PBS Teachers™
Social Studies Theme: Mail / Post Office
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 Go to more social studies related thematic units: Social Studies Themes Go to thematic units for all subjects: The Monthly Theme Archive |
View:
Barney - "Waiting for Mr. MacRooney"
Robert and the other children are waiting for Mr. MacRooney, the mail carrier, to arrive. To pass the
time, they learn about the post office, make cookies for Mr. MacRooney, and play a game.
Reading Rainbow - "Hail to Mail"
A certified letter is followed in a humorous journey to its intended recipient. The simple act of
mailing a letter becomes a trip spanning the entire world in an effort to get the mail on time.
LeVar takes a trip behind the scenes to a postal service where viewers are introduced to a dedicated
staff who sort and deliver mail. Letter writing is introduced as a basic communication that brings people
closer together, and a young stamp collector shares his enthusiasm for stamps.
Do in Class:
Arthur: Mailing Postcards - Create postcards, dictate messages and mail them to family and friends. Describe what happens to mail after you put it in a mailbox.
Arthur: Post Office - Decorate personal mailboxes for a home or class post office.
Dragon Tales: Make and Send a Postcard - Create a postcard to send to a friend or loved one to describe a fun activity that you wish that person could have shared. Draw a picture of yourself enjoying the trip or activity, and have an adult help you mail it.
George Shrinks: Feeling Safe - Help children learn their phone number and address. (Section 4)
George Shrinks: A Postcard to My Friend - Design a postcard and learn how the post office functions. (Section 4)
George Shrinks: Return to Sender - Set up a letter writing center and post office in your classroom. (Section 4)
Reading Rainbow: Hail to Mail - Try these creative ways to send a letter to someone.
Play Online:
American Experience: Wayback - Keep in Touch! - Take an interactive quiz about long distance communication.
Arthur: Letters To... - Write to Arthur and his friends using an online form letter.
PBS Kids Postcards and Letter Writing Resources - Send mail to your favorite PBS Kids characters.
Read:
The Great Pig Search
By Eileen Christelow
Published September 2001 by Clarion
Bert and Ethel's pigs escape from the back of their truck. A few weeks later they receive a
postcard from Florida with a one-word message: OINK. When Bert and Ethel decide to take a bus
to Florida, Ethel wants to sun on the beach. Bert wants to search for his pigs. After all, he
raised the ungrateful swine. Poor Bert lands in jail when he attacks an innocent woman with a
bow in her hair. Young readers will have fun seeing what Bert and Ethel miss.
Mailbox Magic
By Nancy Poydar
Published September 2000 by Holiday House
Mail comes every day but not for Will. He writes himself a letter, but when the postman
delivers it, he knows what it is. It's not the same. After Will discovers that the tops
of three boxes of Magic Charms will pay for a personalized cereal bowl, he starts eating.
This picture book is great fun for children 4-8 or anyone else who doesn't get mail. Bills
don't count.
Guess What?
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*As most PBS children's programs offer one year extended taping rights for teachers, please feel free to tape them now and save them for use in your classroom during the school year.