Flat Stanley

Author: Jeff Brown
Illustrator: Scott Nash
Summary: When Stanley Lambchop wakes up one morning, his brother, Arthur, is yelling. A bulletin board fell on Stanley during the night, and now he is only half an inch thick! Amazing things begin happening to him. Stanley gets rolled up, mailed, and flown like a kite. He even gets to help catch two dangerous art thieves. He may be flat, but he’s a hero!

SOCIAL STUDIES

Occupations
This book has endless opportunities to introduce your student to various occupations.

1. Stanley went to see his doctor after he became flat.
Doctors – When do you see a doctor? What is a doctor’s job? Talk about check-ups. What does your doctor do during a check up?

Temperature – How is it taken? What does it tell us? Use a thermometer and see what your temperature is now. (Use a mercury filled if possible and learn to read one. Otherwise, digital will work fine.) What is normal? (98.6)
Blood pressure – How is it taken? What does it tell us?
Stethoscope – What is it used for? (Listen to heartbeat and lung function.) If you have access to a stethoscope, practice finding a heart beat.

Go-along books –
Time to See the Doctor – Heather Maisner
A Day in the Life of a Doctor – Mary Bowman and Claudine G. Wirths
What to Expect When You Go to the Doctor – Heidi Murkoff

2. Stanley’s mom thought Stanley’s clothes would need to be altered by a tailor since he would have to remain flat.
Tailor – What is the job of a tailor? What kinds of measurements do you think one would take for a shirt? Pants? Dress/skirt?

3. In Chapter 2, two policemen wanted to find out if Stanley’s mom needed any help when they saw her holding a string down a grate. Then in Chapter 4, the policemen were there at the museum ready to arrest the art thieves.
Policemen – Why were the policemen walking around the town, in Chapter 2? What was the policemen’s job in Chapter 4? Discuss the different divisions of police in your area (ex. City police, County police, State police) Check out books on the use of K-9 units to help police officers. Ask your child if he/she would like to be a police officer? Why or why not?

Go-along books -
A Day in the Life of a Police Officer – Mary Bowman-Kruhm and Claudine G. Wirths
If You Were a. . . Police Officer – Virginia Schomp
Officer Brown Keeps Neighborhoods Safe – Alice K. Flanagan
Big Mike’s Police Car – Leslie McGuire

4. In Chapter 2, Stanley was mailed to his friend in California.
Postal Workers – Discuss the process of the Lambchop family in mailing Stanley to his friend. What happened after he was dropped in the mailbox? Why did Mr. Lambchop say that jet planes were wonderful? Discuss airmail and when it would be used.

Go-along books-
Sending a Letter – Alex Stewart
Postal Workers – Paulette Bourgeios
Out and About at the Post Office – Kitty Shea

Transportation
In Chapter 2, Stanley’s dad mailed Stanley to California because it was cheaper than a train or plane ticket. Discuss these methods of transportation.

Train – Trains are faster than automobiles and buses, but slower than airplanes. Discuss different types of engines – steam, coal, diesel. Discuss different kinds of cars – hopper, flatbeds, boxcars, passenger. What is the purpose of a caboose? Who works on a train? Check out a video on trains.

Books –
Puff, Puff, Chugga, Chugga – Christopher Wormell
The Little Engine That Could – Watty Piper

Airplane – Fastest mode of transportation and probably the most expensive. Discuss the difference between airplanes and jets.
Make paper airplanes and fly them. How many different ways can you fold the paper and still make it fly?

Social Studies – Use of Encyclopedias
Look at a set of encyclopedias. What is the first thing you notice? Why are they labeled with different letters of the alphabet? Look up something/someone that interests you (or something from this book - kite, train, etc.).

Social Studies – Newspapers
In Chapter 4, Stanley’s picture was in the newspaper for helping to capture the art thieves. Look at a recent newspaper. What kinds of things are in a newspaper? News, weather, obituaries, advertisements, classifieds, etc. What is the purpose of a newspaper?

