Learning Objectives
The objectives for this lesson encompass the learning objectives from Chapters 4 and 5. To compress the material
to fit your available class time, you can emphasize particular objectives based on your course goals and student
skill levels. Here are the learning objectives for the two chapters, tagged for two options:
Option A: If you want to focus on fundamentals of composition and revision
Option B: If your students are comfortable with the fundamentals, and you want to focus on more advanced topics
A
B
Chapter 4: Writing Business Messages
1. Identify the four aspects of being sensitive to audience needs when writing business messages.
2. Identify seven characteristics that build and maintain a communicator’s credibility.
3. Explain how to achieve a tone that is conversational but businesslike, explain the value of using plain language,
and define active voice and passive voice.
4. Describe how to select words that are not only correct but also effective.
5. Define the four types of sentences, and explain how sentence style affects emphasis within a message.
6. Define the three key elements of a paragraph, and list five ways to develop coherent paragraphs.
7. List five techniques for writing effective messages for mobile readers.
A
B
Chapter 5: Completing Business Messages
1. Discuss the value of careful revision, and describe the tasks involved in evaluating your first drafts and the work
of other writers.
2. List four techniques you can use to improve the readability of your messages.
3. Describe the steps you can take to improve the clarity of your writing, and give four tips on making your writing
more concise.
4. List four principles of effective design, and explain the role of major design elements in document readability.
5. Explain the importance of proofreading, and give eight tips for successful proofreading.
6. Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages.
Learning Objectives: Check Your Progress on page 106 of Chapter 4 and on page 127 of Chapter 5 summarize the
learning objectives for students.
Assumptions
This lesson completes the coverage of the three-step process introduced in Lesson 3, so we recommend covering it
Resources
In the Instructor’s Resource Manual (available online at the Pearson Instructor Resource Center; see below):
• Lecture notes, keyed to the learning objective from each major section in the chapter
• Class discussion questions (embedded in the lecture notes)
On Bovée & Thill’s Business Communication Blog
• Original articles on teaching business communication
• A wide variety of free media resources, from videos to infographics, available via Real-Time Updates
• Business communication instructor communities on LinkedIn and Facebook
• Curated online magazines
On Pearson’s Instructor Resource Center
• Instructor’s Resource Manual
• PowerPoint slides for classroom use
Readings from the Text
Here are the major sections in Chapters 4 and 5, each linked to a learning objective. If you want to reduce the time
you spend on this lesson, the easiest way is to drop a learning objective and its associated readings (and end–of–
Chapter 4
Learning Objective 1: Identify the four aspects of being sensitive to audience needs when writing business
messages.
• Using the “You” Attitude, including Figure 4.1 (on page 89), page 88
• Maintaining Standards of Etiquette, pages 88–89
Learning Objective 2: Identify seven characteristics that build and maintain a communicator’s credibility.
• Establishing Your Credibility, pages 92–93
• Projecting Your Company’s Image, page 93
Learning Objective 3: Explain how to achieve a tone that is conversational but businesslike, explain the value of
using plain language, and define active voice and passive voice.
Learning Objective 4: Describe how to select words that are not only correct but also effective.
• Composing Your Message: Choosing Powerful Words (overview), including Figure 4.4, pages 96–97
• Balancing Abstract and Concrete Words, page 97
• Finding Words That Communicate Well, including Table 4.4, pages 97–99
Learning Objective 5: Define the four types of sentences, and explain how sentence style affects emphasis within a
message
Learning Objective 6: Define the three key elements of a paragraph, and list five ways to develop unified, coherent
paragraphs
Learning Objective 7: List five techniques for writing effective messages for mobile readers
• Writing Messages for Mobile Devices, including Figure 4.6, pages 103–105
Chapter 5
Learning Objective 1: Discuss the value of careful revision, and describe the tasks involved in evaluating your first
drafts and the work of other writers.
