Name __________________
Date ___________________
Period ____
Time Capsule Letter to Yourself
DUE: _____________________ (must be typed, 10-12 point Times New Roman or Arial font, use your Google school account and bring in a paper print-out)
POINTS POSSIBLE: 5
Believe it or not, you are going to change a lot between now and next June. You will have many choices to make during 8th grade, and each choice you make will say something about the person you are and the person you are becoming.
For this assignment, I’d like you to give some thought to your goals for 8th grade. You will use a friendly letter format (see the back of this paper for an example) as you write a letter to yourself and answer the questions below. The reason it is called a “Time Capsule Letter” is because you will turn-in your letter to me and you will not look at it again until June. In June you will read it and write a follow-up letter in which you reflect on the goals you created at the start of 8th grade.
Be sure to use an organized writing structure. In other words, use transitions, topic sentences, and details/examples to back-up each topic sentence. Each paragraph should contain one central idea (topic) and supporting details and examples to back up that central idea. (See the model on the back for a sample of this.)
Here are the questions you must answer in your letter. You may answer them in any order you would like, and your letter should be at least one page long.
1. What are you looking forward to most about 8th grade?
2. What are at least 2 specific academic goals you have for this year and what will you need to to do to accomplish these goals?
3. What are at least 2 specific social goals you have for this year and what will you need to do to accomplish these goals?
4. When you read your letter again in June, what kind of reaction do you hope you will have?
5. Write about anything else that you think will be fun to read about in June. (Just keep it appropriate for school!)
(Turn this paper over for an example of a “Time Capsule Letter to Yourself.”)
August 23, 2016
Dear Early in the 8th Grade Self,
It sure feels a little funny to write to myself. It is also weird to to call myself my first and last name. Anyway, my teacher wants me to think about what 8th grade has in store for me. In this letter I will write about my hopes and goals for this school year and ways that I plan to accomplish them.
I guess what I am looking forward to most about 8th grade is being the oldest in the middle school. I think that my parents might give me more freedom this year, too. For example, I know that my curfew is going to be extended by an hour. I am glad I will get to stay out a little later on the weekends.
As far as academic goals go for this year, I really want to get all A’s. I know the only way this will happen is if I complete my homework nightly and study for tests a little bit each night. I can’t procrastinate like I did last year. I really need to cut back on the computer and television time. I am going to make a rule for myself that I can’t turn on the computer or TV until I finish my homework (which includes studying for tests, too.) In addition to getting all A’s, I really want to get an A on the Constitution exam. I heard it’s hard, but if I study a little each night, I know I can do well on it.
When it comes to social goals, I really want to make more friends. I will try to talk to more kids during classes. I will also make friends with kids who are new to MHS by asking at least one of them if she wants to sit with me at lunch. It can be scary starting a new school, so it would feel good to help someone feel more comfortable at MHS. The other social goal I have is that I want to stop gossiping. It’s so easy to talk behind people’s backs, but I feel so bad afterward. If I don’t want people to talk behind my back, I need to stop talking about people behind their backs. I guess if someone tries to tell me something mean about another student, I am just going to change the subject. This is how I will accomplish my goal.
I hope that, when I re-read this letter in June, I will be proud of myself for accomplishing my goals. I heard 8th grade is a challenging year with tons of homework and teachers that have very high expectations. I know that if I try my best, I will succeed.
Love,
Sarah Berg, period 3
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Analyze the sample above:
1. Circle all transitions. 2. Box all topic sentences. 3. Underline all details/examples.