GUEST BLOGGER ERIN DEALEY
Dear Wonderful Students and Teachers,
Hi! My name is Erin Dealey. I know…finding the author of Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox or Snow Globe Wishes on a STEM blog is as crazy as writing a letter to Earth, right? Maybe not.
In my latest book, Dear Earth…From Your Friends in Room 5 (Illustrated by Luisa Uribe/ Harper Collins/ Dec. 1, 2020), the students do write a letter to Earth, asking what they can do to help save our planet. And quicker than you can say, “Reduce, Reuse, Renew, Recycle,” Earth writes back!
As Room 5 and Earth become pen pals, Dear Earth… takes readers on an adventure in climate action, with simple ways to conserve resources, “give back” to Earth, and protect our environment all year long. I’ll let you read the book to learn about the cool club they form, why Earth calls them Earth Heroes, and how you can be one too.
The power of the letter
Today’s post is about the power of letter writing. Like Room 5 discovered, writing a letter is another way to do something important for our environment. Writing a letter–to Earth, school leaders, community and government leaders, global leaders—is a great way to express your opinion and help encourage others to protect our earth as well. Writing a letter lets your voice be heard. How? It’s as easy as A-B-C:
A: The 5 elements of a letter
Study the letters that Room 5 writes to Earth. Identify each of the following key parts:
- Heading: This can include the address, line by line, with the date in the last line, or it might only be the date.
- Greeting: The greeting always ends with a comma.
- Body: This is the main part of your letter, also called the text.
- Close: This short expression, such as Sincerely, Yours Truly, Your Friend, also ends in a comma.
- Signature: This is where you sign your name.
P.S Some letters contain a postscript. That’s what the initials P.S. stand for. A postscript is something extra you want to add after the main part of your letter.
B. Write your letter
To Earth: Make a list of the things you do in your home and community, to help reduce, reuse, renew, and recycle. Write a letter telling Earth about them. Or write a letter about the things you plan to do now that you have read the book. If you want, you can write it on this cool template.
To School Leaders: In Dear Earth… Bernard and his friends ask the principal if they can plant a school garden. They ask the cafeteria if they will contribute their food scraps to the compost bin. Maybe you would like to do the same. If your school leaders are already doing these things, why not write a letter to thank them?
To Community or Government Leaders: Study what your community is doing to help protect our earth. Is there more you would like them to be doing? Write a letter and explain your reasons. Or write a letter to thank them for their efforts, and offer suggestions for how they could do more.
To Global Leaders: Protecting our environment is an urgent goal for all of us around the world. One young student who has become a leader in Climate Action and environmental protection is 17-year-old Swedish activist, Greta Thunberg. Do some research to find out how she has been working to raise awareness about Climate Change. (She started when she was 15!) Write Greta a letter thanking her. Or write and tell her how you plan to help and why. As another option, study how the leaders of our country and other countries are addressing climate change and write to one of them.
C. Mail or deliver your letter in person
Your teacher can help you find the address you need to mail or deliver your letter. If you have written to DEAR EARTH, and would like me to post them on my blog, you can email me your letters.
Your Friend,
Erin
P.S. Don’t forget to write your return address on the envelope!
Erin Dealey is the author of 16 picture books & board books (so far), many in rhyme. She is currently revising a middle grade novel which will not go away. Dealey’s original career goal was Olympic Gold Medal tetherball player. When that didn’t pan out, she became a teacher, theater director, actor, mom, and author–and welcomes any opportunity to visit schools around the world. She lives in northern California with her husband and a very energetic Golden Retriever. You can find her online at erindealey.com and on Twitter @ErinDealey & Instagram @ErinDealey.
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