• Revising Your Message: Evaluating the First Draft (overview), including Figures 5.1 and 5.2 (on pages 115
and 116), page 114
• Evaluating Your Content, Organization, Style, and Tone, page 114
• Evaluating, Editing, and Revising the Work of Others, pages 114–117
Learning Objective 2: List four techniques you can use to improve the readability of your messages.
• Revising to Improve Readability (overview), page 117
• Varying Sentence Length, page 117
Learning Objective 3: Describe the steps you can take to improve the clarity of your writing, and give four tips on
making your writing more concise.
• Editing for Clarity, including Table 5.1, pages 118–120
• Editing for Conciseness, including Table 5.2 (on page 121), page 120
Learning Objective 4: List four principles of effective design, and explain the role of major design elements in
document readability.
• Designing for Readability, including Table 5.3, pages 120–124
• Designing Messages for Mobile Devices, including Figure 5.4 (on page 125), page 124
Learning Objective 5: Explain the importance of proofreading, and give six tips for successful proofreading.
Instructional Sequence
Here is one possible sequence of discussions and activities. Depending on which parts of Chapters 4 and 5 you
choose to emphasize in this lesson, you might want to select a different set of discussion and activity components.
You can supplement this with personal anecdotes, communication examples “ripped from the headlines”
(including media materials available on Real-Time Updates), and additional exercises and activities from the end of
the chapter.
1. Opening hook: This lesson is a great opportunity to explore how language choices can influence the
effectiveness of messages and help or hinder business relationships. You can open with an example from
your own class experience, such as how you handle a student who arrives late for class or interrupts
2. First activity: Lesson 3 suggested a message planning activity involving a communication challenge that
3. Lecture: Lesson 3 covered the first step in the three-step writing process, and this lesson covers the
4. Discussion: After you’ve covered the key elements of composing audience-oriented messages and
5. Concluding activity: Using the material developed in the first activity, you can now revise and refine it
while using this opportunity to discuss the importance of editing for clarity and conciseness (covered in
Suggested Questions and Exercises
Here are the student activities from Chapter 4 and 5, sorted by learning objective. Use this table to find activities
that encourage specific types of learning experiences, communication tasks, or media choices.
Chapter 4
LO
Question/Exercise
Learning Experience
Medium/channel
1
4-1
Review
Instructor choice
1
4-11 through 4-14
Practice
Instructor choice
1
4-15 through 4-17
Practice
Instructor choice
1
4-18 through 4-21
Practice
Instructor choice
1
4-22 through 4-25
Practice
Instructor choice
1
4-26 through 4-28
Practice
Instructor choice
1
4-90
Analysis
MyBCommLab
1
Sharpen Your Career
Skills Online
Analysis
Email or blogging
2
4-7
Analysis
Instructor choice
2
4-54
Practice
3
4-2
Review
Instructor choice
3
4-8
Analysis
Instructor choice
3
4-55
Practice
Email
3
4-56
Practice
Blogging
4
4-3
Review
Instructor choice
4
4-29 through 4-32
Practice
Instructor choice
4
4-33 through 4-36
Practice
Instructor choice
4
4-37 through 4-39
Practice
Instructor choice
4
4-40 through 4-44
Practice
Instructor choice
4
4-45 through 4-47
Practice
Instructor choice
4
4-57
Practice
Social networking
4
4-91
Analysis
MyBCommLab
5
4-4
Review
Instructor choice
5
4-48 through 4-51
Practice
Instructor choice
5
4-58
Practice
Email
6
4-5
Review
Instructor choice
6
4-9
Analysis
Instructor choice
6
4-52 through 4-53
Practice
Instructor choice
6
Critique the Professionals
Analysis
Instructor choice
7
4-6
Review
Instructor choice
7
4-10
Analysis
Instructor choice
7
4-59
Practice
Email
n/a
4-60 through 4-74
Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics,
and Usage
n/a
n/a
4-78 through 4-89
Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics,
and Usage
Instructor choice
n/a
Level 3: Document
Critique
Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics,
and Usage
Instructor choice
Chapter 5
LO
Question/Exercise
Learning Experience
Communication Task
Medium/channel
1
5-1
Review
Instructor choice
1
5-2
Review
Instructor choice
1
5-8
Analysis
Instructor choice
1
5-9
Analysis
Instructor choice
1
5-64
Analysis, teamwork
Word processing
1
5-65
Analysis, teamwork
Word processing
1
Sharpen Your Career
Skills Online
Analysis
Email or blogging
1
5-100
Analysis
MyBCommLab
2
5-3
Review
Instructor choice
2
5-67
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-4
Review
Instructor choice
3
5-13 through 5-15
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-16 through 5-19
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-20 through 5-22
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-23 through 5-25
