Miss Craven

American Literature A113

Native American Letter Assignment

Directions: After reading the letter from the Choctaw chief to the
Europeans, we discussed several emotions the Native Americans may
have had. For this assignment, you are required to write your own
letter to someone/a group of people describing your feelings during a
time you felt like an underdog.

Example:

Situation: Last year, I accepted a job teaching English in South Korea. I

was supposed to be a middle school teacher in a Seoul public school. I
had my contract signed, bags packed, plane ticket purchased, and my
goodbye party planned. Ten days prior to my departure date, I
received a letter saying that the school decided not to accept or
acknowledge my contract, and would no longer be needing me in
Korea on August 20th. The letter also stated that the school was not
legally obligated to explain why my job had been suddenly terminated.

Letter: My letter will address the principal/superintendent of the school

asking for severance pay and a stipend to cover the expenses accrued
in preparing and sending documents internationally.

Requirements
• Your letter must be at least one page in length.
o 12 point font
o 1 inch margins
o Don’t try to be tricky. I promise you—I’ll notice.
• Your letter must describe a real situation.
o You cannot write a letter on behalf of anyone else. You
must be/must have been involved in the situation you
choose to address.
• You must describe at least 3 reasons for your argument.
o Explain to the recipient(s) why you feel you are being
treated unfairly.
• Your letter must fulfill all aspects of the Prewriting outline.

Grading Rubric
Letter meets length requirement _____/10
Letter addresses a real person/situation _____/10
Letter contains at least three arguments _____/10
Miss Craven
American Literature A113

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation

_____/10
Completed Outline _____/10
Total _____/50

Prewriting Outline
Directions: Please complete this outline prior to drafting your letter
assignment.
• If you complete this outline thoroughly, you will have fulfilled all
the requirements for the assignment. Please be thoughtful in
your responses.

Introduction: Describe in detail the situation with which you are/were

involved:
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Whom do you wish you write a letter to? This could be an individual or
a group of people.
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List and explain 3 arguments to defend your side of the story.

1.
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2.
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Miss Craven
American Literature A113

3.______________________________________________________________________
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Describe the emotional experience this situation has caused. What

kinds of emotions have you felt? Anger, depression, bitterness, etc. Be
as descriptive as possible.
_______________________________________________________________________
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Write a conclusion. Why should this person/group of people read your

letter and care about what you’re telling them?
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