Classroom Presentations

Janet Klug in a recent Refesher Course column appearing in Linn's Stamp News wrote, "One of my favorite stamp things to do is speaking to school groups. What I say depends upon the ages of the youngsters to whom I am speaking. Children in junior high can grasp very abstract ideas, while primary school children require more concentration on basic subjects. I always learn far more than the children do when I give a classroom talk. Kids today are very bright about things that did not even exist when I was their age."

She went on to say, "There are some tricks to doing a one-time classroom visit, which is what I do the most. Keep the presentation short, keep the children engaged by asking questions for them to answer, and hand out packets of stamps to everyone, including the shy child in the back who doesn't volunteer any answers. Stamps are for everyone and for every interest."

For educators wishing to use stamps in their classrooms, lesson plans are available online from the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum at www.postalmuseum.si.edu/educators/4b_curriculum.html.

They are also available online from the American Philatelic Society at http://stamps.org/education/edu_teachers.htm.

Shown above, working with some elementary school children.

For more tips on how to talk to kids about stamps, read Janet's entire column by clicking here.