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-26 through 5-29
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-30 through 5-31
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-32 through 5-35
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-36 through 5-39
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-40 through 5-43
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-44 through 5-47
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-48 through 5-51
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-52 through 5-55
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-56 through 5-59
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-60 through 5-63
Practice
Instructor choice
3
5-66
Practice, ethical analysis
Blogging
4
5-5
Review
Instructor choice
4
5-10
Analysis
Instructor choice
4
5-11
Analysis
Instructor choice
4
Critique the Professionals
Analysis
Instructor choice
4
5-101
Analysis
MyBCommLab
5
5-6
Review
Instructor choice
5
5-68
Analysis
Blogging
5
5-68
Practice
Word processing
6
5-7
Review
Instructor choice
6
5-12
Analysis
Instructor choice
n/a
5-70 through 5-84
Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics,
and Usage
n/a
n/a
5-85 through 5-99
Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics,
and Usage
Instructor choice
n/a
Level 3: Document
Critique
Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics,
and Usage
Instructor choice
Lesson Plan Foundation
5. Digital and Social Media
These lesson plan foundations provide core materials that you can integrate into an existing
lesson plan or use to build a new plan. Each foundation covers roughly a week’s worth of
subject matter, which you can adapt to your course schedule, teaching style, and other
individual requirements. The material is based on a specific Bovée & Thill edition, making it easy
to assign the suggested readings and activities from the text. Comprehensive lecture notes and
answers to student activities from the text are available in the Instructor’s Resource Manual.
Overview
This lesson plan foundation corresponds to Chapter 6, Crafting Messages for Digital
Channels, which introduces the nine compositional modes for digital media and
covers the business use of social networks, email, instant messaging, blogging,
microblogging, and podcasting.
Core Messages for Students
• Digital media options continue to expand, but printed messages still have an important role in business
communication.
• You will use up to nine distinct modes of composition with digital media, from super-short teasers up to
comprehensive tutorials, narratives, and reference materials.
• The three-step writing process is easy to adapt to all digital media formats.
• Even though it is being replaced in some applications with other digital technologies, email continues to
be a primary tool for business communication.
• Many companies use various messaging technologies to handle conversational exchanges and to support
collaborative work efforts.
For Business
Communication
Essentials, 8th edition
Learning Objectives
The objectives for this lesson align with Chapter 6:
1. Identify the major digital channels used for brief business messages, and describe the nine compositional
modes needed for digital media.
3. Explain how companies and business professionals can use content-sharing websites.
5. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of business messaging, and identify guidelines for effective
messaging in the workplace.
7. Explain how to adapt the three-step writing process for podcasts.
Learning Objectives: Check Your Progress on page 151 of Chapter 6 summarizes the learning objectives for
students.
Assumptions
This lesson shows students how to apply the three-step writing process to a variety of digital and social media, so
Resources
In the Instructor’s Resource Manual (available online at the Pearson Instructor Resource Center; see below):
• Lecture notes, keyed to the learning objective from each major section in the chapter
• Class discussion questions (embedded in the lecture notes)
• Answers to highlight box questions
On Bovée & Thill’s Business Communication Blog
• Original articles on teaching business communication
• A wide variety of free media resources, from videos to infographics, available via Real-Time Updates
• Business communication instructor communities on LinkedIn and Facebook
On Pearson’s Instructor Resource Center
• Instructor’s Resource Manual
• PowerPoint slides for classroom use
Readings from the Text
Here are the major sections in the chapter, each linked to a learning objective. If you want to reduce the time you
spend on this lesson, the easiest way is to drop a learning objective and its associated readings (and end–of–
chapter activities, which are all keyed by learning objective). We’ve highlighted some of the most important figures
and tables to discuss in each section as well. Note that page numbers here refer to the standard edition; if you use
a custom edition, your page numbers will likely differ.
