Literacy Prop Box

Kristen Drake
Post Office Prop Box
Literacy Objective
Students will demonstrate an awareness of vocabulary associated with mail and the post office
Students will be exposed to developmentally appropriate fiction and non!fiction about mail carriers
and post offices
Students will learn about the parts of a letter
Students will re!enforce their knowled"e of what a character is by writin" a letter to a character of a
book we have read aloud recently
Students will practice writin" their own name to si"n letters
Students will learn to reco"ni#e what letters words start with and match pictures of those objects
with the letter
Open $nded %uestions
&hat does a mail carrier do'
&hy are mail carriers important'
&hat mi"ht you see at the post office'
&ho would you like to mail a letter to'
&hy do people mail letters'
(ave you ever written or mailed a letter'
&ho was the letter to'
(ave you ever received a letter or packa"e'
&ho was it from'
(ow did the letter or packa"e "et to your house'
)ocabulary
*ail+ letter+ packa"e+ post office+ mail carrier+ mail ba"+ mail truck+ to+ from+ send+
receive+ address+ stamp+ si"n ,as in si"n your name at the end of a letter-
*aterials and Props
.ile boxes with each letter of the alphabet
Pieces of paper with ed"es cut like stamps
*arkers
Shoulder bad for mailba"
Blue button up shirt for mail carrier uniform
Blank /x00 pieces of paper for children to write letters
1ardboard box painted blue with a slot on top and bi" hole cut out of the back
2oy money to buy stamps and pay to send packa"es
$mpty boxes to send packa"es
1ounter from house keepin" area to stand behind for the post office desk
Blank labels to write on and stick on boxes
3 Post 1ards
Lar"e 4ndex 1ards
Blank $nvelopes
$nvelope with the word 5L$22$67 written on it
Stamps and Stamp pad with washable ink
Pictures from a story we have read in class to cut out
8lue Sticks
Basket with "reen and yellow ribbon tied to it
Post Office 1enter
4 will set up an area near the house keepin" area where children can have a post
office durin" activity time 2here will be a desk set up with blank envelopes+ a stamp pad and
stamps+ empty boxes+ blank labels+ and play money 2his will be the post office 2here will be a
li"ht blue shirt and a satchel in the dress up area where children can dress up as a mail carrier
2here will be a box painted blue with a slot in the top and a bi" hole cut out of the back for a
mailbox 1hildren can drop envelopes in the top and take them out of the back On a near by shelf+
4 will have a 5mail box7 for each letter of the alphabet 2hese will be file boxes with each letter on
them 2here will be a basket with envelopes that have pictures of objects that start with each letter
of the alphabet 1hildren have to mail these envelopes to the correct letter by puttin" them in the
proper mailbox
$xtension 9ctivities
.ield 2rip to a Post Office )ideo
https:;;wwwyoutubecom;watch'v<k.=L=2lP4p/
)ariation: 2ake an actual field trip to our local post office> 1all or "o in and ask how we could set a
field trip so the children could walk around and see what is in a post office+ who works there+ what
people send+ what is re?uired to send them and other information
Sesame Street Post Office )ideo
https:;;wwwyoutubecom;watch'v<fvh=w3Btv@A
4 like this video because it includes how the mail "ets from the post office to where it is sent ,by
bus+ train+ or plane- 4t doesnBt just ma"ically arrive to the place it is bein" sent 4 can tell by the
animation it is old+ but the information is still relevant
*ovement 9ctivities
A Tisket, A Tasket:
(ave children sit in a circle One child "oes around the back of the children skippin" with a
basket with a "reen and yellow ribbon on it Sin"in"+ C9 tisket+ a tasket a "reen and yellow basket 4
wrote a letter to my friend and on the way+ 4 dropped itC
4n the basket is an envelope with the word CL$22$6C+ written on it 2he child puts the basket
behind the next child to skip around
You've Got Mail:
1hoose a child to be the letter carrier 2hey stand up while all the other children sit
2he letter carrier says C4 have a letter forC and they describe someone in the "roup 2he children
try to "uess who is bein" described 2he child who "uesses correctly "ets to be the new letter
carrier
Letter, Letter, STAMP!
