Flat Stanley Projects
For middle school students in rural America, the idea of traveling to new places is quite appealing. Since the rigors of academic life confine diligent students to school, eighth graders in Mrs. Schlegel's English class at Aplington Middle School participate in a project that enables them to travel vicariously, using a paper version of themselves, based on the character Flat Stanley in a book by the same name.
In September, Mrs. Schlegel sets the stage for this project by sharing the humorous first few chapters from Jeff Brown's book. The chapters chronicle the adventures of a small boy, squashed flat by a falling bulletin board, as he travels in an envelope to visit a friend. Despite the fact that the story is geared toward younger readers, the students see the fun in creating an adventure for themselves by allowing their paper counterparts to travel and send back journal entries, pictures and even presents for them.
After hearing the introduction to Flat Stanley, each student decorates (dresses) the front side of a paper cutout person. The backside of the cutout contains information, including the student's age, a place the student would like to visit, and an area of interest. Each student provides this information so that the recipient of the letter can respond appropriately to the student. Directions for the project and the paper cutout are then mailed to a family member or family friend who is asked to keep a journal entry while the flat student is visiting. The journal entry often contains activities of the host family, information about the host family's community, and other interesting facts. Frequently the host family sends postcards or photos of the flat student's adventures. Presents even arrive periodically. Eighth graders have received such gifts as T-shirts, key chains, and CDs. Some of the most unusual gifts have included a bird's net from Africa, a novel signed by the author, and 100 pounds of stickers! Once a host family has entertained a flat student, the journal and other items are mailed back to Aplington while the directions and paper cutout are sent to yet another host family. Thus, quite often, students receive mail from helpful people they have never met.
As the school year progresses, a world map in the back of Mrs. Schlegel's classroom begins to fill up with colored pins that mark locations of flat students' travels. Several of the classroom bulletin boards display the letters, photos, and memorabilia as they arrive back in Polo. Throughout the year, students eagerly anticipate word from their flat counterpart, hoping that an envelope or package might be awaiting them when they arrive at school. The arrival of such mail means that, at least for a short while, students are transported to another place, seeing sights they might not otherwise have a chance to explore.