Letter Writers doing

1
Letter Writers doing Write for the Illiterate

• Lesson to go with Video Clip from the Brazilian
  Film Central Station

2
Content Standard

• NCSS Standard
• 1. Culture and cultural diversity
• Explore and Describe similarities and
  differences in the ways groups, societies and
  cultures address similar human needs and concerns.

3
Targets

• 1. Explore the tradition of letter writing
• 2. Explore the problem of illiteracy
• 3. Explore the letter writer and groups that use
  this service.

4
Resources

• Women of Letters Doing Write for the Illiterate
• www.smh.comau/articles/2003/06/11/1055220661012.ht
  ml
• Business Booms for Ancient Afghan Letter Writing
  Art http//www.dawn.com/news/824352/business-booms
  -for-ancient-afghan-letter-writing-art

5
Resources

• New Technology poses challenge to Mexico Citys
  traditional scribes
• http//www.dallasnews.com/news/nationworld/mexico/
  20121007-new-technology-poses-challenge-to-capital
  s-traditional-scribes.ece

6
Movie Central Station

• Directed by Walter Salles (1998)
• Two 1998 Academy Award Nominations
• Central Station on Wikipedia
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Station_28fi
  lm29
• http//www.imbd.com/title/tt0140888/
• www.tc.umn.edu

7
The Idea of Letter Writers

• 1. Letter writers play an important social role
  in a country where the illiteracy rate is high.
• 2. Brazils social life is characterized by a
  vast internal migration so letter writers connect
  to individuals and families.
• 3. Letter writers provide the people with a sense
  of individuality and identity.

8
Preview Activities

• Ask the students to brainstorm ways that they
  think an illiterate person could get a letter
  written to a friend or family member.
• Discuss
• Why do you think that people get paid to write
  letters in some countries?
• Discuss

9
Procedure

• Begin the film clip.
• Start at 00.00- stop at 210
• Start 231- stop at 247
• Start 839- stop at 1114

10
Discussion after the film

• Discussion questions
• What do you think the tools of the trade of
  letter writing include?
• How would new technologies possibly change the
  traditional letter writers?
• What do you think this quote means?
• Letters as Prayers We should treat with respect
  the beautiful custom of letter writing Edward
  Hays from Secular Sanctity

11
Letter Writing Activity

• Students will compare and contrast letter writing
  and letter dictation.
• Students will pair up. One student will write the
  letter and the other student will dictate the
  letter. Stationary or ruled paper may be used.
• Themes for the letter will be taken from clips of
  the film.
• Themes to choose from
• Point of view as an observer taken from scenes in
  the movie. Tell a friend or family member what
  you saw,
• heard,
• ate, or
• how you traveled.
• Students will write their letters using the
  correct format of a friendly letter.
• Students will use correct format, sentence
  structure, capitalization, punctuation.
• Students will change roles.
• Using sticky notes
• Students will list three adjectives describing
  the role of letter writing,
• Students will list three adjectives describing
  the role of dictation.

12
Clips to view and write about

• 330-515 people climbing through the windows of
  the train and the train ride home
• 1120-1230 Orphaned
• 1245-1500 No Money No Letter
• 1620- 1822 Offer of a Sandwich
• 1620- 1822 Penalty for Stealing
• 3735-3835 Bus Ride

13
More Clips to Write About

• 4657-4735 Hungry
• 4922-5200 Stealing
• 11050-11545 Religious Ceremony

14
Letter writing Rubric

• lta href'http//www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?co
  deNXW488Xspyes'gtRubric Friendly Letter
  Writing Rubriclt/agt

15
Extension

• 1. Students are to make a video of their partner
  reading their letter.