If possible, visit a newspaper printing office. You may even be able to set up a tour.

Go-along book –
Extra! Extra!: The Who, What, Where, When, and Why of Newspapers – Linda Granfield

Greek Mythology
In Chapter 4, look at the painting that hung beside Stanley in the art museum.

The strange looking creature is a Centaurs – half man/half horse. They are usually portrayed in Greek mythology with the torso and head of a human, and the body of a horse.

If your student is interested, you may want to take a rabbit trail on any of the following topics: Greek gods, mythical creatures, or the Trojan war.

Human Relationships: Discrimination
In Chapter 5, Stanley’s mother says, “It’s wrong to dislike people for their shapes. Or their religion, for that matter, or their color of skin.”
Discuss discrimination with your student (the treating of some people better than others without any fair or proper reason). Do you agree with Stanley's mother? Is it wrong to dislike people for other reasons (how much money they have, based on whether or not they have a handicap, etc.)?

Human Relationships: Siblings
In Chapter 5, Arthur is concerned about Stanley because he is crying and upset. However, earlier in the book, Arthur was very angry with Stanley because their father made Arthur walk while carrying Stanley. Discuss having so different feelings toward the same person. How do you get along with your brother or sister? Do you care how they feel? Do you hurt when they hurt? Do you get jealous of things they may get to do that you are not allowed?

Go-along Book –
My Brother, My Sister and Me: A First Book at Sibling Rivalry – Pat Thomas

Geography – California
Study the state of California. Where is it? What is the capital? What ocean is it bordering? Are their mountains? Rivers? Lakes? Desert? Forests? What current events are going on in that state right now? Look at how many miles your house is from California. About how long would it take to get there by car? Plane? Train? Mail? What kind of history can you find out about it? (Ex. California goldrush, the origin of the name California, etc.)

California was the 31st state in the USA; it was admitted on September 9, 1850.
State Abbreviation - CA
State Capital - Sacramento
Major Industries - agriculture (many, many products), oil, mining, electronics, movie making/entertainment, and tourism
Main Rivers - Sacramento River, Colorado River, San Joaquin River
Bordering Country - Mexico
Bordering Body of Water - Pacific Ocean
State Nickname - The Golden State
State Motto - Eureka (I have found it)

LANGUAGE ARTS

Vocabulary
enormous - large
altered – change, make smaller or larger (in clothing)
shaft – passage or enclosed space
hasty – quick or hurried
limber – able to bend easily
valuable – worth a high price
fragile – breakable
jostled – bump, push, shove
parcel – package
famous – well-known
rudeness – not nice
gust – sudden blast of wind
cross – angry
gloomy – sad
disguise – costume
sensational – great, awesome, wonderful
civilized - polite
quivery – shaky

Abbreviations
Discuss the various abbreviations used throughout the story.

Dr. - Doctor
Mr. – Used for any man
Mrs. – Used for a married woman
Also:
Miss – Used for an unmarried woman
Ms. – Used when you are not sure if they are married or not

Addressing an Envelope
This unit is the perfect opportunity to learn/review how to address an envelope. If you are participating in a Flat Stanley Project, let your student address an his Flat Stanley mailer.

Return address in the upper left hand corner – the address you want the letter returned to in case the main address is undeliverable, usually your own

Main address in the center of the envelope
Use the person’s proper name - Mr., Mrs., Miss along with their first and last name.
Then write their street address - house number, street number, apartment number, etc.
Last line write their city, state postal abbreviation and zip code

Other ways to practice include sending a letter or picture to a grandparent, friend or to yourself.

Onomatopoeia
The use of words representing the sound they make. Let your student point out the examples if he is already familiar with this literary device.

APPLIED MATH

Measurements
In Chapter 1, the nurse measures Stanley using a ruler to give to the tailor. Practice measuring items around the house using your ruler. Take an object and see how long, how wide and how thin that item is. See how many items you can find that are as thick as Stanley.

