Flat Stanley Project

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Why Trade Flats?

  1. map & geography skills -- Identify your flat's destination on a map; you can even chart all of the flat's adventures on a master map.
  2. writing skills-- Keeping a journal for the visiting flat, explaining your activities, is an fun way to get your kids writing! The expectation for a goody packet in return is good motivation.
  3. learn about different cultures-- If you're fortunate enough to have an international trade, your children will learn about the daily life in another country.
  4. responsibility-- Keeping up with the flat and sticking to the agreed upon length of stay are both areas where your child can grow in responsibility.
  5. collections and organization -- Storing the postcards and stamps you receive into a collection is a great hobby for kids!
  6. history comes alive -- At various times I've been able to reference our flat adventures to make a city or state more real to my daughter, "Remember when we sent Flat Bloom to London? That's the city where this story takes place -- in England." Then we can even pull out our goody package and review the photos, postcards, and brochures.
Here is a great "Get Starting" guide that one of my Homeschool groups on facebook (Homschool Swapping Adventures) use:

A flat traveler is a person, animal, or thing made out of paper(cardstock) that travels (via mail) to a family in another area, state, or country.  This is a fun way to learn about geography, history, commuities, people, cultures....and more!
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Make your travelers and color them.  Be as creative as you like. Travelers are in various sizes and shapes. Some are pictures of people, animals, and cartoon characters, while others are paper dolls dressed in their finest.

Write your name, address, and email address on the back of your traveler.  If your traveler is separated from the envelope, the host family will know who he/she belongs to.

Laminate your traveler.  Laminating will keep your traveler clean and safe while going through the United States Postal and Overseas Systems.  Lamination paper is inexpensive and can be easily found at many department stores, craft stores and office supply stores or you could use clear contact paper.

Choose your host family for your traveler from the event calendar for the current month.  Decide on a time frame for returning your traveler home.

Prepare your journal page(s) or blank paper.  You can add questions you would like answered and put in lines for the answers or you can just put blank lines for the host to fill in as they see fit.

Now you are ready to put it all together!  Address your envelope carefully, please keep in mind that the larger the envelope, the higher the cost of shipping will be.

Add your traveler and journal page(s) to your envelope.  Add the proper postage and put your traveler in the mail.  Email the host family that your traveler is on its way.
Stay in contact with the host family through private email.
General Info
http://heartofthematteronline.com/flat-traveling
http://www.squidoo.com/flattravelers

Create A Journal
http://www.kid-at-art.com/htdoc/lesson72.html
http://www.mrsnelsonsclass.com/downloads/pdf/travelingbuddies/wheredowelive.pdf
http://www.mrsnelsonsclass.com/downloads/pdf/travelingbuddies/journal.pdf

Travel CD Case
http://www.kid-at-art.com/htdoc/lesson74.html

Paper Doll Templates
http://www.makingfriends.com/friends/f_themes.htm

Passports for your Flat Traveler
http://satorismiles.com/2009/04/03/pretend-passports-a-great-homeschool-tool/
http://www.sproutonline.com/currentSite/mailman/crafts.html
http://www.scribd.com/doc/13091164/US-State-Seals-for-Pretend-Passport

Flat Stanley Book
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061129046?ie=UTF8&tag=heaofthemat-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061129046

Flat Stanley Project
http://www.flatstanley.com/
http://www.flatstanley.com/curriculum/curriculum_themes.htm

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