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Creating a Job Cover Letter
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Activity Description
Upon successful completion, students will be able to create an effective cover letter.
Preparation
- Check the video to ensure it is not blocked at your site.
- Read through the lesson plan.
- Print and make copies of any handouts.
Teacher Tips
Create a class bulletin board with cover letters
More Ways
Beginning students can focus on creating one general cover letter which may be slightly altered for each different job. Beginners should also develop the skills of writing by supporting their claims of being correct for the job through examples and reasons. Beginners should work on basic writing and language skills such as subject-verb agreement, capitalization, and good spelling and not necessarily focus on changing sentence styles or structures.
Program Areas
- ABE: Adult Basic Education
- ESL: English as a Second Language
- ASE: High School Equivalency Preparation
- ASE: High School Diploma
- CTE: Career Technical Education
Levels
- All Levels
- Intermediate High
- Advanced
Lesson Plan
The instructor will discuss the importance of the cover letter. It is usually the first piece of an application that is read.
Define for students the purpose of a cover letter. Explain a cover letter provides an introduction and an opportunity to highlight the applicants' special skills and experiences.
Student Discussion Questions
- Have you ever written a cover letter?
- Why is a cover letter important?
Explain the parts of a cover letter. List the 4 parts on the board to help students visualize. Heading, Introduction, Body, Closing.
- Watch the Cover Letter Video
- Present Cover Letter Presenation
Activity 1:
Have students create a cover letter for one particular job they have in mind, or make up one using google docs. Remind students that a cover letter must change depending on the job.
Activity 2:
Pair students in teams of two. Have students edit and revise their cover letters. Emphasize the need for correct spelling, punctuation, subject-verb agreement, capitalization, and other writing conventions.
Have students apply peer feedback corrections to their cover letters. Create a final draft and submit it to the instructor for final review and teacher feedback.
Find a job posting that you are interested in and create a new cover letter using the knowledge learned and geared towards a specific job.
Documents
- Updated Cover Letter Rubric.pdf - Rubric
- Cover Letters.pdf - Presentation
- Cover Letters .mp4 - Video
- Cover Letters.pptx - Presentation
Subjects
- English Language Arts
- English 1-4
- English Electives
- Language Arts - Writing
- Organization of Ideas
- Writing Conventions
- Reasoning Through Language Arts
- Mechanics (Capitalization, Punctuation, Spelling)
- Writing
- Basic Sentences
- Mechanics (Capitalization, Punctuation, Spelling)
- Paragraph Skills
- Parts of Speech
- Report Writing
CTE Sectors
- Agriculture and Natural Resources
- Arts, Media, and Entertainment
- Building and Construction Trades
- Business and Finance
- Education, Child Development, and Family Services
- Energy, Environment, and Utilities
- Engineering and Architecture
- Fashion and Interior Design
- Health Science and Medical Technology
- Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Manufacturing and Product Development
- Marketing Sales and Service
- Public Services
- Transportation
CTE Anchor Standards
- Anchor Standard 3: Career Planning and Management - Speaking and Listening Standard: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.
- Anchor Standard 10: Technical Knowledge and Skills - Writing Standard: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.
- Anchor Standard 11: Demonstration and Application - Demonstrate and apply the knowledge and skills contained in the industry-sector anchor standards, pathway standards, and performance indicators in classroom, laboratory, and workplace settings, and the career technical student organization.