New
New
Year 11
Eduqas

Writing an open letter

I can write an open letter using emotive language, antithesis and satire.

New
New
Year 11
Eduqas

Writing an open letter

I can write an open letter using emotive language, antithesis and satire.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Open letters are letter written to a particular person or group but which are made publicly available for all to read.
  2. Siegfried Sassoon uses antithesis, emotive language and personal pronouns to make his open letter a powerful protest.
  3. The methods used in an open letter will differ depending on the purpose of writing.
  4. Satire can also be used in open letters to criticise a person or idea in an amusing way.
  5. Successful satire usually involves any of the following: a clear target, humour, exaggeration, irony and parody.

Keywords

  • Antithesis - the direct opposite

  • Satire - a humorous way of criticising ideas or people, especially to make a political point

  • Blunt - saying what you think without trying to be polite

  • Parody - to copy the style of something or someone else in a humorous way

Common misconception

Students may think that Sassoon's style of open letter is the only way to write an open letter.

Open letters can have a range of purposes. Those that will never be read by the recipient or where the writer doesn't expect to create change (e.g. open letter to Mondays) will typically involve more humour.

Before students write their own short open letter in LC2, create a sentence using satire as a class, under the visualiser or on the whiteboard to ensure confidence in this technique.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need Siegfried Sassoon's 'A Soldier's Declaration'. It is available in the additional materials.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the terminology with the correct definition.
Correct Answer:form,the type of text

the type of text

Correct Answer:purpose,the reason for the writing

the reason for the writing

Correct Answer:audience ,the intended reader of the text

the intended reader of the text

Q2.
What is an open letter?
a letter that is never officially sent
Correct answer: a letter with a specific recipient, made public for everyone to read
a letter intended to be read by one person only
Q3.
Every open letter is prompted by ...
political issues.
frustrations.
Correct answer: a strong feeling about a topic.
Q4.
Which of the following uses emotive language?
'I am a soldier, convinced that I am acting on behalf of soldiers.'
Correct answer: 'I have seen and endured the suffering of the troops.'
'I am not protesting against the conduct of the war.'
Q5.
What does it mean to analyse a piece of writing?
to plan and structure it appropriately
to check and proof read it
Correct answer: to examine its separate elements
Q6.
Which of the below uses colloquial language?
Correct answer: 'You're gonna smash it!'
'Good morning.'
'Fair is foul and foul is fair.'

6 Questions

Q1.
What word beginning with 's' would you use to describe the criticism of someone or something in a humorous way?
Correct Answer: satire
Q2.
What does it mean to parody?
Correct answer: copy the style of something or someone else in a humorous way
use language opposite to what you truly mean
use emotive language to shock the reader
Q3.
Which of the below sentences uses satire?
Correct answer: 'Why let pupils develop their teamwork when you could develop their anxiety!'
'Exams are anxiety provoking.'
'I always dread exams. I'd rather submit an essay.'
Q4.
Who does Sassoon write his open letter 'A Soldier's Declaration' on behalf of?
Correct answer: his fellow soldiers
his fellow Englishmen
the military authority
Q5.
Which of the below is not an ingredient of satire?
Correct answer: emotive language
a clear target
irony
Q6.
"I am not protesting against the military conduct of the War, but against the political errors and insincerities ...". This sentence uses:
satire
emotive language
figurative language
Correct answer: antithesis

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