The Postcard Exchange in my 5th grade class:
I find this is a great activity to start off the year. It gives the kids a sense of ownership for the project from the get-go which makes it even more exciting when we receive postcards throughout the year.
Student Sign Up
I like giving my fifth graders ownership of a state (or states). I have each kid sign up for 2-3 states, depending on how many kids are in my class and how many states are on my list. They are responsible for writing the letters on the postcards to their states. (I have them draft these letters in groups, which I explain below.) Then whenever we receive a postcard, the kid who is responsible for that state reads it to the class and hangs it on our map.
Getting Postcards and Stamps
For homework, I have the kids bring in two stamped postcards by a certain date. (Some classes make their own postcards using a class picture or student artwork. I love these ideas! Here are lots of ideas from other teachers about getting postcards and stamps for this project.)
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| You can download the parent letter and class sign up sheet I use. (It's free, of course!) |
Writing the Letters
We brainstorm as a whole class what to include in our letters. We talk about our city's/state's history, tourist attractions, and other interesting facts. We also talk about what they like to do outside of school, particularly anything that might be unique to our part of the country. (I once received a wonderful suggestion from a school librarian who asked the kids to include what books/titles they enjoy!)
Personally, I would prefer not to proofread 25 letters. So after brainstorming what to include as a class, I put the kids in five groups. Each group works together to write one letter. (And I only have to proofread five letters!) Once I approve their letters, they copy them onto their individual postcards. Then we add address labels and send them off!
Speaking of sending them off, I HIGHLY recommend printing address labels. The first year I did this, my fifth graders had a very difficult time addressing their postcards. I'm sure several ended up never making it to their intended class, even after I proofread and rewrote many of the addresses before they went out. I’m planning to do a post soon on how to create address labels from your list so stay tuned!
I also want to note here that I think it’s important to mail all your postcards at once. (Definitely don’t wait to receive a postcard before mailing one in return. If everyone did that, we would be at a standstill!) Just set aside one or two writing blocks and get it knocked out! For the exchange I coordinate, I also encourage everyone to mail their postcards before winter break. That way it doesn't fall through the cracks in the new year.
When I did this project with kindergarteners:
One year I did this project with kindergartners. I designed and printed my own postcards for the kids to color which I explain more about in this post. The postcard included our state flag, state fruit, and state reptile. I thought this was a fun approach especially since the kids wouldn’t be writing their own letters. The letter from the class explained the significance of the pictures on the postcard and included an additional fact about our state, a fact about our city, and a fact about the school. I printed the letter directly on the postcard.
Here are some ways teachers around the country run this project with their classes:
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| This teacher printed her class letter on labels so they were super easy to stick to each postcard! (And labels don't fall off in the mail like glued letters often do.) |
1st Grade, Virginia
We include in our letters where we’re from and that we’re close to DC (for context). We also include how many kids are in our class and our school, facts about our state and climate that relate to our standards, and what we’re currently learning. After finishing our Virginia unit, we have a whole class discussion about what we should “teach” other kids who aren’t from our state. I guide the conversation, then I write the letter and read it to them for their approval. I use this as a PBL project, as it covers our standards of learning in social studies and science. We cover Virginia, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, weather and climate, with emphasis on our region having four true seasons.
2nd Grade, Wisconsin
As a class we watch a few videos about our state. Then I divide them into groups of 2 or 3 to write their letters. They have to include at least two facts. They may include any new information they learned or anything they already knew. Then they type the letters into a Doc in Google Classroom. I print the letters and use packing tape to attach them to the postcards.
3rd Grade, Florida
I ask my students what they would like to read from other postcards. I draft a letter based on information they requested/shared and read to my students. Once I get their approval, I print and mail. I try to get them out before the winter break. The earlier, the better!
4th Grade, New Jersey
I put my kids into pairs and assign them states. Then I give them a list of facts they can research about our state. But many of them do state research in 3rd grade, so some kids remember facts, which is great. I also ask them to think of something about our school or town to include. They type up a paragraph on Google Classroom. I print the paragraphs on labels and ship them out. We end up sending out about ten versions of our postcard but all the kids love that they get the chance to help decide what goes on the postcards!
4th Grade, Tennessee
I have my kids include in their letters: when we became a state, population, geography, capital, highest and lowest elevation, fun facts, tourism info (Graceland, Civil RIghts Museum, etc), and what we're the birthplace of. I write the information on the postcards (to make sure it will fit), and the kids address and stamp the postcards. My kids LOVE this! When we get a postcard from the address they wrote, it has an extra layer of fun! 🙂
5th Grade, Illinois
My students research facts to include in their letters. Most find our state tree, bird, flower, etc., but some find famous people or landmarks, as well. They write their letters individually and directly onto the postcard (no gluing typed letters). My students enjoy every postcard we get no matter if the information is specific to the school, city, or state that it comes from. 😊
5th/6th Grade, Arizona
We brainstorm as a class, and I type up the letter while doing so. We include facts about our state, interesting places to visit in our state, and what we love about our state. The kids can see the letter I am typing on our smart board and help edit as I type. I print out copies of the letter and they attach it to each postcard. (I recommend printing the letters on labels to stick to the postcards so they don’t fall off in the mail.) I do the addresses and stamps.
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