Weight
How heavy would something have to be to flatten you? Experiment with a pillow. What can you use to flatten that pillow? What about a marshmallow? If you have a bag of marshmallows, try the following:
Find objects around the house that your student thinks will flatten a marshmallow.
Put one object on each marshmallow.
After 10 minutes, take the objects off the marshmallows and see which one is the most flat.
Weigh each item used to flatten the marshmallows. Which one weighs the most? Which one weighs the least? Did the weight of the object matter?

Money
What is the value of a penny? Nickel? Dime? Quarter? Dollar? Practice counting out different amounts of coin. What is the cost of a stamp? Count out that much money. Count out the cost of a stamp using many different combinations of dimes, nickels, pennies, etc. for extra practice.

Days of the Week
On Sundays, Mr. Lambchop would take his sons to the museum or roller skating in the park. Learn the days of the week. What do you normally do on Sundays? What about other days of the week? Do you generally go to the library on a specific day of the week? Dance lesson? Swimming?

Telling Time
Stanley had to take a nap in the afternoon so he could stay up late that night and catch the art thieves. Discuss when morning, afternoon, and evening start. Discuss the use of AM and PM.

Balance
Stanley had to balance on four spikes to pretend he was a picture. How hard do you think that would have been? What if he had only had three spikes? Two spikes? Use a balancing scale to balance objects around your house. Use a balance beam or block of wood to practice balancing your body. Balance a book on your head.

SCIENCE

Healthy Habits
Stanley’s mom made him an egg sandwich to eat on his way to California along with a toothpaste case of milk. In order to stay healthy, we need the proper nourishment.
Proper eating – Name some healthy foods. What about unhealthy foods?
Drinking – We need to drink plenty of water each day. We also need milk each day for our calcium. Juice gives us vitamins also. Soda, however, is full of sugar and caffeine, and is not good for our bodies.
Exercise – Sometimes, Stanley’s dad took his sons to the park to roller skate. It is also important to keep our bodies in shape. We were designed to move, not sit all the time. Our muscles need to move.
Proper rest – Stanley had to take a nap in order to stay up late to catch the art thieves. Our bodies need 8 -10 hours each day. When we don’t get enough during the night, our bodies will get tired during the day and we may need a nap.

Go-along books –
The Monster Health Book: A Guide to Eating Healthy, Being Active & Feeling Great in Monsters & Kids – Edward Miller
Oh the Things You Can Do That Are Good For You! – Tish Rabe

Weather
In Chapter 3, the weather was perfect for flying a kite. What kind of weather do you need for kite flying? Discuss different kinds of weather and what each kind of weather is good for.

Go-along books –
Weather Whys: Questions, Facts and Riddles About Weather – Mike Artell
Rain, Wind and Storm – Nicole Baxter
Video – The Magic School Bus Kicks Up a Storm

Clouds
Discuss the different kinds of clouds and what they tell us about the weather.
Cumulus clouds – large fluffy clouds that are easy to see pictures in
Stratus clouds – high clouds
Cirrus clouds – light feathery clouds
Nimbus clouds – rain clouds
How do clouds form? Water vapor condenses when warm and cold air meet. This condensation mixed with dust particles makes a cloud.

ART

Aerial Views
In Chapter 3, when Stanley was flying like a kite, he saw the park from a different perspective. Study the aerial view and draw your own picture from above. If you have stairs in your house, have your child go to the top and look down and draw what he sees.

Art Museum Visit
If you are close to an art museum, visit it. If not, see if your local library has an art display. You can also look at paintings online

Music: Violins
If you have music performed by an orchestra, listen and try to identify the instruments. You can probably check something out from your local library. You can also listen to different instruments online

Framing Pictures
The paintings at the art museum all had their own fancy frames. Draw a picture and frame it yourself using one of the following:
Popsicle sticks
Cardboard box cut to fit around the picture, decorated with painted macaroni, toothpicks, puzzle pieces, or sea shells

Drawing Facial Expressions
Practice drawing faces with the following expressions: happy, sad, surprised, mad.

