My fifth grade class, the Powerful Penguins, and I appreciate your generous donation that provided us with large pull down USA and World wall maps. Before, we had a pull down world map. A student would have to lie on the floor and hold the map down, because it would pop right back up if we didn't. The other glaring problem with the map was it still represented a world that included the Soviet Union.
After hearing about how outdated our map was at the beginning of the year, the students often wondered how we could get a new one that included Russia and the other countries not on our old one. When they heard about Donors Choice, they unanimously decided that we should ask for a new world wall map. We had a rug map of the USA, but it only included two letter state abbreviations and no other details, so they thought it would be a good idea to ask for a USA map too.
In a world of technological advancements, you would not think our young digital natives would be so excited about a map. Sure, they like Google Earth, but they love staring at maps. We spend a lot of time learning about places around the world, and the first thing they do now is ask to pull the map down and look for the place we are talking about. Often, students can be found just staring at the maps. Every day a student comes to me and points out another detail they found on the maps. For example, the maps include flags of the world, state flags, cities, capitals, and more.
The most exciting aspect of the maps they found was that both maps include time zones. We often Skype with people from around the world. Sometimes we know where the other students are from, but other times we play a game called "Mystery Skype." We take turns asking yes and no questions. My students learned long ago that asking the other class what time it was narrowed down the search dramatically, so that is always their first question. I think finding the time zones on the map was the most exciting for the kids.
In conclusion, I would like to thank you for making a difference. The students I am teaching now have learned to value geography. They also learned that people can be generous and I am sure they will take that with them through their lives. When they are adults, they will remember you and hopefully decide to pay it forward. The maps, however, will be here long after this class is gone. I will tell my future students the story of the maps, and they will also benefit from your generous gift. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of so many students.”
With gratitude,
Mrs. Abernethy