Learning Objective 1: Identify the major digital channels used for brief business messages, and describe the nine
compositional modes needed for digital media.
• Media Choices for Brief Messages, page 136
• Compositional Modes for Digital and Social Media, pages 136–137
Learning Objective 2: Describe the use of social networks in business communication.
• Social Networks (overview), page 140
Learning Objective 3: Explain how companies and business professionals can use content-sharing websites.
• User-Generated Content Sites, pages 142–143
Learning Objective 4: Describe the evolving role of email in business communication, and explain how to adapt the
three-step writing process to email messages.
• Email (overview), pages 143, 146
• Planning Email Messages, page 146
Learning Objective 5: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of business messaging, and identify guidelines
for effective messaging in the workplace.
• Messaging (overview), page 148
Learning Objective 6: Describe the use of blogging and microblogging in business communication, and briefly
explain how to adapt the three-step process to blogging.
• Communication Matters, page 135
• Blogging and Microblogging (overview), pages 150–151
Learning Objective 7: Explain how to adapt the three-step writing process for podcasts.
• Podcasting, pages 155–157
Instructional Sequence
Here is a suggested sequence of discussions and activities. You can supplement this with personal anecdotes,
communication examples “ripped from the headlines” (including media materials available on Real-Time Updates),
and additional exercises and activities from the end of the chapter.
1. Opening hook: The topics in this lesson offer several opportunities for lecture focus and in-class activities,
2. First activity: Depending on the message type you’ve chosen, you can lead a brainstorming session on the
3. Lecture: Social networking, blogging, and microblogging share a lot of traits in terms of planning and
4. Discussion: A discussion period can focus on how the message you’ve chosen should be shaped by the
5. Concluding activity: A good concluding activity for this lesson is to write a headline (or introductory
tweet) for the material you’ve drafted during the lesson. This provides an opportunity for students to
Suggested Questions and Exercises
Here are the student activities from Chapter 6, sorted by learning objective. Use this table to find activities that
encourage specific types of learning experiences, communication tasks, or media choices.
Note: The Syllabus Assistant in the Bovée & Thill QuickSwitch system offers a comprehensive set of assessment
criteria for all three aspects of student performance: written communication, oral communication and
presentations, and professionalism/participation.
LO
Question/Exercise
Learning Experience
Medium/channel
1
6-1
Review
n/a
1
6-6
Analysis
Instructor choice
1
6-13
Practice
Instructor choice
1
6-15 through 6-19
Practice
Instructor choice
1
6-41
Practice
Messaging
1
6-44
Practice
Microblogging
1
6-45
Practice
Microblogging
2
6-2
Review
n/a
2
6-7
Analysis
Instructor choice
2
6-8
Analysis
Instructor choice
2
6-27
Practice
Social networking
2
6-35
Practice
Social networking
2
6-36
Practice
Social networking
2
6-78
Analysis
MyBCommLab
4
6-3
Review
n/a
4
6-20 through 6-22
Practice
Instructor choice
4
6-28
Practice
Email
4
6-37
Practice
Email, mobile
4
6-38
Practice, teamwork
Email
4
6-39
Practice, teamwork
Email
4
6-40
Practice
Email
5
6-23 through 6-26
Practice
Instructor choice
5
6-29
Practice
Messaging
5
6-41
Practice
Messaging
6
6-4
Review
n/a
6
6-5
Review
n/a
6
6-9
Analysis
Instructor choice
6
6-10
Analysis
Instructor choice
6
6-11
Analysis
Instructor choice
6
6-12
Analysis
Instructor choice
6
6-14
Practice
Instructor choice
6
6-30
Practice
Blogging
6
6-31
Practice
Blogging
6
6-32
Practice
Microblogging
6
6-42
Practice
Blogging
6
6-43
Practice
Blogging
6
6-44
Practice
Microblogging
6
6-45
Practice
Microblogging
6
6-79
Analysis
MyBCommLab
7
6-33
Practice
Podcasting
7
6-34
Practice
Podcasting
7
6-46
Practice
Podcasting
7
6-47
Practice
Podcasting
LO
Question/Exercise
Learning Experience
Communication Task
Medium/channel
n/a
6-48 through 6-62
Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics,
and Usage
n/a
n/a
n/a
6-63 through 6-77
Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics,
