Use the information on this page to guide you in creating your Letter from Earth wiki page.

After you have read this info, go here to create your Letter from Earth II wiki page.

Learning Goals

• Creating connections between literary works across time
• between the different periods covered in our reading
• between historical periods and the present
• Giving the appearance of having read and understood the literature we have read
• Being able to create a thesis statement that makes an arguable claim and support it with evidence:
• evidence from primary texts
• evidence from secondary sources
• evidence from colleagues
• Using literary terminology effectively
• Using Modern Language Association (MLA) format correctly to identify sources (quotes, paraphrases, examples, and so on)
• Creating clear letter, paragraph, and sentence structure
• Beginning to use the online medium effectively to communicate ideas

Purpose and Content

Continue developing your alien persona and purpose from your first Letter from Earth assignment. This is your second letter/communique to your home planet.  You can develop the ideas in your first letter further or discuss new ideas that you have learned sinced your earlier writing.

As with your first letter, the only information you have about North America is what you have learned from the readings and discussions in this class.

As with your first letter, your thesis statement for this explanation might be something like one of these:

• The most important concept [or concepts] to North Americans is [are] _______ [and ______ ] because _____.
• North Americans believe most strongly in ______ [or maybe two blanks], and this has affected the development of their continent in [name specific ways].
• North Americans think ______ but also _____ which seems strange because ______ .
• The most fundamental concept in North American life is _______ because _______ .
• The primary debate in North America is _______   , and we can see the various sides of this debate through the writings of  ________ [name authors].

You can also make a reference to your earlier letter in your thesis statement, such as comparing or contrasting the ideas in your current letter with those you wrote abotu previously.

Audience

The audience for this writing includes the instructor (me), all of your classmates, and of course the individual or group on your home planet to whom you are writing

Format

The letter should be at least 1200 words long and will be posted on our wiki.  I will grade the letter based on how it achieves the "learning goals" listed above and conforms to the format below. Here is the specific grading rubric I will use.

Be sure to include your real name somewhere on the wiki page so I will know to whom to give the grade.

The letter should use a structure that includes an introduction which explains the main point of the page (the thesis statement). The body of the webpage should be in an understandable order and include complete sentences and paragraphs. Include a closing to the letter as well.

To support your ideas please include the following:

• at least 1200 words,
• at least one specific example or quote from the work of three of the authors we have read-- at least two of these must be from Weeks 6-10 and at least one of these must be a poet,
• at least one reference (i.e. quotes, paraphrases, examples, and a link) to websites I have directed you to visit in weeks 6-10,
• at least one reference (i.e. quotes, paraphrases, examples, and a link) to a credible website you have found yourself about authors or ideas discussed in weeks 6-10,
• at least two references (i.e. quotes, paraphrases, examples) to Discussion postings by your colleagues concerning information in weeks 6-10.
• multiple references to specific literary devices, concepts, genres, or periods we have discussed -- the appropriate number of these references will change based on the main idea you are trying to explain.

Additionally,

• bulleted lists and tables may be used, but are not mandatory;
• images may be used, but are not mandatory;
• audio and video files may be used, but are not mandatory.

In addition to the obvious work involved in creating this letter, you are also allowed to have fun with it.