Lesson Three: Sex Trafficking Advocacy Letters

Grade Level: 9th - 12th

Timing: 50 minutes



At this point students have enough knowledge about the issue to step into the role of human rights defenders and become advocates for change. This lesson equips students with the tools to take a stand against sex trafficking through letter writing to community leaders and politicians in their communities and abroad.


Essential Questions

●      Can writing to our local community leaders and politicians have an impact on sex trafficking? If so, in what ways can we measure impact?

●      Can your personal advocacy make an impact?


Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

●      Work in groups to write an advocacy letters to politicians

●      Integrate words from their personal word lists written during Lesson One into their letters

●      Write advocacy letters using the words from their word list from the photo reflection lesson


Common Core

Standards Met:





Subject areas where the topic can be included: History, Current Events, Torture, Mapping, something about viewing photos?



Sex Trafficking: a form of slavery and involuntary servitude resulting in grave human rights violations.

Advocacy: the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal.  


I.  Advocacy Letter Writing: (30- 45 min.)  

Step One

Have students break into groups of three and give each group an Advocacy Letter Template.

Share with students that in their groups they will create one advocacy letter toward ending sex trafficking.

Step Two

Remind students they can choose to advocate for:

●       stronger laws to punish traffickers (Senator/Representative)

●       services to improve the lives of trafficked women and children with counseling, housing, educational, and occupational opportunity (Social Service Agencies)

●      assisting trafficked women and children with immigration issues, restitution of wages, or education on legal process (Lawyers and Legal Institutions)

●       providing trafficked women and children with medical services and mental health care (Hospitals and Clinics)

●       increasing awareness of this issue within their school community (Principal)

Step Three

As students compose their letters, ask them to reflect on the following questions:

●      What is your objective? 

●      What do you want your letter to achieve?

●      What is the message you want to convey? 

●      What relevant data can you use to support your message?

●      How does this issue impact you on a personal level? (Use the reflections from the photo exhibit from this lesson and narratives from Lesson Two.) 

●      In order to write an effective advocacy letter you should be specific, persuade with logic and emotion, limit the letter to one page, be polite and thank the recipient for their consideration, and make sure to check spelling and grammar.


Before the end of class, group members should assign each other tasks for homework so that they will be able to complete their advocacy letters during the following day. This can include drafting particular sections of the letter as well as continued research for facts and or data to support their ideas.



Students will continue the work on their letters as assigned within the groups.