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Hail To Mail

Language: English

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 of the postal serve where viewers are introduced to a dedicated staff who sort and deliver the mail. Letter writing is introduced as a basic communication that brings people closer together, and a young stamp collector shares his enthusiasm for stamps.

 

Here are activities to do after watching this episode:

Designer Letter-Writing

There are many creative ways to send a letter to someone. Each of these ideas is designed for both writers and readers to have fun.

Letter Puzzle: After writing a letter, cut it up into puzzle pieces, place the pieces in an envelope, and mail it. The recipient will have to solve the puzzle before reading your message.

Coded Letters: Create a code using numbers or symbols to represent some or all of the letters of the alphabet. Then write a letter using the code. Just remember to send along the code scheme with your letter, so your message can be figured out!

Make Your Own Stationery: Use all kinds of paper, stickers, stamps, markers, and crayons to design you own stationery and note cards. The sky is the limit.

 

Getting mail and sending it
can be a lot of fun.

It becomes very important to some people to receive something in their mailbox every day.

One thing you can do to bring cheer to people who live alone is to write them a friendly note. Contact a church or nursing-care facility for names of individuals who live alone or are confined to staying indoors. Then take a little bit of time to write a few words to them, draw a picture, and mail it! Your thoughtfulness is sure to make someone very happy.

Mail for the 21st Century

There are many safe websites for children who are looking for E-mail pen pals.
Here are a few:
www.kidpub.org
www.kidscom.com
About.com – Pen Pals for Kids

Check out some of these books on your
next trip to the library:

  • Stringbean’s Trip To The Shining Sea by Vera B. Williams and Jennifer Williams
  • Messages In the Mailbox: How To Write A Letter by Loreen Leedy
  • The Jolly Postman: Or Other People’s Letters by Janet & Allan Ahlberg
  • The Post Office Book: Mail And How It Moves by Gail Gibbons

READING RAINBOW has a resource library that includes teacher guide materials as well as reading programs for use in the public libraries. You can download these resources from GPN at:
www.gpnresources.com

If you would like more information about READING RAINBOW or if you would like to learn more about other educational products please visit the GPN web site.

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