and Usage
Instructor choice
n/a
Level 3: Document
Critique
Improve Your Grammar, Mechanics,
and Usage
Instructor choice
Lesson Plan Foundation
6. Routine, Positive, and Negative Messages
These lesson plan foundations provide core materials that you can integrate into an existing
lesson plan or use to build a new plan. Each foundation covers roughly a week’s worth of
subject matter, which you can adapt to your course schedule, teaching style, and other
individual requirements. The material is based on a specific Bovée & Thill edition, making it easy
to assign the suggested readings and activities from the text. Comprehensive lecture notes and
answers to student activities from the text are available in the Instructor’s Resource Manual.
Overview
This lesson plan foundation corresponds to Chapter 7, Writing Routine and Positive
Messages, which focuses on writing routine requests (those most suitable for the
direct approach) and routine and positive messages, and Chapter 8, Writing Negative
Messages, in which the content is unwelcome information for the sender, the
receiver, or both.
Core Messages for Students
• Whether they are requests or information-sharing messages, most routine messages can be addressed
with the direct approach—but remember that using the direct approach doesn’t mean being blunt or
demanding.
• For routine requests, state your request up front, explain and justify it as needed, then end courteously
with a request for specific action.
• For routine and positive messages, the format is similar: Open with the main idea, provide whatever
supporting information the audience and situation require, then end with a courteous close.
• Some types of routine and positive messages have specific considerations, particularly those with
potential legal ramifications (such as letters of recommendation) and those with a strong emotional
component (condolence messages in particular).
• With the direct approach for negative messages, you open with the bad news, then offer reasons to
explain it, provide any additional information that will help the audience react to and process the news,
then close on a respectful note.
• With the indirect approach, you open with a neutral statement known as a buffer and lay out the reasons
behind the bad news before presenting the news itself.
• The range of negative messages types is quite broad, from rejecting job applicants to responding in a
crisis, so be sure to familiarize yourself with the nuances of each type.
For Business
Communication
Essentials, 8th edition
Learning Objectives
The objectives for this lesson encompass the learning objectives from Chapters 7 and 8. To compress the material
to fit your available class time, you can emphasize particular objectives based on your course goals and student
skill levels. Here are the learning objectives for the two chapters, tagged for two options:
Option A: If you want to focus on routine messages to help your students develop these fundamental skills
Option B: If your students are fairly comfortable with routine messages and you’d like to focus on the more
challenging task of negative messages
A
B
Chapter 7: Writing Routine and Positive Messages
8. Outline an effective strategy for writing routine business requests.
9. Describe three common types of routine requests.
10. Outline an effective strategy for writing routine replies, routine messages, and positive messages.
11. Describe seven common types of routine replies and positive messages.
A
B
Chapter 8: Writing Negative Messages
7. Apply the three-step writing process to negative messages.
8. Explain how to use the direct approach effectively when conveying negative news.
9. Explain how to use the indirect approach effectively when conveying negative news, and explain how to avoid
ethical problems when using this approach.
10. Describe successful strategies for sending negative messages on routine business matters.
11. Describe successful strategies for sending negative employment-related messages.
12. List the important points to consider when conveying negative organizational news.
13. Describe an effective strategy for responding to negative information in a social media environment.
Learning Objectives: Check Your Progress on page 182 of Chapter 7 and on page 211 of Chapter 8 summarize the
learning objectives for students.