2his is played like duck+ duck "oose> $xplain to the children that a letter cannot be
delivered without a stamp> Once it is stamped+ it can 8O>
9 child "oes around the circle sayin" Letter+ Letter+ Letter+ etc &hen they tap a head and say
S29*P that child chases the other child around the circle once
9rt 9ctivities
Make your own stamp:
4 will provide the children with a DxD piece of paper with ed"es cut like a stamp 4
will explain to the children that a stamp is somethin" people stick onto the corner of a letter so the
post office knows they paid to have their letter mailed 4 will show them what real stamps look like
and tell them that we are makin" bi" stamps so we have more room to color 4 will also tell them
the cost of stamps today $veryone will "et a piece of paper and markers to color their own stamp
Make a post card to a caracter !rom a "ook we ave read:
Show the students some real post cards 2hen tell them we will write a post card to a
1haracter from a story we have read recently (ave the kids cut out pictures relatin" to the story 4
have printed 2hey can "lue these pictures on the front of their post card and also color with
markers On the side of the post card where you write+ they can either draw a picture or write a
note to one of the characters 2hey will tell the teacher which character they are writin" to so the
teacher can help them address the post cart to that character by writin" their name at the top 2he
child will then si"n their name at the bottom 2heir drawin" will "o in the middle as the body of
the post card
#rite a Letter to a $aracter !rom a "ook we ave read:
$xplain the parts of a letter 2ell the children we will write a letter to a character
from a book we have read 2he teacher will help the child address the letter to the character they
have chosen 2he child will then draw a picture for the body of the letter that expresses what they
want to day to the character 2he child will tell the teacher what the letter says 2he child will then
write their name at the bottom of the paper to si"n the letter
Son"s and .in"er Plays
Mail $arrier Son% added &'&(')* Ori"inal 9uthor Enknown
ttp:++www,prescooleducation,com+selper,stml
Sun" to: C*y Bonnie lies over the oceanC
4 "et to sort the mail+then carry it to your home2he mail comes from all over+Like Few Aork+ Paris+
and 6ome*ail+ mail+ mail+ mail+4 love to deliver the mail+ mail+ mail*ail+ *ail+ *ail+ *ail+4 love
to deliver the mail
-o you -rive a Mail Truck. Added &'&(')* Ori"inal 9uthor Enknown
ttp:++www,prescooleducation,com+selper,stml
Sun" to: CDo your ears han" low'C
Do you drive a mail truck+&alk in snow and rain and muck+2o deliver mail over hill and dale'Do
you carry "reat bi" boxes+(eavy like theyGre filled with rocks'Do you drive a mail truck'
#at is My /o". Added &'&(')* Ori"inal 9uthor Enknown
ttp:++www,prescooleducation,com+selper,stml
Sun" to: C9re you sleepin"'C
&hat is my job'&hat is my job'1an you "uess'1an you "uess'
4 deliver letters+ 4 deliver letters
&ho am 4'&ho am 4'
4 deliver letters 4 make tasty meals for you 4 keep your pets healthy 4 can teach you new thin"s 4
can help if you "et lost
0n 1is Mail Truck added &'&(')* Ori"inal 9uthor Enknown
ttp:++www,prescooleducation,com+selper,stml
Sun" to: CSheGll be cominG 6ound the mountainC
(eGll be comin" in his mail truck when he comes+(eGll be comin" in his mail truck when he comes+
(eGll be comin" in his mail truck+(eGll be comin" in his mail truck+(eGll be comin" in his mail truck
when he comes
heGll be wearin" his blue uniformheGll be brin"in" a packa"e for meheGll brin" mail for mom
and dadheGll pick up letters from our mailbox
2oom, 2oom, Ain't it Great to "e a Plum"er.
