KATE

August 1, 2009

Flat and Fabulous

Core Connections

By:  Sara Krimple, McCracken County Schools

Is it possible that a little, flat, paper doll could change the whole dynamic inside of a classroom full of spirited youth? Many classrooms across the country are finding out about just how fabulous this paper boy, named Flat Stanley can be. All too often, teachers get stuck in their same routines and get used to teaching inside their own four walls. However, just by incorporating the book Flat Stanley, by Jeff Brown into class curriculum, a whole plethora of options and possibilities are instantly made available. If a classroom teacher is open to new and innovative ways to teach curriculum and willing to take learning outside of the classroom, then the Flat Stanley project is a definite to do.

The book Flat Stanley is about a little boy that is accidentally flattened when a bulletin board falls on him. Stanley is "as flat as a pancake" but otherwise okay. As the story unfolds, Stanley discovers some real advantages to being flat. He can slide under doors, go down into sidewalk grates and even fold himself up small enough to fit into an envelope and be mailed to another state! Unfortunately, classroom teachers are not able to take twenty something field trips in a year's time, so why not have students make some paper dolls and mail them out as a way of learning some new material or reviewing previous content? 

 

Flat Stanley has a long history of exciting adventures that trace back all the way to 1964. He has been all over the world, as well as met some very famous individuals. At the 2005 Oscar ceremony, actor Clint Eastwood even had photographs taken with Flat Stanley. Flat Stanley can be incorporated into the classroom through just about all of the core content areas and is an incredible learning tool that engages students in a way they are sure to never forget. There are also a variety of ways to incorporate technology into whichever avenue the project takes. Listed below are a few sites to help you get started on a Flat Stanley project and several ideas for a technology rich unit. Waste no more time on textbooks and worksheets and dive right in to one of the most useful and productive projects available to teachers across the globe.

Related Links

• The Official Flat Stanley Project - The international literacy and community building activity for students of all ages, teachers and families.
• The Flat Stanley Project -  This website will allow you to get started on your own Slat Stanley Project.

   

  
  

Related Lesson Plans, Activities, and Classroom Resources

• Flat Stanley Goes High Tech
• Flat Stanley Literature Unit
• FLAT STANLEY COMES ALIVE
• Flat Stanley Hollywood Squares Game
• Community Workers Photo Story