Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Teacher Information | Credits
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Introduction | Task | Process | Evaluation | Conclusion | Teacher Information | Credits
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Postcards from the States
Do you remember the excitment of receiving a letter or postcard from a relative? Maybe you found it in the mailbox or it was handed to you by a parent. What a great feeling it was knowing that someone cared enough about you to send something to you through the mail.
This feeling could be experienced by your class by fifty times if this unit is taught!
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Top of Page)The desired end of the unit will be a bulletin board map of the United States with a postcard attached representing each state along with stickers on the state in which each student was born.
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1. Listen to and learn to sing the song "Fifty Nifty United States".
2. Observe the map of the United States on the bulletin board.
Discussions of the different states and their location in reference to Idaho can be an ongoing lesson as postcards arrive.
3. Place a sticker on the state in which each child was born.
Stickers can identify boys and girls. A graphing lesson could then determine the number of boys vs. girls that were born in a state.
4. Brainstorm a letter to be sent to parents asking them to identify states from which a postcard could be sent by relatives (addresses would be requested).
A check off list will need to be composed to keep track of the states letters to which letters will be sent. A letter can be sent to a Chamber of Commerce in the state requesting a postcard if no one has relatives in the state.
5. Compare and contrast three postcards and determine what kind of postcard would best identify the state from where it is sent.
Students will be shown three postcards from Idaho. One will clearly have the name of the state on the front. Students will need to decide that the card with the name on the front should be requested. It would then be easy for the students to match the name on the front of the card with the state on the map.
6. Brainstorm letter to send out requesting the postcard.
Students will need to include in their letter the reason for the request, the type of postcard needed and where to send the card. This process should be guided by the teacher.
7. Students will write the name of the person to whom the letter will be sent and sign the letter.
After the letter has been composed, it will be typed and copied for the students to finish before putting into envelopes.
8. Students will walk to the post office to mail the letters.
A trip to the post office may include a tour.
9. As postcards arrive, students will find the appropriate state on the map and the card will be affixed to the bulletin board.
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There will be no formal assessment with this unit. Teacher observations of each student's level of participation and understanding of the map of the United States will be noted.
The students should have a better understanding of the United States as a whole upon completion of this unit. They should be able to find the state in which they were born and also the state in which they live.
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Grade Level(s): Kindergarten
Subject(s): Social Studies, Math, Language Arts
Length of project: Approximately two weeks to get the letters sent, probably up to one month to receive all of the postcards
Teaching models used: Inquiry, compare/contrast
Extensions to additional grades and subjects: This unit can be extended for any grade level. Students can write their own letters, research the state, write reports, obtain state road maps, make a graph to show which states have been visited by classmates plus any number of activities.
Idaho Standards addressed in this unit include:
Social Studies:
Math:
Language Arts:
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Websites for maps and books:
Outline Map:
http://geography.about.com/od/findmaps/
Books: Let's Visit the Post Office by Johnston
Will Goes to the Post Office by Landstrom
The Post Office Book: Mail and How it Moves by Gibbons
Song: "Fifty Nifty United States"
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Based on a template from The WebQuest Page