writing cover letter lesson plan

Resumes and Cover Letters for High School Students

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Today's high school students must market their experiences, skills, achievements, and accolades to set them apart from others when applying to college or for a job. This lesson takes students through the steps of creating an effective resume and cover letter using ReadWriteThink's Resume Generator and Letter Generator.

Featured Resources

• Resume Generator : This ReadWriteThink resource takes students through the process of creating a resume one step at a time.  
• Letter Generator : This ReadWriteThink resource helps students create a professional cover letter.  
• Sample High School Resumes and Cover Letters : These realistic resumes and cover letters help students visualize and generate content for their own documents.

From Theory to Practice

Common core standards.

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

Materials and Technology

• LCD Projector  
• Computers with Internet access
• The 3 Fs of Resume Writing  
• My Resume Ideas: Getting Started  
• Steps to Creating a Cover Letter  
• Sample High School Resumes and Cover Letters  
• Resume / Cover Letter Rubric  
• Visualizing Your Resume: Graphic Organizer  
• Visualizing Your Cover Letter: Graphic Organizer

Preparation

• Prepare copies of the  Sample High School Resumes and Cover Letters printout so that students may review it.  
• Reserve space in a classroom that has access to the Internet, specifically ReadWriteThink’s  Resume Generator and Letter Generator .  
• Prepare copies of the following printouts: The 3 Fs of Resume Writing , My Resume Ideas: Getting Started , Steps to Creating a Cover Letter , Sample High School Resumes and Cover Letters, Visualizing Your Resume: Graphic Organizer , and Visualizing Your Cover Letter: Graphic Organizer .

Student Objectives

Students will

• Understand the function, form, and effectiveness of a resume by examining and discussing sample resumes with their classmates  
• Demonstrate the importance of rhetorical situations by selling themselves to a defined audience  
• Develop a working resume by using the Resume Generator  
• Recognize how a cover letter works in conjunction with a resume by drafting them for a similar purpose  
• Write a cover letter by using the Letter Generator

Lesson 1: What is a Resume?

• Introduce students to resumes as a genre of writing: professional writing. Discuss how this is different from academic genres in that it serves a different purpose and is intended for a different audience. In short, it is a type of writing by an author who is trying to get something. As a result, it is an extremely persuasive style of writing. Share examples of when a person would need a resume, such as applying for a job, a scholarship, or an award, or when creating a portfolio of one’s work.  
• Prepare students to understand the purpose of a resume, including its F unction, F orm, and (e) F fectiveness (the 3 Fs). Take an informal poll of the class, asking who has heard of a resume before this class, who has seen one, and who has one of their own. Based on the results, you may ask students to share their experiences to add to the conversation.  
• Function: The function of a resume is to inform the audience about you in order to accomplish something. What you’re trying to accomplish depends on what you’re trying to do. This might include getting a job, getting into college, winning a scholarship, or being selected for an internship. There are many reasons to show people your resume.  
• Form: Resumes need to look a certain way. This is considered their form. People who read resumes expect them to include specific information, such as your name, address, contact information, education, past jobs, volunteer experience, and special skills. If a resume does not look like a traditional resume, the reader may be confused and think the writer is not educated about writing proper resumes.  
• (e)Ffectiveness: For a resume to be effective, it must demonstrate your knowledge of both function and form. An effective resume - Has a clear purpose that shows why you are writing it - Is visually appropriate and appealing, or easy to read - Includes all the necessary information about the writer - Is grammatically correct with no errors in punctuation or spelling
• Share copies of the resume printout. You might begin discussing these by putting students into small groups first to review. Tell them to identify what they see as the 3 Fs: Function, Form, and (e)Ffectiveness.  
• Return together as a class, and discuss each F and how students determined what it was.

