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Lesson 3: Letters to Louis

Name(s) of students(s):
Age and grade level:
Goal or objective from IEP connected to lesson:

After completion of the lesson, the student will be able to:

  • Write a professional business letter.
  • Write a cover letter for a resume.
  • State five components of a personal data sheet.

Materials needed: electronic note taker, Internet access, calendar, printer.

Discussion

“Louis Braille is a professional we can all aspire to be like. His work changed the world. He was incredibly motivated despite some of the challenges he faced as a teen. As you prepare to graduate from high school, you will need to be as motivated as Louis was to achieve your postsecondary goals. You may find you also need to put in extra time during the evenings and weekends (as Louis did) to locate a job or hone your skills. During this activity, you will have the opportunity to practice writing a business letter and a resume cover letter, both important skills for attaining and maintaining employment. On your journey to employment, remember Louis Braille’s story and how his hard work helped him to land his first job as an apprentice teacher. If Louis can do it, so can you!”

Activity 1: Business Letter and Cover Letter

  • Instruct the student to read 200 Years: The Life and Legacy of Louis Braille.
  • Ask the student to review Helen Keller’s letter to Louis Braille.
  • Instruct the student to write his own letter to Louis Braille using a standard professional business letter format. Have the student print a copy of the letter to mail to someone (in print).
  • Generate a discussion with the student about the importance of being able to write a professional business letter and describe occasions when a business letter should be composed versus sending an email.
  • Instruct the student to write a cover letter to send to a potential employer with Helen Keller’s resume’ (developed in lesson #2). Tips on cover letters can be accessed at Tools for Finding Employment: Writing a Cover Letter.

 

Activity 2: Personal Data Sheet

  • Instruct the student to write a “mock” personal data sheet for Louis Braille. A sample personal data sheet can be obtained from the Career Connect website.

Progress notes:

 

 

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