ACADEMY INSPECTION OF MATAM ACADEMIC YEAR:

FETE NIEBE HIGH SCHOOL 2024 / 2025

LEVEL: ALL LEVELS TEACHER Mr BALDE

Lesson Plan: Writing Skills – Essays and Letters

Level: 5th Form and Lower-Sixth Students

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Topic: Essay Writing & Letter Writing
Objectives:

 To help students understand the structure of essays and letters.

 To enable students to write essays on a given topic.
 To guide students in writing formal and informal letters.
 To provide practice in writing coherent, well-structured essays and letters.

Materials:

 Whiteboard and markers

 Handouts with essay/letter examples
 Worksheet with essay/letter prompts
 Rubrics for assessing writing (optional)

Lesson Outline:

1. Warm-up (10 minutes)

Start with a short discussion to engage the class:

 Ask: "What are the different types of letters you know?"

 Follow up with: "What makes a letter formal or informal?"
 Ask: "Have you ever written an essay? What topics did you write about?"

2. Essay Writing: Structure and Purpose (20 minutes)

Objective: Help students understand the structure of an essay.

Explanation:

 Introduction: Briefly introduce the topic, stating the main argument or thesis.
 Body Paragraphs: Present the main points, each in a separate paragraph, with supporting
details and examples.
 Conclusion: Summarize the main points and restate the thesis or provide a concluding
thought.

Example:

 Essay Topic for 5th Form: You have created a business that works very well. Write a letter
to your friend living in Dakar to tell him/her about your job.
 Essay Topic for Lower-Sixth: Write a letter to the President of the Republic to interdict child
labor in Senegal, giving reasons.

Steps:

1. Explain how to brainstorm ideas before writing.

 2. Show a sample essay structure using a simple topic (e.g., "How I spend my weekends").
3. Discuss each section of the essay with students.

Activity:

Activity: Work with students to create an outline before writing the full essay.

 Example outline for "How I Spend My Weekends":

o Introduction: General idea + Thesis statement
o Body Paragraph 1: Morning routine (waking up late, breakfast, watching TV)
o Body Paragraph 2: Afternoon activities (playing football, meeting friends,
visiting family)
o Body Paragraph 3: Evening routine (doing homework, preparing for
Monday)
o Conclusion: Restating main ideas + expressing personal opinion

3. Letter Writing: Formal and Informal Letters (20 minutes)

Objective: Teach students how to write formal and informal letters.

Explanation:

 Formal Letters (to authorities or businesses): Use polite and respectful language. Must
include a salutation (e.g., "Dear Sir/Madam"), body, and closing (e.g., "Yours faithfully").
 Informal Letters (to friends or family): More relaxed and conversational tone. Includes a
greeting (e.g., "Dear [Name]"), body, and closing (e.g., "Best wishes").

Example:

 Formal Letter Example: Write to the President about child labor.

 Informal Letter Example: Write to a friend about your job/business.

Steps:

1. Discuss the format for each type of letter.

2. Show students examples of both formal and informal letters.
3. Point out the key differences between formal and informal styles.

Activity:

 Give students a writing prompt and have them choose either a formal or informal letter to
write based on the given context.

4. Writing Practice (30 minutes)

Objective: Provide students with time to practice writing essays and letters.

Activity 1:
  Essay Writing:
Have students write an essay based on a given topic (either their business or child labor).
Provide them with a writing worksheet to help structure their thoughts.

Activity 2:

 Letter Writing:
Have students write a letter (formal or informal). You can give them prompts such as:
o Write to a friend about your recent vacation.
o Write to a business explaining an issue with their service/product.

Using Linking Words to Show Contrast

We use linking words to join ideas together when we're talking or writing. Sometimes we want to link
two ideas that are different from each other (for example, one is a positive idea and one is a negative
idea) or we want to link one idea to another one that is surprising or unexpected. We can use linking
words like 'however', 'although' and 'despite' to do this.