Added &'&(')* ttp:++www,prescooleducation,com+selper,stml
Sun" to: CBoom Boom 9inGt it "reat to be cra#y'C
Boom+ Boom+ 9inGt it 8reat to be a mail carrier' Boom+ Boom+ 9inGt it 8reat to be a mail carrier'
deliverin" letters+ the whole day throu"h+Boom+ Boom+ 9inGt it 8reat to be a mail carrier'
Letter $arrier added 3'&')* Ori"inal 9uthor Enknown
ttp:++www,prescooleducation,com+selper,stml
Letter carriers haul a very full packOf letters and packa"es upon their backStep+ step+ Fow rin"+
rin"+ rin">Oh what surprises they will brin"
0n te Mail"o4
added 5'&6'63
Ori"inal 9uthor Enknown ttp:++www,prescooleducation,com+selper,stml
#at $an #e Send in te Mail.
Added 5'&6'63 Ori"inal 9uthor Enknown ttp:++www,prescooleducation,com+selper,stml
Sun" to:C8o 4n and Out the &indowC&hat can we send in the mail'&hat can we send in the mail'
&hat can we send in the mail'9t the post office today'Oh+ we can mail a letter
Oh+ we can mail a letterOh+ we can mail a letter9t the post office today6epeat second verse+
replacin" CletterC with other words such as valentine+ packa"e+ postcard+ birthday card+ etc-
http:;;wwwhummin"birdedcom;community!helpershtml
Sun" to: C9re Aou Sleepin"'C4n the mailbox+ in the mailbox+Look and see+ look and see>9 packa"e
or a postcard>9 letter from my "randma>Hust for me+ just for me>4n the mailbox+ in the mailbox+
Look and see+ look and see>9 ma"a#ine thatGs dandy>9 valentine with candyHust for me+ just for
me>
MA0L $A77087 S9:G http:;;wwwhummin"birdedcom;community!helpershtml
Sun" to: C6ow+ 6ow+ 6ow Aour BoatC
&rite+ write+ write your cards+ 9nd lots of letters+ too 4 will brin" them to your friends+ 9nd they
will write back soon
; L0TTL8 L8TT87S
.ive little letters lyin" on a tray ,extend fin"ers of ri"ht hand-*ommy came in and took the first
away ,bend down thumb-2hen Daddy said+ C2his bi" one is for meC 4 counted them twice+ now
there were three ,bend down the pointer fin"er-Brother Bill asked+ CDid 4 "et any mail'C (e found
one and cried+ C9 letter from 8ale>C ,bend down middle fin"er- *y sister Hane took the next to the
last 9nd ran upstairs to open it fast ,bend down rin" fin"er- 9s 4 canGt read+ 4Gm not able to see
&ho the last oneGs for+ but 4 hope itGs for me> ,wi""le little fin"er then clap hands-
Books
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle.
Location: Publisher.
8ibbons+ 8 ,0I/D- 2he post office book: *ail and how it moves Few Aork+ FA: (arper1ollins
&ells+ 6 ,JKKL- Bunny mail Few Aork+ FA: )ikin" Huvenile
Kottke+ H ,JKKL- 9 day with a mail carrier Danbury+ 12: 1hildrenGs Press,12-
9hlber"+ H+ M 9hlber"+ 9 ,0I/D- 2he jolly postman Few Aork+ FA: Little+ Brown Books for
Aoun" 6eaders
*aury+ 4 ,0IND- *y mother the mail carrier;*i mama la cartera Few Aork+ FA: .eminist Press
O2his book is old+ but 4 like it because it features a female mail carrier to balance out the other
books with male mail carriers and show that everyone can be a mail carrier 4t is also written in
$n"lish and Spanish to"ether in one book
6ylant+ 1 ,0II3- *r "ri""Gs work Few Aork+ FA: Scholastic
Brown+ * &+ M (urd+ $ 2 ,JKKJ- Seven little postmen Few Aork+ FA: 8olden Books
Lille"ard+ D ,0IIN- 2ortoise brin"s the mail Few Aork+ FA: Dutton Huvenile