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Day 4: Written Communication — Little Library Post

Lesson Overview
Time 50 minutes
Objectives Apply the principles of effective written communication; create a Little Library social media post using the H&L Powerskills workbook activity; pair the written skill with a healthcare role-play
TEKS d(4)(B)
Deliverable Completed Little Library social media post (clear status, call to action, 2 hashtags) + 1 healthcare role-play observation
Materials Chromebooks, H&L Powerskills Workbook (pp. 25-26), printed social media post template, healthcare role-play cards from Day 2, projector

Warm-Up (5 min)

WARM-UP: Think of a time when miscommunication caused a problem. What happened, and how could clearer writing have prevented it?

Take 2-3 responses. Bridge: in healthcare, miscommunication can mean medication errors, missed diagnoses, or billing disputes. Today the class practices writing that prevents these problems.

Activity 1: Written Communication Tips (8 min)

Source: H&L Powerskills Workbook, p. 25, "Written Communication"

Read the workbook intro aloud: "Effective communication is all about sharing your thoughts clearly and understanding other people. One way to effectively communicate is through writing. At work, people share their ideas and ask questions through emails, letters, reports, and even social media."

Project the workbook's 4 tips (p. 25):

  1. Put yourself in your reader's shoes: what information will they need to know about the topic?
  2. Be clear and concise
  3. Stay on topic and avoid irrelevant information
  4. Proofread to make sure there are no typos or confusing sentences

Connect to healthcare: a nurse writes patient notes that the next shift's nurse must understand. A medical biller writes notes that an insurance company must accept. Clear writing saves lives and saves money.

Activity 2: Little Library Social Media Post (22 min)

Source: H&L Powerskills Workbook, pp. 25-26, Little Library Activity

Read the workbook scenario: "Imagine that your town has several Little Libraries, small spaces where people can take, trade, or leave books for free. To keep these libraries useful, the community needs to know when they need more books, have too many books, or have specific books available. You have been tasked to create a social media platform for the Little Libraries to keep your community informed."

Step 1: Gather Information (workbook p. 26): Each student decides:

  • Is the Little Library full, empty, or in need of specific types of books?
  • What do you want people to do (donate, take, check out the selection)?
  • Where is your Little Library located?

Step 2: Create the Post (workbook p. 26): Each student creates a social media post that includes:

  • Clear status of the Little Library (full / empty / needs specific books)
  • Call to action (donate, visit, take)
  • At least 2 hashtags that help people find the post

Students write the post on the worksheet (or in a Google Doc). The post should be 3-5 sentences max, concise is the point.

Class Discussion (workbook p. 26):

  • "How did you make sure your message was clear?"
  • "Why is it important to be specific when asking for help or giving information?"
  • "How can social media be used effectively to communicate with others?"

Facilitation Tip

Many students write LONG posts. Push back: "Reread it. What words can you cut without losing meaning?" Brevity is the discipline of written communication.

Activity 3: Healthcare Written Communication Role-Play (12 min)

Pivot the written communication skill into a healthcare context. Distribute new role-play cards (or reuse some from Day 2):

  • Card A: Write a note for the next shift's nurse describing a patient who refused medication. The next nurse needs to know what to do.
  • Card B: Write a 2-sentence patient education note for someone who just had a tooth extracted (post-procedure care).
  • Card C: Write a 2-sentence email to a patient explaining that their lab results came back normal.

Assign one card per student by row or table (e.g., Row 1 = Card A, Row 2 = Card B, Row 3 = Card C) so students can start writing immediately, no time lost to card-shopping. Each student writes the message in 5 minutes. Then they pair with the nearest neighbor regardless of card and read each other's messages, checking:

  • Is the message clear?
  • Could a real patient/colleague act on it?
  • Are there any words that could be cut?

The partner gives one piece of feedback using the feedback sandwich from Day 2.

DOK 3: Based on today's activities, what conclusions can you draw about the difference between writing for friends (texts, social media) and writing for work (notes, emails, patient communications)?

Exit Ticket (3 min)

EXIT TICKET (Trade-off / Dilemma Analysis) · Printable PDF:

You just finished your shift as a CNA. You need to tell the nurse on the next shift that one patient refused medication. You can use two communication tools:

  • (A) A quick 2-line note in the patient chart. Pros: fast, written record, next nurse reads it.
  • (B) A verbal handoff in person AND a note. Pros: chance to answer questions, more thorough.

Pros of picking A: _____________

Pros of picking B: _____________

My choice (A or B): __

Quality list (pick ONE from today's written-communication tips or add your own): clear / concise / on-topic / reader-focused / proofread

Which quality matters MOST in THIS handoff, and why? (d(4)(B))

Differentiation

  • Support: Provide a fill-in-the-blank social media post template: "The Little Library at _ is ___. Please [action]. #[hashtag1] #[hashtag2]"
  • Extension: Students write THREE versions of the Little Library post for different audiences (parents of young readers, retirees, teens). How does the language change?
  • ELL: Bilingual workbook prompts. Pre-teach: Donate = Donar, Library = Biblioteca, Status = Estado, Hashtag = Etiqueta. Pair ESL students with bilingual peers for the writing step.