Jeremy Thomas has created the project "Letters Connect Us: Discovering Life Across Classrooms" in Class2Class.org
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Letters Connect Us: Discovering Life Across Classrooms
What is this project about?
Students research and write detailed letters comparing their daily lives, schools, seasons, and local traditions with their pen pals, asking thoughtful questions to understand how their partner's culture and environment differ from their own. Th...
- Age of Students
- 9-12 years
- Project Duration
- 30 weeks
- Starting Month
- October 2026
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to identify and describe daily life routines, local traditions, and seasonal changes in their own community and in their pen pal's culture.
Students will be able to demonstrate intercultural communication by writing thoughtful letters that ask meaningful questions and share personal experiences with their international pen pals.
Students will be able to compare and contrast cultural practices, environments, and traditions between their local community and their pen pal's country, recognizing both similarities and differences.
Students will be able to evaluate how their assumptions about other cultures have changed through pen pal exchanges and assess the emotional connections they have built with their international peers.
Skills to develop
Project Activities
Getting to Know Our World: Icebreaker Letter Exchange
Students write and illustrate a short introductory letter about themselves, their family, school, and favorite things, then share it with their pen pal. This sets the tone for authentic connection and helps both classes learn basic information about each other before diving deeper.
Exploring Daily Life: Research and Interview
Students interview family members and observe their own routines, then document a typical day including school, meals, chores, and free time. They gather details about local seasons, weather, and how these affect daily activities in their community.
Detailed Pen Pal Letters: Sharing Our Worlds
Students write 2-3 longer, thoughtful letters over several weeks describing their daily routines, local traditions, school experiences, and seasonal changes. Each letter includes genuine questions about their pen pal's life to spark meaningful conversation and show curiosity about differences and similarities.
Analyzing Responses: Comparing Cultures and Communities
Students read and organize the letters they receive from their pen pals, identifying patterns, surprises, and differences in daily life, traditions, and environments. They create simple charts or notes comparing their own routines and practices with their pen pal's, noticing what is similar and what is different.
Reflecting on Growth: What We Learned About Each Other
Students write a personal reflection journal entry describing how their assumptions about their pen pal's culture have changed, what surprised them, and what emotional connections they have built. They share key insights with the class in a brief discussion or small-group sharing circle.
Celebrating Our Friendship: Final Letter and Showcase
Students write a final, heartfelt letter to their pen pal reflecting on the friendship and exchange, then create a simple visual display or read aloud their favorite letter excerpt to celebrate the connections made and the learning that happened across classrooms.