Although

We use “although”' to connect two clauses. We can use 'although' at the beginning or in the middle of
a sentence. It is used in front of a clause (a clause has at least a subject and a verb that agrees with the
subject).
Ex: Although the weather is bad, I love London.
I love London, although the weather is bad.

Despite / in spite of

We use 'despite' or 'in spite of' to connect to clause. We use it before a noun or a gerund. It can also go
in the middle or at the beginning of a sentence. 'Despite' and 'in spite of' mean exactly the same thing.
You can choose whichever one you like! If you want to use 'despite' or 'in spite of' before a clause,
you need to add 'the fact that'.

• Despite the bad weather, I love London.

• In spite of the bad weather, I love London.
• Despite the fact that the weather is bad, I love London.

However

We use 'although' and 'despite / in spite of' to connect two clauses in the same sentence. On the other
hand, 'however' isn't used to connect two clauses. Instead, we usually put the two ideas in two separate
sentences. We put 'however' in the second sentence, and we can put it at the beginning, at the end, or
after the subject.

• I love London. However, the weather is bad.

 • I love London. The weather, however, is bad.
• I love London. The weather is bad, however.

While / Whereas / Unlike

These linking words are used to make contrasts. While and whereas are usually used between two
complete phrases. Unlike is typically used with only a subject. I like tennis, while my brother prefers
bowling.

Here is a list of common linking words and how to use them in essay writing, categorized by
function. The difficulty level increases from 3rd form to 5th form and lower-sixth students.

1. Addition (Adding Ideas)

Used to introduce new points or support an argument.
For 3rd Form:
 And → I like reading, and I also enjoy writing.
 Also → She is a good student. She also helps her friends.
For 5th Form & Lower-Sixth:
 Moreover → The Internet is useful for students. Moreover, it helps teachers.
 In addition → English is important. In addition, it is widely spoken worldwide.

2. Contrast (Showing Differences)

Used to introduce an opposite or different idea.
For 3rd Form:
 But → I like tea, but I don’t like coffee.
 However → It was raining. However, we went to school.
For 5th Form & Lower-Sixth:
 On the other hand → Some people like living in cities. On the other hand, others prefer the
countryside.
 Nevertheless → He was sick. Nevertheless, he took the exam.

3. Cause and Effect (Showing Reason and Result)

Used to explain why something happens.
For 3rd Form:
 Because → I stayed at home because I was tired.
 So → It was late, so we went home.
For 5th Form & Lower-Sixth:
 As a result → He didn’t study. As a result, he failed.
 Therefore → Education is important. Therefore, the government should invest in schools.

4. Giving Examples
Used to clarify an idea with examples.
For 3rd Form:
 For example → I like fruit. For example, I eat bananas and apples.
 Such as → I enjoy sports such as football and basketball.
For 5th Form & Lower-Sixth:
 For instance → Many countries suffer from pollution. For instance, China has serious air
pollution.

5. Conclusion (Summing Up Ideas)

Used to finish an argument or an essay.
For 3rd Form:
 Finally → Finally, we should always respect others.
 In conclusion → In conclusion, education is necessary for success.
For 5th Form & Lower-Sixth:
  To sum up → To sum up, technology has many advantages, but it also has drawbacks.
 All in all → All in all, climate change is a serious issue that needs urgent action.

Voici une liste des linking words en anglais, classés par catégorie, avec leur signification en
français :

1. Addition (Ajout)

 And → Et
 Moreover / Furthermore → De plus, en outre
 Besides → En plus, d'ailleurs
 In addition → En outre, de plus
 What’s more → Qui plus est
 Not only... but also → Non seulement... mais aussi

2. Cause (Cause)

 Because → Parce que

 Since / As → Puisque, comme
 Due to / Owing to → En raison de
 Thanks to → Grâce à

3. Consequence (Conséquence)

 So → Donc
 Thus / Therefore → Par conséquent, donc
 As a result → En conséquence
 Consequently → Par conséquent
 Hence → D’où

4. Contrast / Opposition (Contraste / Opposition)

 But → Mais
 However → Cependant, toutefois
 On the contrary → Au contraire
 Whereas / While → Tandis que, alors que
 Although / Though → Bien que
 Even though → Même si
 Despite / In spite of → Malgré

