My name is Tara Carter and I have a second grade class of students in San Antonio, Texas. After the events of 9-11, I was reading the book Flat Stanley and decided to have our class send a large, paper Stanley to Afghanistan along with letters to the troops, the book and a camera. We were so excited as e-mails started coming from Kandihar and we were able to see Stanley all the way across the world. This literature lesson became a social studies adventure for Stanley and the kids in our school who were just becoming more aware of the conflict in Afghanistan. I believe it helped our children to have a clearer picture of events in the middle east and the writing connection brought home the fact that Americans were over there protecting them from danger. It was a chance to thank the soldiers for their hard work and an opportunity to see a story character in action with the soldiers.

  

  

This year's second graders are doing the same project with a newer Stanley who will be traveling to a Naval Hospital ship in the Persian Gulf.  We are looking forward to seeing our Stanley on the ship as his newest adventure unfolds via e-mail, letters from the troops and pictures. Stanley is quite the world traveler! 

 

Thank you,

Tara Carter, second grade teacher