8th Grade - Colonial Letter Home

When Europeans were busy colonizing America, communication was not quite up to today’s high speed. They couldn’t update Twitter every few minutes, or pick up the phone and call home. Instead, they wrote letters. Because these took time to write and send, they were now just quick reactions to what you saw on television (or read in a book!), but they were often vary formal. The information they contained could be anything from weather patterns to the latest political news. Sometimes, they even obscured the real conditions of the colonies in order to get more people to come.

Assignment – You are to compose a letter from the viewpoint of a colonist. In this letter you are to advertise your colony and try to recruit people to either come to your colony or send much-needed supplies. I will grade based on the following criteria:

• Length and Format – 1 to 2 pages, Typed, Times New Roman Font, 12 pt. type, double-spaced.

Do not type your name. Write your name in pen on the top right-hand corner of the page.

• Content – You will need to provide content specific to your chosen colony. This information must be more than we covered in class. You need to do research in a book or on the internet to find further information.

Although this is a creative writing exercise, it must be historical fiction. This must contain facts. You are placing yourself in the time period. Feel free to make up a character name for yourself.

I should be able to tell what colony you live in based on your letter.

• Sources – You should attach a list of all the sources you used. I will not be looking for a formal bibliography, but I want to see where you got your information.

Be creative, but do not make up major historical events (attacks, wars, plagues, kings, presidents, etc.).

• Overall Effectiveness – So I want to move to your colony after reading this? At the same time, did you ignore things that were on my mind as a reader back in England?

You should address fears and misinformation. Talk about the struggles, but how you got through them.

• Date – Your letter must contain an appropriate date. (Hint: Not 2009)

Other Things – I will be available to review your letters before the due date, however, I will not look at any papers brought to me after Thursday, September 24^th. If you want my input, get it to me with enough time for me to read through it. Mrs. Babb is also available to help.

Thirteen Original Colonies – Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Pennsylvania.

General Rules For Papers – If your paper is not typed, it is not a final draft. I will not accept a final paper that is not typed. You will lose one letter grade (10 points) for every school day your paper is late.