A Letter to a Family Member
It is September 1776. The news of the Declaration of Independence has swept through the colonies, and you are just now learning of this historical event. You take pen to paper to write to a family member to reflect about what this means.
In your letter, make certain to discuss:
Where do you live in Colonial America?
Are you a patriot or a loyalist?
Share with your family member at least one social, political, or economic event that you believe led the Continental Congress to write the Declaration of Independence. Why did this event lead to the writing of the Declaration of Independence?
Do you believe that the Declaration of Independence was the correct course of action for the Continental Congress to take? Why, or why not?
What actions will you take (whether required or volunteered) as America and Great Britain wage war?
Formatting your letter to a family member:
Since you are the author of the letter and sharing your perspectives (representative of that time) and experiences, a first-person narrative (I, me, us, we, etc.) is needed for this assignment.
Your letter must be at least two pages in length, double spaced, and written in Times New Roman, 12-point font. APA Style will not be required for this assignment. While APA is not required for this assignment, you will want to utilize resources to help develop strong information in your letter. However, be careful not to copy material from the sources. For this letter project, make certain to paraphrase the information (write the information in your own words). Use your sources for historical facts but write in your own words.
Suggested strategies to successfully accomplish the Unit III Assignment:
Getting Started
Do not begin to work on the assignment until you have read (in full) the Unit III Study Guide and read/viewed the assigned Required Unit Resources.
After you have read/viewed all of the Unit III material, carefully review the assignment rubric so that you are aware of how your work will be evaluated.
Think About the Content
Remember the all-important 5 Ws of information. Dive into the details to help present strong content. Remember to always incorporate the 5 Ws of research into your writing: who, what, where, when, and why. All of these are needed for your major components, and, at this academic level, the why is a vital component.
Organization is important too. Think strategically about how you are organizing the information. Consider that the letter may have the strongest content available, but if its structure or pace is weak, the content is negatively impacted.
To help ensure strong content and strong organization, go through at least five rounds of proofreading and editing your letter after you have put it in its final draft. This will allow you to see glitches and correct them. Give yourself time in between each round of proofreading and editing so that when you come back, you will see new areas that might need change/improvement. This is one of the best tactics one can use when working with writing assignments: five rounds of proofreading and editing.
Two Final and Important Notes
Contact the Writing Center if you would like help mastering APA Style, organization, or other writing skills.
If you have questions about the Unit III Assignment, make certain to contact your instructor.
