Flat Stanley is a short chapter book that is great to share in your classroom! The Flat Stanley project lends itself so well to integrating different subjects. You can learn more about that in the Flat Stanley project blog post. Here are some ways that Flat Stanley lessons can be used across the curriculum.
Flat Stanley Lessons for Social Studies
After you send out all the Flat Stanleys, you are going to start getting some awesome mail back! Depending on where you send your Flat Stanleys, you will be receiving information from all over the country and even the world.
Hang maps up on the wall and even give your students their own maps to keep track of Stanley’s adventures. They can color in the areas where Stanley has visited. This will give them a visual of how far he has traveled.
Another way to incorporate geography skills into your Flat Stanley project is to keep fact sheets for all the places Stanley has visited. You can send these fact sheets in the envelopes with the Flat Stanleys that you mail. Or you can have students research the information in class.
Flat Stanley Lessons for Writing
Another Flat Stanley lesson that you can use in your classroom is how to write a letter. Have your students write a letter to their Flat Stanley recipient. This is a great opportunity to teach your kids how a friendly letter is set up. As a class, you can brainstorm what should be included in the letter.
Real-World Skills
The Flat Stanley project also lends itself to some great real-world skills for your students as well!
Addressing Envelopes
When students are ready to mail out their Flat Stanley, have them address their own envelope! Talk about how an envelope is set up – address, return address, stamp, etc.
I recommend having students practice writing the address on a piece of paper first. This way you won’t waste any envelopes!
Sending a Thank You Note
Another real-world skill that you can incorporate into your Flat Stanley lessons is the importance of sending a thank you note. Have a class discussion on how others have helped them learn about the world around them.
Brainstorm together what should be written in this particular type of thank you note. Then, have them write the note or card independently. This also provides another opportunity to practice addressing an envelope!
