Teachers’ Guides and Common Core

Letters About Literature Teachers’ Guides and Common Core

Collected together on this page are a set of links helpful to those teachers interested in incorporating participation in the Letters About Literature contest into their curriculums.

Teacher’s Guide

This educational supplement provides classroom activities and blackline masters. Included is a unit consisting of four lesson plans specially designed to give students practice in accomplishing the following tasks:

  • Focus (Introduces readers to the concept that books can change lives.)
  • Inquire (Provides activities to help readers explore the unique relationship between themselves, an author, and a book.)
  • Apply (Provides writing tips to help readers shape their letters.)
  • Assess (Provides a checklist for editing and rewriting their letters.)

Teacher’s Guide 1
Teacher’s Guide 2

Resources for Letters About Literature and the Common Core

Developed by a team of teachers, Common Core was conceptualized to create a set of K-12 academic standards in English language arts and mathematics. In June, 2010, Ohio adopted the Common Core. Starting in 2014-15, Ohio will undertake the process of switching to a new system of standardized tests developed by a consortium of states, including Ohio.

Teachers may be reassured that Letters About Literature meets the standards of Common Core . Information is available as to how CSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.3a-e can be applied to each of the contest’s three participation levels.

Common Core Chart
Common Core Level 1

Common Core Level 2
Common Core Level 3
Common Core Learning Standards
Common Core Writing Emphasis