Lesson 2: Developing Content for Your Resume

• Review the  The 3 Fs of Resume Writing from the previous lesson.  
• Discuss the two types of resume: chronological and functional. Ask students which style they think is best for them.  
• Show the sample resumes from the previous lesson. Ask students to identify which one is chronological and which one is functional.  
• Share online resume reference sites such as  College Admissions High School Resume and  High School Students Need a Resume Too with the class to present additional ways of thinking about the construction of resumes. (If you are not in a computer lab or a room with Internet access, tell students to view these sites later on their own.)  
• Have students brainstorm content for their resumes using the printout  My Resume Ideas: Getting Started as a guide.  
• Begin completing the parts of the printout. Move around the room answering questions as students work.  
• Ask students to complete the printout on their own before the next lesson.

Lesson 3: Defining Audience and Purpose

• Have students take out their completed  My Resume Ideas: Getting Started printout. Put them into small groups to share their work with others.  
• What was easy about filling this out? What was difficult?
• What sections contained the most and least information? Why?
• The audience refers to anyone who will review the resume, so we must consider all audiences, both primary and secondary.
• The purpose refers to why the audience is looking at the resume and what they will be looking for, so we must ask ourselves what they want to read.

Lesson 4: Using Resume Builder

• Take students to a computer lab with access to the Internet and  Resume Generator to complete this lesson. Have them log into the Resume Builder site. As they do so, remind them about the time limit for creating their draft in class. They should structure their time accordingly.  
• Using their notes from the  My Resume Ideas: Getting Started printout, ask students to go through the process of entering their information. Show students the features of the tool, from the additional information about resumes on the first page to the audio feature accompanying the site that enables them to hear the information aloud.  
• When they have completed their resumes, have students save them and also print a copy to bring to the next class.

Lesson 5: Peer Review

• Ask students to take out the printed copies of their resumes. Discuss how resumes today can be printed and submitted to the audience, as they have prepared, but they can also be submitted electronically. In that case, the resume writer needs to understand how to save a resume as a .pdf or how to create a resume with very little formatting, with only the basic information listed and no fancy spacing or bullets used. Connect this to their use of Resume Generator , and discuss how this would be similar to or different from what they just did.  
• Put students into small groups to peer review their resumes. Encourage students to review their peers’ resumes for the 3Fs: Function, Form, and (e)Ffectiveness.

Lesson 6: What is a Cover Letter?

• What did you like about using Resume Builder to create your resume?  
• What did you find particularly easy or difficult about the process?  
• What do you like or dislike about your completed resume? d. What would you like to change about it?  
• Function: Cover letters accompany resumes to introduce the reader of the resume to the writer. They personalize the resume, allowing the writer to provide more detail about him- or herself and any relevant experience. Many people think of cover letters as a way for the writer’s true voice to come through.  
• Form: Like resumes, cover letters also have a typical form: that of a business letter. The writer has to know the correct placement of the heading, date, salutation, body paragraphs, closing, and signature. Readers expect a cover letter to have certain features. If they aren’t included, the reader may think the writer is not knowledgeable and, therefore, not ready for whatever he or she is trying to accomplish by submitting the cover letter and resume.  
• Has a clear purpose that shows why you are writing it  
• Is visually appropriate and appealing, or easy to read  
• Includes additional relevant information about the writer  
• Is grammatically correct with no errors in punctuation or spelling  
• Share an online reference about cover letters, such as Sample Cover Letter for High School Students , to support the present discussion, and raise or discuss any questions as a result of it. (If you are not in a computer lab or a room with Internet access, tell students to view this site later on their own.)  
• Show the sample cover letters written by high school students in the  Sample High School Resumes and Cover Letters printout. Discuss these with the students in relation to the 3 Fs: What is the function of the cover letter (its purpose), what is unique about its form (design), and how effective do students think this cover letter will be?

Lesson 7: Developing Your Cover Letter

• Explain to students that they are going to create a rough outline of a cover letter that could accompany their resume. Provide the  Visualizing Your Cover Letter: Graphic Organizer printout to fill out. They may do this individually or in small groups. Move around the room responding to students’ work and offering suggestions.  
• Once students have a good start on this, provide the more detailed  Steps to Creating a Cover Letter printout. Students should use this to create a draft of their cover letters, due at the next class. Remind students that their time in the lab during the next session will be limited, so they need to have a full draft completed.

