For the Great Mail Race

What is The Great Mail Race? 

The Great Mail Race is a classroom project that involves corresponding with people in each of the 50 states. Students are engaged in preparing and sending off 50 letters to elementary schools, one for each of the 50 states. The letters ask students in other schools to complete a survey and mail it back. The survey questions provide a real human connection to our geography goals. Through the preparation and later analysis of these surveys, our students have the opportunity to see how connected and varied the lives of their fellow Americans can be. The study of geography moves beyond the typical activities of looking at maps and learning key vocabulary, although these are certainly part of the lessons.

Benefits of the Great Mail Race

This project integrates curriculum goals from many subject areas including reading, writing, geography, and technology.  Integrating the curriculum helps students have more positive attitudes and makes the curriculum more meaningful. The Great Mail Race is one way that many different learning opportunities can be provided for students in an engaging and natural way. 

Writing is a very important part of this project. These activities help us to meet our state and district writing standards that address conventions of capitalization and commas in written text. Students also gain practical application of our district standard that includes writing friendly letters for an intended audience and purpose. Our purpose here is to share geographic information with schools across the country. It also allows us to become part of a nationwide community of learners. 

Technology is incorporated by using the website 50states.com and locating the 50 States School Directory. Students used Google Workspace to write and edit their letters using templates. We also included a small card with our website address and QR code!