This activity provides opportunities for students to use letters to the editor to identify major issues involving exotic pest fish species. Various points of view are expressed in the letter to the editor genre to expose students to the diversity of issues relating to pest fish.

Estimated time: 2 x 45 minutes

Materials

Six sample letters to the editor covering relevant exotic fish pest species and presenting a wide range of points-of-view (Student resource i.1 - Latest edition)

Teaching strategies

For a particular letter to the editor, a student group:

identifies the main issue (compose a one-sentence summary)
distinguishes between opinion and facts and identifies emotive language (make a table or list)
lists any key terms (retain for glossary, see Student activity i.2- Glossary)
constructs a possible profile/background of the author based on the way the letter is presented and the opinions expressed in it (e.g. age, level of education, profession,)
writes 5–10 questions directed at the author of the letter that would help in understanding or developing an argument.

A group spokesperson reads the letter to the class and presents some of the findings from 1–5 above. Class discussion of each letter to follow up.

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Student activity i.1 Introductory

Latest edition

Outcomes

Focus

Materials

Teaching strategies

Student activity i.1
Introductory