Imagine being able to travel all over the United States, without ever leaving home. That's what nearly 30 Traverse City Area Public School students experienced...well, at least the "flat versions" of themselves.
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"It came in on a Saturday afternoon and I didn't even, I thought it was just a package my mom had ordered," said Fifth Grade Mary-Kate Rose, "and so I didn't really care much to open it or anything, and then the next day my mom's like, 'your flat me came back' and I'm like 'oh.' So I took it to school the next day and I was looking at it on the bus and it's kind of cool."
It's been a six-month journey for a group of Silver Lake fifth graders and their paper likenesses known as "Flat Stanley's" or "Flat Me's."
In October students lovingly stuffed the tracings in an envelope, along with a letter, and sent the package to an out-of-state family member.
Photos and mementos now chronicle adventures as it was passed on from person to person, state to state, history lesson to history lesson.
[CG :1100 Generic\Amy Looyenga\Fifth Grade Teacher\ ]
"At the start of the school year I had interviewed my students and just said with them, "what do you like least about school?" and I was amazed that most of them said social studies," said fifth grade teacher Amy Looyenga, "'its so dull and boring.' [they said] and I kind of took that to heart and said, 'ok, well that's interesting for me to know' and I introduced this project. and I have not heard them stop talking about social studies all year long."
Flat Stanley is based on the title character of a 1964 children's book. The project got its start in 1995 in a Canadian classroom. Since then, thousands have participated in many countries, and speaking with Traverse City students about their travels, its easy to see why it caught on.
A display in the gym gave enthusiastic students the chance to describe the trip to peers and loved ones.
This project goes a step beyond just a list of stops along the way, with students expected to research what makes the location important to history.
"I used two books and it gave me a lot of information," said fifth grader Dayton Ristow, "and then I just used the computer for pictures and everything."
A research paper and presentation tracking Flat Me's journey that also tracks the important requirements for fifth grade.
Based on the smiles and excitement, you'd never guess most of this was homework.
Out of the 27 "Flat Me's" sent out, 20 made it back to Traverse City. Those who didn't receive one paired up with a friend for the project.
