Presentation: Emailing an Archivist about Owain Glyndŵr

Slide 1 of 7 · Settling starter · History · Year 7

5 minutes

Emailing an archivist about Owain Glyndŵr

Your class is making a display about Owain Glyndŵr’s parliament at Machynlleth in 1404. An archivist looks after old documents, maps and photographs, and is a busy professional. Today you learn how to ask one for help.

While the register is called: write your name, class and date on your worksheet, then read Part 1 of the stimulus sheet, Mr Price’s project brief.

Starter question: Which email account must you send from, and who must you copy in (Cc)?

DCF: Interacting and collaborating → Communication No computers needed · nothing is sent

Slide 2 of 7 · Today’s brief and key words · History · Year 7

3 minutes

Your brief: find the mistakes, then write it properly

You will find what went wrong in 2 pupil emails to Archifdy Bro Dyfi, plan and write your own formal email of 120 to 180 words with 3 specific questions, and decide what to do if nobody replies.

Cc

Copy in. The people who also receive the email. The archive asks pupils to Cc their teacher.

Subject line

A few words saying who you are and what you want, so the email is opened and not mistaken for spam.

Working days

Monday to Friday, not counting bank holidays. The archive aims to reply within 10 working days.

LNF: Literacy → Writing → Planning and organising for different purposes, audiences and context Only ask for things the archive says it can do

Slide 3 of 7 · Steps 1 and 2: what went wrong? · History · Year 7

12 minutes

Step 1 & Step 2: read the stimulus, then find what went wrong

Finish reading Parts 1 to 4 with a partner. Then, for each part of Dylan’s and Seren’s emails, write what is wrong. If nothing is wrong, write “OK” and say why.

Part of the email	Email A (Dylan)	Email B (Seren)
Account it was sent from	His personal account, not his school account. The username “dyl_da_legend_2014” is unprofessional.	OK: her school account, as Mr Price and the archive asked.

Steps 1 and 2 on your worksheet · 12 minutes Quote the evidence from the email

Supply teacher script (no subject knowledge needed)

Say aloud: “The first row of the table is on the board. Fill in the other 7 rows for both emails, then answer (b), (c) and (d). Quote the evidence, like the username on the board.”

Quick check: Dylan wrote to press@ (journalists only), left out Mr Price, had no subject, used “hey!!” and “thx dyl”, text-speak and misspellings (“skool”, “parliment”), asked for “ALL the info” by tomorrow, and shared his home address, mobile number, age, school and year group. Seren sent to the right address but copied in all 29 classmates instead of Mr Price, used the subject “Question”, signed only “Seren”, wrote one chatty paragraph that never mentions Owain Glyndŵr or 1404, and attached a 24 MB file when the archive cannot open files over 10 MB.

(b) any 2 of: “everything you have”, an attachment over 10 MB, posting original documents, doing her project for her, the press address. (c) 14 Maes y Dderwen, mobile 07700 900812, age 12, school and year group, year of birth 2014; strangers learn who he is, where he lives and that he is a child. (d) 29 addresses shared without permission, “Reply all” fills 29 inboxes, and Mr Price was left out.

Slide 4 of 7 · Steps 3 and 4: plan, then write in silence · History · Year 7

22 minutes

Step 3 & Step 4: plan your email, then write it on your own

Step 3 (10 min): fill in the plan. Your 3 questions must be specific and ask for things the archive says it can do or does hold. Number the 4 paragraphs.

Step 4 (12 min): write 120 to 180 words in short paragraphs. Fill in every box at the top. Highlight your 3 questions.

To: enquiries@archifdybrodyfi.cymru · Cc: price.i@ysgolcefndyfi.cymru · Attachments: None

Subject: Year 7 school project: photographs of the Parliament House, Machynlleth

Model opening: “Dear Dr Morgan, My name is Alys Rowlands and I am a Year 7 pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Cefn Dyfi. My class is making a display about Owain Glyndŵr’s parliament at Machynlleth in 1404, and I would be very grateful for your help.”

