FairKids Field Trip Program
AMERICA’S KIDS - ADVENTURES IN LITERATURE
Step through the doors of America’s Kids and you’ll discover how Jules Verne ingeniously combined
imagination and science so millions of readers could explore the depths of the ocean, the center of the
earth, and the surface of the moon. The adventure continues as you surround yourself with gadgets,
gizmos, and gears, hob-nob near a Hobbit hole, pose in a time machine, or even shake hands with Flat
Stanley! Explore the diverse worlds of science fiction and fantasy through interactive photo ops, fun and
educational hands-on activities, crafts, and more. Test your knowledge of Tolkien’s world with some
Middle Earth trivia. See if you can identify famous literary characters just by looking at their
hats. Or…check out some weird and wacky inspired gadgets and guess what they do.
While you’re soaking up the wonders of the literary world, be sure to explore the thousands of amazing
contest entries from kids all over Southern California. From sock monkeys to robots, spiderweb art to
quilts, and aliens to artwork, these creative competition pieces remind us of the young imaginations that
will inspire the authors and inventors of the future.
In America’s Kids you can have fun, learn, play, and explore. But…be sure to watch out for flying
saucers, dragons, and dirigibles overhead! In America’s Kids, adventures await around every corner!
These are just some of the themes and books we’ll be exploring in our 2014 America’s Kids exhibit:
Science Fiction
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Time Machine, Ender’s Game, The Giver
Explore the world of Science Fiction through the works of H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and more.
Fantasy
Charlotte’s Web (115th birthday of author), The Hobbit, Alice in Wonderland
Humor
Dr. Seuss books (celebrating 110 years)
Geography
Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures - Visit the 7 continents with Flat Stanley and learn some fun facts
about mountains, rivers, maps, and more.
Art, Crafts, and Photography
Enter your best artwork or photograph; create some amazing themed crafts, and much more in our Art,
Crafts, and Photography competitions. Join our fun (and free) make-and-take craft workshops during the
Fair.
Grades: primary
Adventures in Literature
America’s Kids…Dr. Seuss
Before your visit:
*Read several books by Dr. Seuss. Ask the children to vote on their favorite book. Make a graph to show which
book is their favorite. A graph can be easily made on chart paper or butcher paper.
*Share these interesting facts about Dr. Seuss:
1. Dr. Seuss’ real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel. He was born on March 2, 1904.
2. While in college, Ted wrote for a magazine. He was forced to resign after he broke a rule. He wanted
to continue writing, so he submitted the stories under his middle name (his mother’s maiden name) of
Seuss.
3. Theodor Seuss Geisel also wrote books under the name of Theo LeSieg (Geisel backwards).
4. The first book that he wrote and illustrated was And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street. It was
published in 1937 after having been rejected 27 times.
5. Dr. Seuss wrote 44 children’s books that have been translated into more than 15 languages and have
sold over 200 million copies.
6. Dr. Seuss died on September 24, 1991 in La Jolla, California.
*Allow the students to work on the seussville.com website. This is a free site featuring stories, favorite characters
and activities related to Dr. Seuss books.
During your visit:
*Look at the Dr. Seuss display in the Adventures in Literature exhibit. Do you see your favorite book?
After your visit:
*Read The Cat In The Hat. Brainstorm information about the characters, Thing One and Thing Two. Think about
what would happen if they came to your school. Write about what they would do at school. (Assign the
appropriate number of sentences for your grade level.)
*Make a “Cat in the Hat” hat. Glue red construction paper stripes (1x9 inches) on a white sheet of construction
paper (9x12 inches), and staple to a headband. The students may wish to write rhyming words on the strips of the
hat.
*After reading There’s a Wocket in my Pocket, brainstorm with the class other locations that could be included in
this book. Then, come up with nonsense rhymes to name a creature that lives there. The children will write and
illustrate a sentence about their imaginary creature. The pages can be combined into a class book.
Books by Dr. Seuss:
Fox in Socks
Green Eggs and Ham
Hop On Pop
Horton Hatches the Egg
Horton Hears A Who
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
The Cat In The Hat
The Cat In The Hat Comes Back
The Lorax
The Sneetches and Other Stories
There’s A Wocket in my Pocket
name _______________________
What would happen if Thing 1 and Thing 2 came to visit our
school? Write a five sentence paragraph to explain all the crazy
things that would happen. Illustrate your paragraph.
Grades: primary
Adventures in Literature
America’s Kids…Flat Stanley
Before your visit:
*Read Flat Stanley: His Original Adventure with the students. This is an easy chapter
book (96 pages) describing a little boy named Stanley who became flat after a bulletin
board fell on him during the night. He is only ½ inch thick! He has many amazing
adventures including being mailed, being flown like a kite, and capturing art thieves.
*Enlarge the drawing and make a copy for everyone. The children will color and cut out
their individual “Flat Stanleys.” Each child will take their paper doll home and write
about the adventures they have together. Ask the children to take a photo of
something they did with Flat Stanley. The photographs and stories can be compiled into a class book.
*As an extra credit assignment, ask the children to mail Flat Stanley to a friend or relative that lives in another part
of the country. That relative can take photos of Flat Stanley on his visit and write a letter to the class explaining
what Flat Stanley did on his vacation. When the letters and photographs are sent back to the class, be sure to
show the children on a map where Stanley has been. A sample letter is included that you can send with Flat
Stanley to help explain the project.
*There is now an app for the iPhone that allows you to create a Flat Stanley and send him out to various people.
They can take a photo of your Flat Stanley and then send it back to you. An iPad app “Learn the States with Flat
Stanley” might also be interesting. There is a small fee for this app.
*There is a cute song called “Hi. My Name is Flat Stanley” that is available for viewing on Youtube. Watching this
video may inspire the students to send Stanley to many places.
During your visit:
*Explore the “Adventures in Literature” exhibit. Do you see the display showing Flat Stanley’s Worldwide
Adventures? Do you think the Flat Stanleys from our class will go to all of the same places?
*Flat Stanley is sometimes walking around the “Adventures in Literature” exhibit. Try to find him and shake hands
with him.
After your visit:
*Create a bulletin board with a map to show where Flat Stanley travels. As the students bring in their photographs
of Flat Stanley in various locations, place the photos on the board with a string attached to the map and the photo
to show where our flat friend has been. This could be an ongoing board that you can continue to add to
throughout the year. This is a very practical way to teach geography and map/globe skills. A sample letter is
available that you can send with Flat Stanley.
*Ask the children to write their own Flat Stanley adventure. Maybe Flat Stanley can go to the moon, or
Disneyland, or the beach, or…
*For more information about Flat Stanley including games and activities, try this website:
http://www.flatstanleybooks.com/.
Books by Jeff Brown:
Flat Stanley Goes Camping
Flat Stanley: His Original Adventure
Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures #1: The Mount Rushmore Calamity
Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures #12: Escape to California
Stanley, Flat Again
Dear ____________________________________________,
This cute little guy is Flat Stanley. Our class has been reading books about him. Flat Stanley is the main character
in a series of books by Jeff Brown. These books are very funny!
We are working on a geography project by sending Flat Stanley to our friends and relatives all over the country and
around the world. Please take a few pictures of Flat Stanley enjoying his vacation with you, and help him write a
short note to our class. When we receive the photographs back, we will find Stanley’s location on the map. You
can also email pictures to my teacher at _____________________________________.
Thanks for your help. If you would like to see examples of what other people have done with Flat Stanley, please
look at this website: http//www.flatstanleybooks.com/.
I hope Flat Stanley has an exciting adventure with you!
Love,
_____________________________________________