Curated OER
A Visit From The Jolly Postman
Students learn about the postal system and how mail is delivered. In this mail delivery lesson, students read The Jolly Postman: Or Other People's Letters and discuss the people and places the jolly postman would visit in their town. ...
Curated OER
The Post Office
In this Post Office activity, students read a short text with information about the history of mail delivery in the United States. Students answer 4 multiple choice questions. Note: The word "congress" in question 2 is a proper noun and...
Other
The Unconstitutionality of the Laws of Congress Prohibiting Private Mails
An exposition by Lysander Spooner on behalf of the American Letter Mail Company entered according to an Act of Congress in1844, asserting that the company should have the right to establish post offices in competition with those of...
Smithsonian Institution
National Postal Museum: Fifteen Objects That Changed Postal History
Useful information about the history of the postal system and about the changes in postal and transportation technologies that have made the U.S. Postal Service what it is today.
Smithsonian Institution
National Postal Museum: Moving West
The National Postal Museum provides an intimate look at how America's postal service expanded to meet the needs of westward-moving settlers during the nineteenth century. Content includes a selection of letters written at the time, a...
Curated OER
National Park Service: Pony Express: History and Culture
A good article from the National Park Service which recounts the history of the brief existence of the Pony Express. Read about the route, what caused the demise of the Pony Express, and what part of the trail can still be seen.
Smithsonian Institution
National Postal Museum: Moving the Mail
This online exhibit takes students through various means of delivering mail via land, sea, and air. Historic, primary materials are used throughout the exhibit.
Smithsonian Institution
National Postal Museum: Postal Puzzle: Pony Express
Put together this jig saw puzzle to form a picture of the pony express postage stamp. Click on the link for other related information on the Pony Express from the National Postal Museum.
Smithsonian Institution
National Postal Museum: Decode the Barcode
Do you know what the barcode means at the bottom of an envelope? See if you can figure out how to crack the code that the postal service uses to deliver mail in this fun activity.