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Using Grammarly to Write a Professional Email (Scenario)
Details
Activity Description
Students will respond to a scenario by composing a professional email. This lesson can be a precursor to lessons involving research or extensive writing.
Preparation
- Check the website to ensure it is not blocked at your site.
- Read through the lesson plan.
- Print and make copies of any handouts.
- Review and install Grammarly onto preferred web browser.
- Utilize a slideshowing providing an image and the writing prompt.
How-To
Install Grammarly onto any web browser:
Grammarly can also be installed onto a desktop computer:
https://www.grammarly.com/desktop
Teacher Tips
There is a free version and a paid version. Most of the tools are accessible through the free version.
More Ways
Grammarly can be used in online documents, such as Google Docs. It is available on different platforms, such as Microsoft Outlook and Word.
Program Areas
- ASE: High School Equivalency Preparation
- ASE: High School Diploma
- CTE: Career Technical Education
Lesson Plan
- On the projector, provide the writing prompt, similar or exact: Where is your favorite place to visit? In can be found locally or a country that you are very familiar with. Be prepared to share with a partner.
- When students have written their responses, allow 2-3 minutes of discussion about their favorite place to visit with a partner. Students may also share out to the whole class.
- Ask: How would you tell your friends about your favorite place to visit? How would you tell your boss about it? Students can do a think-pair-share or discuss in small groups if time allows.
- On the board, create a T-chart with one side that says "friends" and the other side that says "boss". Students volunteer their answer to your question. Compare the word choices together as a class.
- Announce today's focus will be on audience and writing professionally using Grammarly to help us choose appropriate language.
1. Show students the step-by-step process to add Grammarly to their web browser.
2. Compose an email with the following paragraph projected on the screen:
Hi Boss,
I just want to tell you about a good place to visit. I enjoy going to Monterey bay in California! There are many things to do in this town. One of them is to visit Monterey Bay Aquarium. This aquarium is known around the world for having creatures from all around the world. They have danger noodles, and floofy sea otters! They are fun to watch. Another thing to do is to go kayaking around and last but not least are the food places to visit. You should go when you have some vacation.
Grammarly will underline possible fixes. Aside from the usual grammatical and spelling changes, here are some results to point out:
- Show Grammarly's suggestion of replacing "around the world" with worldwide. One explanation for changing it is because "worldwide" is more direct and succinct, whereas "around the world" uses three words to get to the point.
- Some of the words used are casual or slang. Put your mouse on top of these words to show Grammarly's suggestions. Point out that Grammarly is not familiar with some casual phrases, such as "danger noodles" which means "snakes". Grammarly suggestions using "dangerous" which changes the entire meaning of the sentence. That shows how students must proactively use proper terminology when Grammarly uses literal language.
- Sometimes Grammarly has no suggestions for casual words, like "floofy". The students will need to provide a translation. However, Grammarly does underline the word to bring attention to change it, even if the software sees it as an unknown word.
Even with Grammarly, students must proactively edit their own paragraphs to ensure their meanings are intact and that Grammarly's suggestions are usable.
Provide the following scenario (projected on a screen or a Learning Management System):
Your boss is requesting your opinion on where to travel for the company's next convention. You have a great idea for the location and decide to email your boss. In your email, provide a topic sentence, supporting ideas, and concluding sentence. You may use ideas from your warm-up. Use Grammarly.com to help with word choices and vocabulary. Before sending your email, check-in with a partner.
With a partner, share your email and use the Grammarly Email Checklist to evaluate your partner's email. Once complete, give the checklist to your partner so they can review.
After receiving students' emails, you can send an email back to them providing feedback on their paragraph. This will prepare them for the application portion.
For the final step, add this prompt on the board or LMS:
Send the teacher an email giving feedback about today's lesson.
Documents
- grammarlyemailchecklist.docx - A document/checklist of basic email elements
Subjects
- Electives
- Intro to Computers
- English Language Arts
- English 1-4
- English Electives
- Journalism
- Speech
- Language Arts - Writing
- Language Facility
- Organization of Ideas
- Writing Conventions
CTE Sectors
- Arts, Media, and Entertainment
- Business and Finance
- Education, Child Development, and Family Services
- Engineering and Architecture
- Health Science and Medical Technology
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Marketing Sales and Service
CTE Anchor Standards
- Anchor Standard 2: Communications - Language Standard: Acquire and accurately use general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the (career and college) readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
- Anchor Standard 4: Technology - 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 and information.
- Anchor Standard 7: Responsibility and Flexibility - Speaking and Listening Standard: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
- 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.