Noah gets assigned a Flat Stanley project almost every other year. This is one of those years. He is supposed to photograph and journal Flat Stanley’s adventures over spring break. The teacher’s note of explanation claims that this is a fun and easy project that you just do to document your family’s exciting spring break vacation. That makes it feel a little like a competition to see who has the best vacation. We are going nowhere this spring break. I have cookies to sell and laundry that has been neglected since cookie sales started. Doug wants to spend all of his waking moments at a computer. Flat Stanley at our house will play video games and watch movies with occasional moments of being forced to go outside and do something in the fresh air. Nothing in our back yard though since Noah already has poison oak on his face. I am not loving Flat Stanley this year because I feel really bad for Noah when he does his oral report on Flat Stanley. When Noah moves to middle school he should be able to move beyond Flat Stanley. Of course, then it will be Amy’s turn for Flat Stanley projects.
Ah yes, the joys of spending time with ‘Flat Stanley’. Brings back memories from teaching days. Students at one of the schools I taught in had a similar assignment, except that they were supposed to mail their ‘Flat Stanley’ to someone they knew, who then got the assignment of journaling Stanley’s adventures by default. I, unfortunately, got one. My solution, which you are more than free to copy if you want, was to singe off one had, which, I explained, he lost while trying to cook soup on the stove…which is why one should never operate fire producing appliances without the help of an adult…a bandage on his forehead resulting from my dog dragging him around the house…and an anvil and ‘mom’ tattoo on his forearm, that was a result from a Saturday night party in which he drank 7 cans of Pepsi. Funny thing, I was never again asked to participate in a ‘Flat Stanley’ assignment.
Flat Stanley attempts to win the X Prize! He could tie it to information on space flight and the limits of outer space.
Flat Stanley can come and babysit the twins this week. He can have spitup all over him, bags under his eyes from no sleep and appendages torn off from babies who put everything in their mouths.
Sounds like these teachers need some more creative ideas to get kids to use their imaginations in writing.
From the sounds of things, it seems Flat Stanley is related to Mr. Bill.
My kids have never had to do this, but it sounds fun. Have Noah pretend that Flat Stanley is a terrible house guest. Take pictures of Flat Stanley hiding under the table with the keys, or pulling a pile of toilet paper off the roll. That way Noah can end up his oral presentation with the hope that Flat Stanley never gets invited back!
You could try what someone on another blog did – she posted a picture of her flat person and other people d/l’d the picture from her , printed them out and took pictures of the flat person in their city/town/country and sent the pictures to her. It turned out that her flat person visited other countries, states etc.
You guys have inspired me to tie flat stanly to a model rocket and have Noah place him sub-orbital.