The cost of a map of the U.S., floor puzzle, art supplies and other supplies is $735, including shipping and <a target="new" href="http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm" onclick="g_openWindow('http://www.donorschoose.org/html/fulfillment.htm', 300, 800, 'fulfillwindow');return false;">fulfillment</a>.
I am a Kindergarten teacher at Sangaree Elementary School in Summerville, South Carolina. I have 25 students in my class.
The activity I wish to do will help my students visually see that the United States is made up of 50 states and one of those 50 states is South Carolina. My students are having a very difficult time understanding this, which was brought to my attention vividly before we began our Christmas Break. I am from West Virginia and I was explaining to my students that I would be traveling home for the holidays. Many of my students had looks of confusion on their faces when I discussed how I would be traveling in a car for 9 hours and going through four different states to reach my father's house.
The activities I have planned require much needed resources for the learning project to be a success. My plan is to use Flat Stanley in helping me teach my students about the United States. First I will read the book Flat Stanley to my students. Then my students will create their own Flat Stanley adventure! Using a reproducible Flat Stanley, the students will color him and prepare him for his travel. I will have each student bring in 2 addresses (outside of South Carolina) for Stanley to travel to. I will have addresses available for the students who do not have friends or family outside of South Carolina for Stanley to visit. As a class we will develop a letter to be mailed along with Flat Stanley. (While writing our letter we will discuss the correct letter writing format). The letter writing activity will help my students with the concept that words are made up of sounds and each letter has its own sound. We will then discuss the correct way to address an envelope. With the aid of classroom volunteers we will address each envelope and then send Stanley on his adventure. While visiting his new friends, Stanley will travel with them. I will ask that Stanley be taken to interesting places and, while he is there, for pictures to be taken of Stanley in his new environment. At the end of one week, the visiting family will be asked to send Stanley, the pictures, and a letter explaining Stanley's adventure back to our class (I will include a pre-addressed, stamped envelope for Stanley to be sent in). When Stanley arrives back, we will find the state he visited and mark it on the map. We will then share the pictures and letter. We will compare the state Stanley visited to South Carolina. (I will research the states Stanley has traveled to prior to our discussions so I will be able to provide interesting facts and history to the students).
I hope that you will be able to help me with this great learning activity. I need to purchase a large map of the United States, flag push pins or stickers to mark Stanley's adventure, envelopes for Stanley's travels, stamps to mail Stanley, stationary for our letters explaining our project, and art supplies for the students to decorate Stanley.
I work in a middle class school. I would estimate that under half of my students have ever traveled outside of South Carolina. I think this experience would be a wonderful and exciting way for my students to learn about the 50 states that make up the United States.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. M. and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.