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How to Write a Letter to the Mayor

3rd grade nonfiction passage about writing to a town leader: 161 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

3rd grade nonfiction writing to a town leader 161 words

How to Write a Letter to the Mayor

Do you have an idea to make your town better? You can write a letter to the mayor. The mayor is a leader who helps run the town. Leaders want to hear from the people they serve, even young people.

Start by saying hello and telling who you are. You might write, "My name is Jo, and I am eight years old." Next, name the problem in a sentence or two. Maybe the park has no shade, and the benches get too hot.

Then share your idea. You could suggest planting two trees. Giving a fix shows that you have thought about it. Add one reason why it would help, such as, "More families could stay at the park."

Finish with a polite thank-you and sign your name. Ask a grown-up to help you address the envelope.

A busy office may not answer right away. Still, someone usually reads the mail. A kind, clear letter can plant an idea.

Questions

  1. What is the mayor? in the text

  2. What should you do first in the letter? in the text

  3. In the example, what is the problem at the park? in the text

  4. What fix does the writer suggest? in the text

  5. Why is it a good idea to give a fix and not only a problem? think about it

  6. Who should help you address the envelope? in the text

Words to know

mayor
the leader of a town or city
problem
something that needs to be fixed
polite
kind and respectful in the way you speak or write
envelope
the paper cover that holds a letter
suggest
to offer an idea
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 120 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 1.5

Do you have an idea to make your town better? You can write to the mayor. The mayor is a leader who helps run the town. Leaders want to hear from young people too.

First, say hello and tell who you are. You might write, "My name is Jo, and I am eight." Next, name the problem. Maybe the park has no shade, and the benches get hot.

Then share your idea. You could ask for two trees. Add a reason, such as, "More families could stay at the park."

End with a thank-you and sign your name. Ask a grown-up to help with the envelope.

The office may not answer fast. But someone usually reads the mail.

▲ This passage · 161 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 2.8

Do you have an idea to make your town better? You can write a letter to the mayor. The mayor is a leader who helps run the town. Leaders want to hear from the people they serve, even young people.

Start by saying hello and telling who you are. You might write, "My name is Jo, and I am eight years old." Next, name the problem in a sentence or two. Maybe the park has no shade, and the benches get too hot.

Then share your idea. You could suggest planting two trees. Giving a fix shows that you have thought about it. Add one reason why it would help, such as, "More families could stay at the park."

Finish with a polite thank-you and sign your name. Ask a grown-up to help you address the envelope.

A busy office may not answer right away. Still, someone usually reads the mail. A kind, clear letter can plant an idea.

■ Harder · 175 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.5

Do you have an idea that could make your town a better place? You can write a letter to the mayor. The mayor is a leader who helps run the town, and leaders want to hear from the people they serve, including young people.

Begin by greeting the mayor and explaining who you are. You might write, "My name is Jo, and I am eight years old." Next, describe the problem in a sentence or two. Perhaps the park has no shade, and the benches become far too hot to sit on.

After that, offer your idea. You could suggest planting two trees. Proposing a solution shows that you have thought carefully about the problem. Add one reason that it would help, such as, "More families could stay at the park."

Conclude with a polite thank-you and sign your name. Ask a grown-up to help you address the envelope.

A busy office may not reply right away. Even so, someone usually reads the mail, and a kind, clear letter can plant an idea.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put mayor, problem, polite, envelope and suggest on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 2 minutes to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 5 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "How to Write a Letter to the Mayor"?

It was written for 3rd grade. It has 161 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 2.8. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are six. 5 ask for something the text says directly and 1 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 2 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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