The Adventures of Flat Stanley
Dear Parents,
In the next few weeks, the first grade classes will be reading a book titled Flat
Stanley written by Jeff Brown. In the story, a first grade boy becomes flattened
by a bulletin board. He then gets sent on several adventures through the mail! Be
sure to ask your child about all of the crazy things that happen to Stanley along
the way!
We have a fun project to accompany this story, but it requires your help and
creativity. During American Education Week in November (see attached
information), your child will be making his or her own “Flat Stanley”. They will then
send Stanley to a friend or relative who lives far away to hopefully continue his
adventure. This project is an exciting way to learn about geography, mapping skills,
and it allows us to reinforce our writing skills through friendly letters and other
correspondence. Here is how the project works:
1.
Please help your child decide with whom they would like Stanley to visit.
Hopefully, it is someone who lives outside of Virginia, or maybe even in a
different country! We’ll be tracking his journeys on a map. In the past, he
has traveled as far away as Japan and Germany!
2.
Please have your child bring in the name and complete address of
Stanley’s host by Wednesday, November 11. Simply detach the form
and return it to school with your child. We will use this form as the actual
mailing label, so please write clearly and make sure to have the complete
address. If preferable, you can email me the information.
3.
We will send Stanley on his way on or around November 24. We are hoping
he will stay for about 2 weeks and return home with a letter about his
travels and adventures. On previous voyages, Stanley has returned with
souvenirs, postcards, maps, actual pictures of him with his hosts, and
pictures of where he went. He has even returned with seashells and sand
from Florida, beads from Mardi Gras, and a cowboy outfit from Dallas! This
year, we want to concentrate on maps and taking a close look at Stanley’s
travels. Maps of the areas he visits will be appreciated as well.
4.
You may wish to contact Flat Stanley’s host beforehand to “warn” them of
his arrival and answer any questions they may have. You will want to send
him to someone who will really have fun with him.
We would also like to request some supplies to help make this project possible.
If you could send in any of the following items by Friday, November 13, we
would be most appreciative.
 buttons
 denim and khaki fabric for Stanley’s pants
 flannel or cotton print fabric for Stanley’s shirts
 scrap book paper (solid colors) for Stanley’s shoes
Thank you for your help and creative input on this exciting project. Students
often consider this to be one of the most fun projects we do in school this year,
especially when Stanley comes back from his adventure. Please feel free to
contact us with any questions you may have about this project. We would like to
see every child participate in this project.
Sincerely,
The First Grade Team
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Flat Stanley’s Mailing label for Host’s Address
Student’s Name_______________________________________
Parent’s Signature______________________________________
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