Assumptions
This lesson builds on the three-step writing process covered in Lessons 3 and 4, so it should be presented after
Resources
In the Instructor’s Resource Manual (available online at the Pearson Instructor Resource Center; see below):
• Lecture notes, keyed to the learning objective from each major section in the chapter
• Class discussion questions (embedded in the lecture notes)
• Answers to highlight box questions
On Bovée & Thill’s Business Communication Blog
• Original articles on teaching business communication
• A wide variety of free media resources, from videos to infographics, available via Real-Time Updates
• Business communication instructor communities on LinkedIn and Facebook
• Curated online magazines
On Pearson’s Instructor Resource Center
• Instructor’s Resource Manual
• PowerPoint slides for classroom use
Readings from the Text
Here are the major sections in Chapters 7 and 8, each linked to a learning objective. If you want to reduce the time
you spend on this lesson, the easiest way is to drop a learning objective and its associated readings (and end–of–
chapter activities, which are all keyed by learning objective). We’ve highlighted some of the most important figures
and tables to discuss in each section as well. Note that page numbers here refer to the standard edition; if you use
a custom edition, your page numbers will likely differ.
Chapter 7
Learning Objective 1: Outline an effective strategy for writing routine business requests.
• Strategy for Routine Requests (overview), page 168
• Open with Your Request, page 168
• Explain and Justify Your Request, page 168
• Request Specific Action in a Courteous Close, page 168
Learning Objective 2: Describe three common types of routine requests.
• Answering Requests for Information and Action, page 174
• Granting Claims and Requests for Adjustment, including Figure 7.4 (on page 176), pages 174–175
• Providing Recommendations and References, including Figure 7.5 (on page 177), page 175
• Sharing Routine Information, pages 175–178
• Writing Instructions, page 178
Chapter 8
Learning Objective 1: Apply the three-step writing process to negative messages.
• Using the Three-Step Writing Process for Negative Messages (overview), page 192
• Step 1: Planning Negative Messages, including Figures 8.1 and 8.2 (on page 194), pages 192–193
• Step 2: Writing Negative Messages, including Table 8.1 (on page 194), page 193
• Step 3: Completing Negative Messages, page 193
Learning Objective 2: Explain how to use the direct approach effectively when conveying negative news.
• Using the Direct Approach for Negative Messages (overview), page 194
• Open with a Clear Statement of the Bad News, page 195
• Provide Reasons and Additional Information, page 195
• Close on a Respectful Note, page 196
Learning Objective 3: Explain how to use the indirect approach effectively when conveying negative news, and
explain how to avoid ethical problems when using this approach.
• Refusing Claims and Requests for Adjustment, including Figure 8.5 (on page 203), page 202
Learning Objective 5: Describe successful strategies for sending negative employment-related messages.
• Refusing Requests for Recommendation, pages 202–204
• Refusing Social Networking Recommendation Requests, pages 204–205
• Rejecting Job Applications, including Figure 8.6, pages 205–206
Instructional Sequence
Here are two suggested sequences of discussions and activities, one that focuses on routine messages and one
that focuses on negative messages. You can supplement either of them with personal anecdotes, communication
examples “ripped from the headlines” (including media materials available on Real-Time Updates), and additional
exercises and activities from the end of the chapter.
Focusing on routine messages (Option A)
1. Opening hook: The emphasis on efficiency and productivity with routine messages provides an
2. First activity: Flesh out the opening scenario with enough context to enable students to use that
information to write a message (identifying the target audience, for example). Give students a tight time
limit and instruct them to draft a message using the information you’ve provided. They won’t show these
3. Lecture: Cover the key points from the chapter, going into as many routine message types as time allows.
4. Discussion: Ask students to describe the difficulties they faced in the fast-writing activity and explain how
they solved them, if they were able to. For example, many writers find that the first sentence in a
message can be the most difficult to write. A good workaround is to write the rest of the message first
5. Concluding activity: Students can now apply what they’ve learned from your lecture and the discussion