So… a lot of people have been asking about the Flat Stanley project and holy cow was it super successful this year! First, you can find more information here. But I can tell you how I’ve been doing it for the past three years.
The first time, was kind of ghetto. The project went great, but it was kind of last minute and not all of the Stanleys arrived in time (which seems to be a trend). Anyway, I just had my students draw Stanleys to send to America and that was that. I included a special worksheet about Kazakhstan, different facts, etc. It wasn’t really a writing project, just more of something fun for the kids.
The second time, we actually turned it into a writing project and I worked with 2 local teachers on the project. I still did most of the lesson plan. So, first I told the students the story of Stanley… how he became flat, etc and then how awesome it was that he could travel by mail anywhere and he didn’t need a visa or a passport! Then, we helped the students write their letters with a template on the board and then had them draw their Stanleys once they were finished writing their letters. Then I mailed all the letters to my mom in addressed envelopes to other friends and family in the US and then my Mom mailed them all stateside (saves me so much money, THANKS MOM!). Then, you just wait for all of the packages to arrive. This time I only sent an instructional letter with the Stanleys.
The third time, most recently, I was able to finally give over the reigns to two classroom teachers at my new school in Karaganda (trying to make the project sustainable). I did the project myself with two of my 6th grade classes and then 2 other teachers did the project themselves with 5th and 6th grades of their own. This made the project even cooler because we could include so many more kids! 
We again, made it a writing project by first explaining the story of Stanley and then having the kids write letters. This year though, we had them include some information about themselves, their favorite color, food, etc. Just some fun facts! It made it even more fun for the kiddos.
THANK YOU!
I really want to thank EVERYONE who has participated in this project. Not only do you get to share part of our culture with kids in Kazakhstan, but this is something they will keep and cherish forever. I can’t explain to you their facial expression or the words coming out of their mouths or just the general excitement for the rest of the day. The entire school was just buzzing with interest and excitement! I also want to thank friends and family that have participated all three times in the Stanley project. Your kindness and generosity is unmatched and I really appreciate the time you spent putting your scrapbooks together, the extra candy you sent and the love you put into making this project a huge success!
Can’t wait to give you a huge hug when we get back in December! Thanks so much!
