Advertisement

MISSION VIEJO : Weighty Response to Geography Lesson

Share

When fifth-grade students from Hankey Elementary School wrote letters to the editors of newspapers across the country seeking information about various states and cities as part of a social studies project, they never expected a response that would include pounds and pounds of mail.

From the swamplands of Louisiana came a bent hook used by a trapper to catch gators and a recipe for stuffed eggplant with alligator. From the northern reaches of the country came bumper stickers and balloons commemorating the 100th birthday of the University of Rhode Island, maple syrup from Vermont and a Boston Marathon medallion.

Then there were the mass of letters from individuals and schools, postcards, travel guides, photographs, calendars and recipes sent to the 100 students participating in the project.

Advertisement

“Some of the local residents really were enchanted with it and went to all sorts of extremes,” Principal Shirley Martin said. “The kids were so delighted.”

In past years, the fifth-grade classes studying the states would write to city officials and chambers of commerce for information, Martin said. But this year, teachers decided instead to try writing letters to editors for publication in the newspapers.

The massive response surprised everyone.

“I didn’t even think it would work at all,” said Heather Heyman, 11, who received about 20 pounds of mail about Massachusetts. “I was really surprised. . . . People took a lot of time to write these letters.”

Scott Campbell, 10, received about 17 pounds of mail, including a $25 book on the history of Vermont, after sending a letter to the Addison County Independent asking a simple question: “I would like to know why it is so great to live in Vermont?”

Zandi Marinzel, 10, picked South Dakota for the subject of her report, writing to a local newspaper: “I have chosen your state because I think Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands are really cool.”

Among the items she received in response were rocks, maps, an autographed picture of the state’s governor and even a fishing guide.

Advertisement

Marinzel, who traveled through the state last year when her family moved to Mission Viejo from Maryland, said she’d like to return someday for a visit.

“It’s really different there because everything is so spread out,” she said. “It takes some a half-hour to 45 minutes to get to the grocery store. I got a package saying noise is unheard of out there.”

Erin Brand, Alyson Sakaguchi, Heather Webb and Norel Licudine also received 10 to 17 pounds of mail about their chosen states of Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee and Rhode Island, respectively.

Many of the items received by the students will be on display at the school.

In addition to learning about the 50 states, students also worked on writing, communication and problem-solving skills with the project, Principal Martin said.

Many also came away with new pen pals, and a better sense of how other people live in other parts of the country, Marin added.

“It was helping build a sense of community, which our kids need,” she said.

Advertisement