First graders in Karen Murphy and Mary Ann Klein’s class at Munsey Park Elementary School are developing their map skills and learning interesting facts about the 50 states through a postcard exchange program.
The idea sparked when Mrs. Murphy joined a Facebook group over the summer with first-grade teachers from across the country. Through the postcard exchange program, each teacher sends a postcard from their class which includes information about their state and their specific area to participating teachers from around the United States.
Together, the Munsey Park first graders planned on what they wanted to say on the postcards and Mrs. Murphy put the message on labels. The labels were then placed on New York and Long Island postcards to be mailed out to the participating first-grade classes. Together as a class, they have walked to the mailbox to send out their postcards. Thus far, they have mailed 45 postcards and are expected to mail 20 more soon.
The class has enjoyed not only mailing out their postcards but receiving postcards from other first graders. They have received five postcards already from Kentucky, Nebraska, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Minnesota.
When a postcard is delivered, Mrs. Murphy reads it aloud and the class discusses it. They also look at a large wall map of the United States and locate the state in which the postcard came from. The students add the card to their map and talk about where the state is in relation to New York using cardinal directions.
The first graders have been enjoying the process and look forward to getting more postcards. As the school year continues, Mrs. Murphy hopes to connect her students with some of the other classes that are participating in the postcard exchange through Zoom.