5. Comparison (Comparaison)

 Similarly → De la même manière

 Likewise → De même
 In the same way → De la même façon
 Just as → Tout comme

6. Example (Exemple)
  For example / For instance → Par exemple
 Such as → Tel que
 Namely → À savoir

7. Purpose (But)

 To / In order to / So as to → Afin de, pour

 For the purpose of → Dans le but de
 With the aim of → Dans l’intention de

8. Condition (Condition)

 If → Si
 Unless → À moins que
 Provided that / As long as → À condition que, tant que

9. Time (Temps)

 Before → Avant que

 After → Après que
 When → Quand, lorsque
 While → Pendant que
 As soon as → Dès que
 Since → Depuis que
 Until / Till → Jusqu'à ce que

10. Conclusion (Conclusion)

 In conclusion → En conclusion
 To sum up → Pour résumer
 To conclude → Pour conclure
 In short → En bref
 All in all → En somme
FORMAL AND INFORMAL LETTERS

Lower-Sixth Sample Essay: Letter to the President of Senegal to Interdict Child Labor

Topic: Write a letter to the President of the Republic to interdict child labor in Senegal, giving
reasons.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, Postal Code]
[Country]
[Date]

His Excellency, Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar FAYE

President of the Republic of Senegal
Palais de la République
Dakar, Senegal

Dear Mr. President,

I am writing to express my deep concern about the alarming issue of child labor in Senegal. It
is evident that many children in our country are being forced to work under difficult
conditions instead of attending school. This situation not only harms their health but also
severely affects their education and, consequently, their future.

Child labor is undoubtedly a serious problem because it deprives children of their basic rights,
particularly their right to an education. As a result, these children are unable to learn, which
limits their future opportunities. Furthermore, many of them work in unsafe conditions, which
exposes them to injury or even worse. This situation, therefore, has a negative impact on the
development of our nation as a whole.

In light of these facts, I kindly urge you to take more decisive action to combat child labor in
Senegal. For instance, there should be a stronger enforcement of existing laws that protect
children from exploitation. Moreover, it is crucial that we implement more programs to assist
families in need, so they are not forced to send their children to work.

I firmly believe that, under your leadership, we can build a better future for our children, free
from the burden of child labor.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Yours faithfully,
[Your Name]
5th Form Sample Essay: Letter to a Friend in Dakar about a Business

Topic: You have created a business that works very well. Write a letter to your friend living in
Dakar to tell him/her about your job.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, Postal Code]
[Country]
[Date]

Dear [Friend's Name],

I hope you are doing well. I wanted to share some exciting news with you: I have started a
small business! It’s a company that sells handmade crafts, and I am thrilled to tell you that it
has been doing really well.

The focus of the business is to create unique jewelry and accessories using local materials.
People absolutely love the designs, and I am receiving a lot of orders. The most rewarding
part is that I am able to support local artisans and provide jobs to members of the community.

In addition, I am learning a great deal about managing a business and interacting with
customers. Although it is sometimes challenging, it is also incredibly fulfilling. I sincerely
hope that one day you will visit and see the shop for yourself!

By the way, how are things with you? I miss our conversations and hope we can catch up
soon.

Take care!
Best wishes,
[Your Name]
3rd Form Sample Essay: Letter to a Friend about Christmas Holidays

Topic: Write a letter to your friend to tell him/her what you did during your Christmas
holidays.

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, Postal Code]
[Country]

[Date]

Dear [Friend's Name],

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! I want to tell you about my holidays.

During the holidays, I spent time with my family. We went to the village and celebrated Christmas
with lots of food and music. We also played games and spent time outside. I helped my father with
some farm work, and we took a walk around the fields. It was so peaceful and fun.

I also had time to relax and read some books. It was a great break, and I feel ready to start school
again.

How did you spend your holidays? I would love to hear about it.

Take care, and I hope to see you soon.

Best wishes,
[Your Name]