Steps 3 and 4 on your worksheet · 22 minutes, in silence Order: who I am, what I know, my 3 questions, deadline and thanks

Supply teacher script (no subject knowledge needed)

Say aloud: “Steps 3 and 4 are done in silence. 10 minutes to fill in your plan, then 12 minutes to write your email on paper. The header boxes and a model opening are on the board. Nothing will be sent. Count the words in your paragraphs and write the number at the bottom.”

Quick check, paragraph order: 1 Who I am and why I am writing; 2 What I already know; 3 My 3 questions; 4 My deadline and thank you.

Walk the room: the archive holds photographs of the Parliament House before and after it was rebuilt in the early 1900s, old maps of Machynlleth, newspaper cuttings and talk notes, and can send up to 10 photographs free or suggest another archive. Good questions ask for these. Reject questions for “everything you have” or documents from 1404 (it holds none). No home address, phone number or age. “Dear Dr Morgan” pairs with “Yours sincerely”; a fair deadline is Friday 26 March.

Slide 5 of 7 · Step 5: the right channel · History · Year 7

7 minutes

Step 5: the right channel, and what to do if nobody replies

Use the “Contact us” table in Part 2 for (a). For (b), count 10 working days after Monday 8 March. For (c), tick the sensible actions and cross the bad ones.

Situation	Best way to contact the archive
1. Research questions for the display	Email enquiries@archifdybrodyfi.cymru
2. Bringing the whole class to see the maps	The online booking form

Step 5 on your worksheet · 7 minutes Never put your email address in a public comment

Supply teacher script (no subject knowledge needed)

Say aloud: “7 minutes for Step 5. The first two rows are on the board. Finish the table, count the working days for (b), then tick or cross the actions in (c) and give 2 reasons for (d).”

Quick check (a): 3. Email copies@archifdybrodyfi.cymru. 4. Phone 01632 960404 (Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 to 12:30). 5. Email press@archifdybrodyfi.cymru. 6. No: the archive does not answer enquiries on social media and you should never put your email address in a public comment; email enquiries@ instead.

(b) Tuesday 9 to Friday 12 March is 4 days, Monday 15 to Friday 19 is 5 more, Monday 22 March is the 10th: Monday 22 March. (c) Ticks: check junk folder; 1 polite follow-up with Mr Price; Mr Price phones on Tuesday 23 March; use another trusted source such as the National Library of Wales. Crosses: 5 “URGENT!!!” emails; emailing Dr Morgan directly; a Facebook complaint. (d) any 2 of: the archive asks for research questions by email; staff need time to look things up; an email gives a written record; Mr Price can read it first; the phone line is only open a few hours on 4 days.

Slide 6 of 7 · Step 6: self and partner check · History · Year 7

3 minutes

Step 6: read your email again as if you were Dr Morgan

Tick each success criterion on your sheet that your email meets. Then correct 1 thing you would improve.

I can fill in To, Cc and Subject correctly, sending to the right address and copying in my teacher.
I can keep my personal information safe and share only what the reader needs.
I can ask 3 specific questions that the archive can answer.
I can write a formal, polite email of about 120 to 180 words in short paragraphs in a sensible order.

3 minutes · self check Finished early? Write the follow-up email at the bottom of your sheet

Slide 7 of 7 · Plenary review · History · Year 7

3 minutes

Quick-check answers before handing in

Check your main answers before your worksheets are collected.

Question	Correct answer
Which address should your research questions go to, and who is in Cc?	To enquiries@archifdybrodyfi.cymru, Cc price.i@ysgolcefndyfi.cymru.
You email on Monday 8 March. What is the latest date to expect a reply?	Monday 22 March, the 10th working day.
Name 2 pieces of personal information Dylan should not have sent.	Any 2 of: his home address, mobile number, age, school and year group, year of birth in his username.

Check your name and class are on your worksheet Leave stimulus sheets neat on the desk