Lesson 8: Finishing Your Cover Letter

• Once again, have students meet in the computer lab to type their cover letters using the  Steps to Creating a Cover Letter printout and Letter Generator . You may want to remind them about their time constraints and the need to organize their time.  
• Using Letter Generator, have students transform their drafts into finished cover letters.  
• Make sure students save their work and also print a copy.  
• At the end of class, ask students to submit their resumes and cover letters to you for a grade. Use the  Resume / Cover Letter Rubric to assist you in assigning a grade.
• Have students submit first and second drafts of the resume and cover letter to you for comments or an early grade, additional revision, and a new/final grade.  
• Do more detailed work with cover letters, including researching jobs and researching examples of cover letters for specific jobs. Then have students write cover letters tailored to these jobs.  
• Include a discussion of writing essays and personal statements for college applications.  
• Connect discussions of resume and cover letter writing to students’ college aspirations, including their ideas for majors, careers, courses, and activities to become involved in. You may consider reviewing online resources, including ACT .

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Review students’ printouts for The 3 Fs of Resume Writing, My Resume Ideas: Getting Started, Visualizing Your Resume: Graphic Organizer, Visualizing Your Cover Letter: Graphic Organizer, and Steps to Creating a Cover Letter after each lesson in which they are used or collected. Make sure students are correctly identifying the parts and including information as needed. If a pattern of errors or misunderstandings occurs, review them with students at the beginning of the next lesson.  
• Collect typed drafts of students’ resumes and cover letters as created using the Resume Generator and Letter Generator. Review and grade them using the Resume/Cover Letter Rubric. Address the grade and comments when returning the resumes and cover letters to students, especially if students are allowed to revise for a new grade.

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How To Use The S.T.A.R Method To Write A Cover Letter

by Sapna | Aug 13, 2017 | 2 comments

So, here’s what the star method entails.  It’s four simple steps for constructing each “example” paragraph of your cover letter.

Before you do this though, be sure you have a short, concise introductory paragraph that explains why  you are an excellent match to the job in question (see the section above!).

Remember, employers don’t only care about your “hard” skills  (those they can train you for on the job). Actually, soft skills are much more important in my opinion.  People want to work with good people, so show them that you have characteristics they want – like team building, leadership, and initiative.

The STAR Method is a quick mnemonic to check if your example paragraphs are on track. I’m going to use an example that has worked for me in the past, when applying to a marketing job at a large company.

I managed major sponsorship accounts and ensured promotional activities aligned with our brand strategy. In addition,

I coordinated and lead promotional incentive trip programs to reward sales managers for high sales. I also created marketing documents to promote sales team participation for sales rallies and events.

What is the context of your example? Briefly show the problem that exists in a situation you faced. Try to use examples that may also occur at the type of job you are applying to. Problem solving skills are valuable!

E.g.  While working as Position Name Here at Company X, 

Within this context, what task were you assigned? Be brief here

E.g. our team  needed to ensure promotional activities aligned with our brand strategy 

Next, what action did you take to solve the problem? Be specific!  Show that you took initiative

E.g. I coordinated and lead promotional incentive trip programs to reward sales managers for high sales. I also created marketing documents to promote sales team participation for sales rallies and events.

E.g. This resulted in successful corporate events attended by our sales dealers, staff and clients, and increased attendance rates over the previous year.

Remember to end your cover letter on a strong note, too!   There is no need to reiterate your contact information  (they have it already). Simply state why you’d like to work for them and reiterate your enthusiasm.

Cover Letter Editing Tips (for ESL Students, too!)

Of course, writing in your second language is always tougher than your native tongue. So, how can you (and your students) be sure you’ve got everything on track? Here are my top 4 tips for editing before you send:

1.  Ensure there are NO spelling or grammatical errors.   – In fact, this goes for native speakers, too.  A mistake on paper looks sloppy, especially since it could have easily been corrected beforehand.

2.  Have a native speaker or English teacher read it over, every time.   Even if you’re a native speaker yourself, be sure to have at least one other person edit your letter. In fact, I do this myself for any letter I feel is important to my future.

