose to write more than one letter.
Students may choose to write letters to other people involved with the drive such as Red Cross Volunteers, etc.
Students make create an additional way to show appreciation besides a letter.
K-2 students may work with an older “buddy” class to complete letters.
Involve students in a peer editing during the editing process.
Students may choose to write more than one letter.
Students may choose to write letters to other people involved with the drive such as Red Cross Volunteers, etc.
Students make create an additional way to show appreciation besides a letter.
K-2 students may work with an older “buddy” class to complete letters.
Involve students in a peer editing during the editing process.
Related Links and Resources
http://www.redcross.org/
Character Traits Poster
Friendly Letter Powerpoint
Friendly Letter Assessment
Character Traits Poster
Friendly Letter Powerpoint
Friendly Letter Assessment
Credit
Megan Short and Katie McCaw, Rockwood School District, Geggie Elementary