BIBLE AND CHARACTER

Manners
The Lambchops were in favor of politeness and careful speech.

By putting Jesus first, you will be doing what the Bible in teaching. By putting others first, you are being more like Jesus. Then putting yourself last takes away that selfish tendency we humans have.

Be Polite and Kind – Cheri J. Meiners ISBN 1575421518
How to Speak Politely and Why – Munro Leaf ISBN 0789313529

Introductions
Teach the proper method of introductions. When Stanley was introduced to Mr. Jones in the park, Stanley politely said “How do you do?” Explain that the polite way to meet someone new is with a smile and a handshake. (Sometimes it’s hard for children to meet a stranger. If your child is shy, just a smile will do.) Practice handshakes. Get a firm grip, and proceed with about two pumps of the hands.

Apologizing/Accepting apologies
Sometimes it’s easy for a child to say “I’m sorry” and not really mean it, just to get off the hook with their parents. Explain that being sorry for something means that you feel bad that you did something wrong and hurt another person. Sometimes it is necessary to show that you are sorry along with saying the words. Practice giving hugs with your apologies.

Stanley had trouble accepting Arthur’s apology when Arthur forgot about him at the park and Stanley got stuck in the tree. Stanley was so mad at him that he would not speak to him that evening.

When we have been hurt by someone, it’s hard to forget what they did to us. Explain that when someone apologizes, part of accepting that apology is not holding that sin against them anymore. That includes not bringing it back up the next time they hurt you. “I remember when you…” Explain that when we say we are sorry for a sin we have committed against God and repent of that sin, He forgives us and forgets about that sin, never to remember it again.

Jealousy – Arthur was jealous that Stanley could fit under doors and he couldn’t.

You may want to memorize Galatians 5:22-23 this week as you discuss good behaviors/good fruit that is to be seen in the life of a believer.

Use of the Tongue
Mrs. Lambchop told the police officers, “People should think twice before making rude remarks, and then not make them at all.” James 3:1-12
Discuss how we can do more listening than talking and how that will get us in less trouble.

Punishment for Wrongs
The art thieves were put into jail because they had done something wrong. Discuss natural consequences of our actions. Also, discuss punishments we, as parents, must give our children when they do wrong. How can children learn from their mistakes? Show how God punishes those that do wrong. An example would be the Israelites wandering the desert for 40 years because of their complaining. Ex. 16, Joshua 5:6

Bible – 10 Commandments
Exodus 20:1-17
Discuss the 10 commandments and what each one means.

*Stanley was “as flat as a pancake.” Make pancakes and see how flat you can make them

*Make hot chocolate and cookies to have before bed like the Lambchops did at the end of the book.

*Make a Flat Stanley and mail him, along with a journal to a relative for one week. Have them keep track of everywhere Stanley went with them. Do this a couple of different times.

*If the weather is right, get out and fly a kite!

*Make jewelry
Make a ring using pipe cleaners. Purchase some beads and thread to make a bracelet or necklace.
You might want to use this book as a resource-- Cool Beaded Jewelry – Pam Scheunemann

*Hand-made Envelope Craft (from Enchanted Learning)

Materials and information on this website belong to the original composers. It may be used for your own personal and school use.

Occupations Clip Board	Vocabulary Envelopes	Healthy Habits Tab Book
Newspaper Story Pocket	Onomatopoeia Fan	Trains vs. Planes Venn Diagram
My Stamp Designs	Marshmallow Experiment	Parts of a Newspaper Fan
Discrimination Shutterfold	Clouds Layer Book	Abbreviations Petal Book
California Tab Book	My Sister Hotdog Book Hotdog Book Instructions	My Brother Hotdog Book Hotdog Book Instructions
Where is California Book	Cost of a Postage Stamp Shutterflap	As Flat as Stanley & As Tall as Stanley
JOY Flap Book