3.   Start EARLY.    So, I know that procrastination and time pressure can help get the job done, BUT, in this case I’d start early. In fact,  I attribute some of my successful application letter to the University of Oxford   to FIVE of my good friends. Over the course of two weeks, they helped me revise and edit, edit, edit!

4. Always print a copy before you send it –  Why? Well, printers simply don’t always portray writing as nicely as the screen does! Usually, the reader is going to print it out. So, to double check your alignment, margins, and how it looks on the page, print it!

Do you have more cover letter tips that have worked for you, or your English students? Have questions about cover letters? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

Happy Teaching!

P.S. Photography fans, the photo for today’s post is one I took in Bordeaux, France in the summer of 2015.

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I got what you mean,saved to my bookmarks, very nice website.

Great article and helpful. Since im not a professional writer, i prefer to hire job application letter writer from contentdevelopmentpros.co.uk but i shared this article with them to make sure they cover all this.

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How to Write a Cover Letter

Writing in English

In this lesson, students learn how to write three types of cover letters. They learn about formatting and useful vocabulary and review important dos and don’ts. We recommend using this lesson after our How to Write a Resume lesson.

Note: In the Teacher PDF, there are two additional sample cover letters. After the discussion on page 9, you can share the alternate sample letters (inquiring/networking) that are available on the last two pages of the PDF.

COVER LETTER WRITING LESSON PLAN FORMAT EXPERIENCE TEACHING AND LEARNING WORK CAREERS EMPLOYMENT BLANK SAMPLE EXAMPLE STUDENTS PRACTICE TEACHER TEMPLATE JOB LIFE SKILLS

WRITING THE COVER LETTER:

Types of cover letters.

Objectives : Students will identify the differences between the different types of cover letters and determine which type of letter should be used given different scenarios.

Subject: Career and Work Skills - Language Arts

Goals : Whether students will be writing résumé cover letters for real job applications or for practice, this lesson will help students:

Understand the different types of résumé cover letters.

Determine which type of letter is best for different situations.

Suggested Grade Levels: 7th-12th

Resume Cover Letter Types Lesson Plan

Materials :

Types of Resume Cover Letters Lesson ( see below for printable worksheet)

Blackboard, whiteboard, or overhead projector

an assortment of classified job listings including "blind" classified listings (no company information provided) and ads placed by recruiters or agencies.

Student drill worksheet

The term "cover letter" is most often thought of as the letter that accompanies a résumé submission, and most often, this is the case. Other types of letters fall into this category as well, however, such as networking, thank you, and acceptance letters. This lesson will cover the basic types of résumé cover letters; following lessons will review each type in more detail.

Procedure :

Using the information provided below, review each type of cover letter as a group. Students can take notes using the worksheets provided. Discuss the primary reasons for using each type of letter and the situations that warrant each type.

Following the group introduction, have students break into groups. Provide a variety of classified listings to each group as well as "scenarios" listed on separate sheets for students to review. Ask students to identify the proper letter to be used for each job listing or scenario and provide a justification for their decision. Encourage group discussion.

Duration : One session.

Assessment :

Assist students as needed and answer questions.

Lesson Printable Materials - Worksheets

Print out the following pages for use with this resume writing lesson:

Lesson on the different types of cover letters.

Do you have a recommendation for an enhancement to this cover letter lesson, or do you have an idea for a new lesson?  Then leave us a suggestion .

More Lessons on Resumes and Resume Writing

Additional Career, Job, and Business Skills Lessons

To teach and learn money skills, personal finance, money management, business, careers, and life skills please go to the Money Instructor home page .

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Lesson Plan: How to Write a Cover Letter

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Writing a Cover Letter Lesson

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This lesson walks students through all the necessary components of writing an eye-catching letter of interest when applying for a job. From the proper way to write a mailing address to the content needed to catch an employer's attention, this lesson will help students prepare to move their application to the top of an employer's list.

Lesson includes:

• Writing a Letter of Interest Lesson Plan
• How to Write a Letter of Interest Instructions with Grading Criteria Handout *

*Individual resource(s) are also available as independent resource(s) through the link(s) listed above.

