Open Letter
An open letter is a published letter that identifies a specific problem and proposes one or more solutions to the problem. The topic of the letter is usually of personal importance to the writer and addresses a specific audience that has a connection to the writer’s topic. However, since the letter is open, meaning published and accessible by the public, there is a general audience who may read the letter and form an opinion based on the writer’s argument. When you write your letter, you will choose a topic that is important to you, and you will also do research to support your position about the problem and solutions that you develop your argument about.
Want to see how people have used this in the “real world?” Try reading these sample open letters! Note that they are shorter and may not have research, as yours will, so they are not models. However, they can give you ideas for how to take on topics both serious and silly with strong arguments and images.
- ”An Open Letter to My First Grader’s Teacher About Homework”, by Gail Cornwall
- ”An Open Letter to My Students: Read Books, Please”, by Peter McGraw
- “An Open Letter to Commonwealth Heads of Government” by Malala Yousafzai
The New York Times has held contests for high school students to write open letters. Here are some additional resources that will help you write your own open letter and show you some student examples.
