Persuasive Writing Surprise!

We had an exciting delivery in our classroom today, and it's all thanks to the Common Core and Weird Al.  Who knew those two things could even be mentioned in the same sentence? 

Without the Common Core, I doubt I would have expected my kids to write persuasively this year.  It's a first for me in my 19 years of teaching.  Donald Graves says, "Indeed, to become a top teacher of writing is to enter into a lifetime of learning."  He sure knew what he was talking about.  I'm glad I took the plunge though.  It's been a rewarding genre to tackle.  

We spent about three weeks writing persuasive letters.  I think one of the most important pieces of this genre, and any genre for that matter, is that the writer deserves choice.  I never said, "Hey kids.  Today we're all going to write a persuasive letter to...fill in the blank...about...fill in the blank."  I would have stolen their thinking power, their voice, and their motivation if I had given them a topic and audience.  I certainly would never have seen today's surprise either.  

One of my writers decided to write to BOB FM, a local radio station.  He had an issue with their lack of Weird Al songs and asked them to take care of that problem for him.  On mail day (we had 3 or 4 throughout the unit), he chose that letter to publish and send off.  Here's what came back.

 Each child in the class got one.

 Here's a picture of my student reading the letter to the class.

 BOB FM wanted a picture of my kids with their goodies.

They even sent him a shirt with his name on the back!

BOB FM gave us a gift, and it wasn't just goodies and a shirt. They blessed my writers with tangible evidence that they have a voice, and their writing can indeed cause others to listen.  This teacher's heart is a happy one.  Thank you Bob Squad!