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5 Tips for a Great Cover Letter (and samples)

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Cover Letter Format & Samples

Cover letters are a fantastic tool to introduce oneself in the job search process and are as significant as the resume. A cover letter provides an excellent opportunity to demonstrate one’s interest in the organization and establish direct connections between the employer’s job description and one’s professional background. A well-crafted cover letter, tailored to the specific job and company of interest, and addressed to the right person, can make a lasting impression on the employer.

To make the cover letter effective, one must consider some universal tips and considerations when writing it. It is crucial to ensure that the cover letter is clear, concise, and free of errors. Using formal language and avoiding contractions can help maintain a professional tone. Choosing appropriate vocabulary and grammar can help maintain the original meaning of the text and convey a sense of expertise and professionalism, which is suitable for a business or academic setting. So, it is essential to take the time to craft a compelling cover letter that showcases one’s qualifications and skills to the employer in the best possible light.

In addition to the suggestions above, see our list of key considerations to crafting effective and valuable cover letters.

Cover Letter Tips

1. ) All margins should be approximately one-inch. Typically, a cover letter consists of three to four paragraphs.

2.) The font size should be easy to read. Times, Palatino or Helvetica are good choices. A font size of 12 pt. is preferable, but in some cases you may need to use 10.5 or 11 pt. font.

3.) Don’t be tempted to send “generic” letters. Each cover letter you write should be different, because each job and company you’re writing to is different. Make it easy for the reader to see the relevance of your qualifications to the job in question.

4.) Be sure to proofread each new cover letter you create so that it is free of errors.

5.) It is important to write to a specific person whenever possible.

In addition to these quick tips, check out our comprehensive  Job Search Letters  guide for more information on structuring cover letters and other job search documents.

• Sample 1:  Application Letter
• Sample 2:  Prospecting Letter

Finally, we know that some people work best when they have a format to follow. Especially when they are writing a document, like a cover letter for the first time. The following example reflects the correct business format to use when writing a cover letter:

Your name Return address City, State, Zip

Name of the contact person Title Company Name Address City, State, Zip

Dear Mr./Ms./First name Last name:

The opening paragraph states your reason for writing the letter. Mention a specific job of interest, or a particular department in which you are seeking work. If possible, mention how and when you learned about the job opening or the company, i.e., through a classified advertisement, a contact person or a career services professional. Be sure to mention the name of the person who suggested this job to you, especially if that person is highly respected within the company.

The middle paragraph is an opportunity to expand on the skills you have developed as they relate to this position. This should not merely repeat your resume. You can discuss your education and particular courses or skills attained while in college. If you’re an experienced person, you may wish to use this paragraph to describe your professional background and highlight any specific job experience that may be of particular interest to the organization and that will differentiate you from other applicants. You may need a second paragraph to fully describe your related abilities.

The next paragraph reflects the research you have done on that particular organization. Use company literature, a web site, or conversation with an employee of the organization as ways to gain knowledge about the organization. Explain why you are interested in the job, and convey your awareness of what the company does to show that you have done careful research.

In closing, reiterate your enthusiasm to be considered and ask for an interview. Either state a specific week you’ll make a follow-up phone call or mention an interest in having the contacted person call to set up an interview date. Specify how you can be contacted. Remember to thank the person for considering your application.

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10 Lessons Medium Term Plan with Graffiti 3D Writing Unit of Work A-Z (2 Versions of Each Letter)

Subject: Art and design

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Unit of work

Last updated

8 September 2024

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10 Lessons Medium Term Plan with Graffiti 3D Writing Whole Alphabet A-Z (2 Versions of Each Letter)

Attached is a medium term plan overview of 10 excellent art lessons using the 52 high quality images of the letters A-Z. Please see the attached youtube clip to see all 52 letters.

There are two different versions of every letter.

I created this resource to help students learn how to write their names in a graffiti / 3D / Bubble writing style.

They thoroughly enjoyed mimicking the style.

I also created a display using the resource by printing the relevant letters and laminating them, it looked fantastic!

Thanks for looking!

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