Author and mail a 5-paragraph federal Civic-Action Letter to a US Representative or Senator about a Founding-Era issue that still matters today
Exercise Difficulty 4 ~7 min hist.g5.f.ex_46

P1 Claim Drafted

MG-17 Interactive Physical / non-image

Capstone Federal Civic-Action Letter Template — 1-page template for the 5-paragraph letter to a US Representative or Senator. Paragraph 1: 'Dear Honorable [name], I am a fifth-grade student at [school] in [city, state]. I am writing about [Founding-Era issue that still matters today].' Paragraph 2: 'My claim is...' Paragraph 3: 'My first piece of evidence from history is...' (with a primary-source citation in parentheses). Paragraph 4: 'I have heard the other side say... [counterclaim acknowledgment]. But I think... [refutation].' Paragraph 5: 'I am asking you to [specific action]. I would like to hear back from you. Sincerely, [name].' Includes house.gov / senate.gov address-lookup quick-link, parent-consent signature line, and stamped envelope from school. Style: professional 5-paragraph letter format, age-appropriate.

Prompt

Draft P1 (introduction + claim) of your federal Civic-Action Letter using MG-17 template. Your claim must connect to a Founding-Era issue from this unit.

How it's presented
mode writing prompt audio ID audio.g5f.ex 46.stem
Answer criteria
type open ended
rubric
Required: salutation to Honorable [Senator/Representative name] / introduction as G5 student / Founding-Era issue named / claim sentence specific and falsifiable
Hints
  1. Use MG-17 sentence frames
  2. Apply audience-awareness — your audience is a busy US Senator/Representative
Misconceptions to watch
  • Vague claim without specific ask
  • Missing Founding-Era connection
Used in lessons