writing skills – 8th grade English @ CVLCC

Summer school, part 1: write to your elected officials to make a difference

Now that there are no mandatory writing assignments, no tests, and no set curriculum, let’s explore ways to keep learning and make a difference outside of school. This week, I’ll share some resources and quick tips for writing to your mayor, city council member, president, or Congressional representative. This is the first of a weekly series– so subscribe, engage, and then share to your own blog!

USA.gov makes it easy to find info on your US House of Representatives, State assembly, and even city council members.

So, between COVID-19 and the ways it is affecting low-income communities and BIPOCs more than the general population…and the death of George Floyd… and what happened in La Mesa last weekend, many of us are feeling strong feelings about different topics. It’s really easy to feel overwhelmed by the news and helpless as to what might be done. Especially if you’re a student, without an income stream to make a donation or show support outside of social media.

What we can do from home is write letters!

Lisa Simpson was definitely my ‘spirit cartoon’ when I was in school.

While letter-writing might make you think you’ve got to find stamps and envelopes and work on your handwriting, the most efficient way to contact your elected officials these days is (of course!) through email.

Who do I write to?

~Go to USA.gov and find out who is representing you and your family in the local, state, and national levels. Consider joining those people’s email lists– you’ll receive a weekly message and learn about that politician’s priorities. That way, if they’re not saying anything about a topic you feel is really important to address, you can call them out, and then suggest what you want to see them say, do, or vote for.

Prefer reading instructions and navigating things in Spanish? USA.gov is available in Spanish too! Click here.

Something to consider is: what scale of change do you want to see? If you want something to change about specifically your city, write to the mayor and/or city council member.

How do I structure the letter?

I’m not an expert, but here is a basic outline:

1	Introduce yourself. Explain who you are, and why your voice matters.–> Just a few sentences
2	Describe the issue (JUST ONE!)–> It’s great to care about several topics, but be strategic and focus. You can always send a second letter.
3	State your opinion & offer a suggestion or solution –> Nobody likes it when someone complains, but doesn’t offer a suggestion.
4	Ask the person to take action–> “I am asking you to vote yes on…..” or “I am imploring (stronger than asking) you to speak out in the next city council meeting….” etc.
5	“Thank you in advance,” “Thank you for your time,” etc. –> Gotta be polite.
6	“Sincerely,” [Your Full Name] or “Respectfully,” [Your Full Name] + add your mailing address underneath

DON’T FORGET TO PROOFREAD! If somebody can’t understand what you’re trying to comm

“Officials are more often swayed by personal stories than by impersonal statistics, no matter how telling those statistics may be.
The Community Tool Box

I feel like I don’t know enough to write. How can I learn more?

~Check out Do Something.org to learn more about whatever issues matter most to you. It’s a site especially for young people, with how-tos, youth-focused news, and more.

~Check out this really long page on writing letters to elected officials from KU (University of Kansas)

Don’t be afraid to get started! Stay tuned next week for an insider’s perspective on what works best when writing to your elected officials with Zack Brown. So, what kinds of changes might you want to see in our world?

Writing Skills Workshop: Sentence-Combining, part 1 of 3

Comma + conjunction

This is the most common way to combine 2 independent clauses (i.e., 2 complete thoughts). The key is to use a conjunction that helps communicate what kind of connection you’re making between the 2 thoughts.

and, but, or, for, yet
These are your conjunctions: the ‘tape’ or ‘pushpins’ to connect 2 thoughts…plus a comma!

Example 1: Take this excerpt from Alexxandra Shuman’s essay, “The Essentials to Happiness”:

Happiness is a journey. Everyone seems to need different things to be happy. But I believe people are blinded from what truly makes one happy.

https://thisibelieve.org/essay/2578/

We could combine sentence #1 and #2 using AND, BUT, or YET. All work, and change the ‘flavor’ of the piece. Or, we could easily combine sentence #2 and #3, because the BUT is already there:

Happiness is a journey. Everyone seems to need different things to be happy, but I believe people are blinded from what truly makes one happy.

https://thisibelieve.org/essay/2578/

Comma + appositives

An appositive is the technical term for a phrase (or word) that gives more information about a noun…generally the subject of your sentence or paragraph. This is a great way to make your writing more concise and less choppy.

You are using appositives every time you provide contextual lead-in to your text evidence using this writing style:

Iago, the antagonist of Shakespeare’s play, Othello, thinks that women are inferior to men.
Our example claim sentence from writing analytical paragraphs on characterization

Example 1: Here’s another excerpt from Alexxandra Shuman’s essay, “The Essentials to Happiness”:

“I spent the day with a nine-year-old girl named Marilyn. She took me to her house to meet her parents.“

I could revise this by using an appositive: Marilyn, a nine-year-old girl, took me to her house to meet her parents.

One last thing: use commas for list items and to connect 2 thoughts using a conjunction… but DON’T just throw it in carelessly. That’s a comma splice.