Because I Love You......

When you finish this assignment, you will have written ten heartwarming letters to ten different people.  Each letter will be accompanied by either an 8x10 picture of the person to whom you are writing or a page of several photos of the person  to whom you are writing.  This page of several photos might include pictures of things that the  person cares about. 

Who should you write?  A brother, a sister, mother, dad, step-parent, good friend, aunt, grandmother, teacher,  Your future child/children, future spouse, preacher, famous person or average person who has influenced you in some positive way. 

Another kind of letter you might write is to someone who has hurt you deeply or someone you need closure with.  Examples of this type might be an absentee parent or a person you once had a friendship with, or perhaps a person that was special to you and has died.


Your letters should follow the friendly letter model.  That is it should look like this:


    Date

    Dear ________,

              __________________________
    _______________________________
    _______________________________
              __________________________
    _______________________________
    _______________________________
    _______________________________
                             
                                      Closing,

                                      Your Signature




What is the letter about?   You are a senior this year and your adult life will start next year.  This letter is to tell these people what they mean to you, what they have meant to you over the years, and how you will remember them.  You may want to mention some experiences from both your lives to recall &/or comment on.

How long should the letter be?  This is difficult to answer, but I would say at least a typed page with 1-inch margins top and bottom and 1.5-inch margins left and right.  Let’s say a minimum of 200 words.  That means 200 words in the body and does not count the date, the salutation, the closing or the signature.  Each letter should be signed in ink, not on the computer.

What is the Reflection?   The reflection will be a short written piece about what you thought of the assignment where I first made the assignment, the problems you had with the assignment, your favorite part of the assignment (if any), how you solved any problems you had, and what you thought of the assignment when you were finished.  You might also offer your suggestions for changing the assignment to make it more meaningful or educational.

What if I don’t have a picture that is big enough to use?  That is ok.  We can blow one up on the copier or use the scanner to get what we need.  If you don’t have pictures, but the person is available, borrow my camera to take what you need.

What details will you check my letter for?
Form
Indented paragraphs
Punctuation
Capitalization
Spelling
Sincerity
Sentence structure
The Spirit with Which you Carried out the Assignment

What will my Booklet as a whole be graded on?  Neatness, color, and creativity.  Also, the front and back cover should be hard covered.  You should have attractive, colorful, intriguing front cover.

Can my letters be longer?   Yes

Can I have more than one page of pictures to go with a letter?  Yes

Which do I put first, the letter or the pictures?  I don’t care, but you should have a two page spread.  Don’t put the letter on one side and the pictures on the back side of the letter.

P.S. A few of my boys balked at the title of the assignment, so I opted to allow them to use the title, "Becuase I Think You're Swell..."