All-In-One Envelopes

1. Review the components of a friendly letter with students. Discuss which of these components are appropriate to include in a greeting card message. Have available several greeting cards for students to review and discuss.
2. On both long sides of a piece of paper, measure in about the width of three fingers. Fold both sides of the paper in and crease the edges all the way down the sheet. Unfold the paper. At one end of the paper, measure down the flap about the width of three fingers. With Crayola® Scissors, cut from the edge of the paper up to the fold. At the fold, cut up to the top of the paper at about a 90 degree angle. This forms the closing flap for the envelope.
3. With Crayola Fine Tip Markers, Erasable Colored Pencils, Metallic Colored Pencils, and/or MiniStampers, write and illustrate a message on the inside of the envelope.
4. Fold in the sides of the envelope. Fold up the bottom of the paper until it almost touches the flap at the top. Fold over the flap. Crease all the edges.
5. Design the outside of the envelope using symbols that hint at the contents. Write the return address and correspondent's address-friend, pen pal, relative, or famous person.
6. When the message is finished, seal the envelope with a Crayola Washable Glue Stick.

LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher led)with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

LA: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

VA: Select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of their ideas.

Possible classroom resource includes: Sincerely Yours: Writing Your Own Letter (Writer's Toolbox) by Nancy Loewen

Working in small groups, ask students to create a chart of the various types of messages that children and their families receive routinely, such as letters, catalogs, flyers, E-mail, voice mail messages, etc. Students discuss the purposes and advantages of each type of message.

Invite a local writer to visit with students to discuss his profession. Prior to the meeting, students generate a list of topics they would like the writer to touch on during the visit. Afterwards, students post learning to a class blog.

Encourage students to create an electronic greeting card and attach an audio message to the card. If students are comfortable doing so, ask them to create an original song for the card. Who will the cards be sent to, and for what occasion?