Cover Letter Polishing
This is a 30-minute FFA lesson plan titled “Cover Letter-Polishing” that teaches students how to write effective cover letters for job applications. Students use online resources to learn the components, format, and organization of cover letters, analyze good and bad examples via “The Good and the Bad” worksheet, and then compose and peer-review their own individualized cover letters.
At a glance
- Learning objectives
-
- Identify the components and format of cover letters.
- Discover favorable and less favorable examples of cover letters.
- Compose an individualized cover letter.
- Time required
- 30 minutes
- Materials
-
- A copy of the "The Good and the Bad" worksheet for each student.
- Internet access to play the video in real time or embed it in a PowerPoint ahead of time.
- This Quick Lesson Plan Would Work Well As
- 1. Part of a career unit. 2. Part of a job interview lesson/unit.
- Resources
- 1. FFA.org; 2. The Writer's Handbook: Writing Cover Letters https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/CoverLetters.html; 3. Cover letters- The good and the bad https://www.seek.com.au/career-advice/article/cover-letters-the-good-and-the-bad
- Created
- 03/2016 by the National FFA Organization
Downloads & Links
Aligned Standards
AFNR Career Ready Practices
- CRP.04Communicate clearly, effectively, and with reason. Career-ready individuals communicate thoughts, ideas and action plans with clarity, whether using written, verbal and/or visual methods.
- CRP.10Plan education and career path aligned to personal goals. Career-ready individuals take personal ownership of their own educational and career goals, and they regularly act on a plan to attain these goals.
AFNR Cluster Skills
- CS.05Describe career opportunities and means to achieve those opportunities in each of the Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources career pathways.
Common Core – Speaking and Listening
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Common Core – Writing
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
FFA Precept
- FFA-CS-M.CommunicationEffectively interact with others in personal and professional settings.
- FFA.PG-I.Professional GrowthAssume responsibility for attaining and improving upon the skills needed for career success.
- FFA.PL-A.ActionAssume responsibility and take the necessary steps to achieve the desired results, no matter what the goal or task at hand.
- FFA.PL-F.Continuous ImprovementAccept responsibility for learning and personal growth.