AY Honors/Postcards - Advanced/Answer Key

1. Have the basic Postcard Honor.

For tips and instruction see Postcards.

2. How is the history of your city or state/province/region told in postcards? Collect postcards (or pictures of postcards) that illustrate events or distinctive scenery found in your area.

Look for postcards from historic sites, historical districts of your city, distinctive parks etc. Each area is famous for something, so explore your area.

3. Explain what you have done to preserve your postcards. (Postcards from the basic honor)

Preserving low value postcards is not very important, except to preserve your pride in your collection. One option is to get a shoebox size lock-n-lock box for your collection. This will keep out moisture, pests and avoid accidental crushing of cards as well as keeping all your collected cards together.

If you have highly collectable or rare postcards you can keep them in acid free mountings and books. You might find a photo album to slide cards into. For very valuable cards place them in rigid card holders similar to how high value sports cards are stored.

4. What is the latest development in postcards?

Postcards are widely used as a low cost form of advertising.

Digital Postcards have become quite common. Many tourist websites allow visitors to send a digital postcard containing a photo or animation plus a message by email.

Postcards that already include the postage printed on them are sold by Canada Post. Just address and mail anywhere.

Canada Post offers to personalize a postcard with your own image and design your own stamp and add your own message, all online, and mail it for you. Picture Postage

5. What are the present regulations for sending custom made postcards through your local post office and getting the postcard rate?

United States

In order for a piece of mail to qualify as a postcard it must meet several requirements set by the United States Postal Service. Using a postcard rate: postcards must be at least 3.5 inches (8.89 cm) high, 5 inches (12.7 cm) wide and 0.007 inches (.018 cm) thick; the postcard size can be no larger than 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) high, 6 inches (15.2 cm) wide and 0.016 inches (.041 cm) thick; the postcard must be rectangular in shape; postcards cannot contain any stickers or attachments which make them larger or thicker than the above postcard size.

Canada

Canada Post treats postcards just like lettermail for rate, minimum and maximum dimensions and minimum and maximum weight. Here is a chart: [Canada Post Lettermail standards]

6. Make a collection of at least 150 postcards. (No two postcards alike.) Your collection should include the following:

a. At least 2 postcards depicting significant historical or cultural heritage in your area/region

See Requirement #2.

b. Postcards from at least different 20 states/providences/countries.

You should have at least 10 already from earning the basic honor. Ask people you know who are traveling to send you postcards, or look online for penpals you might exchange postcards with. Postcards make nice inexpensive souvenirs that can be found most anywhere one travels. They don't even have to be mailed, just brought home. Though that takes some of the fun out of getting a postcard in the mail, the postcards will be in better shape if not mailed.

c. At least 25 cards on the same theme (mountains, beaches, waterfalls, travel, religious, seasons, sports, animals, hobbies, art, et. al.)

Many collectors like to theme their collections, and postcards are no different. It adds a little challenge and extra interest to the collection, making it less random. The narrower or more obscure the theme the harder it will be to follow though. Don't forget your theme when asking for postcards from different places to meet point b.

7. Do two of the following:

a. Create your own postcards. Mail 5 of your personally created postcards in order to encourage someone.

Check the Scrapbooking and Cardmaking honors for guidance. You might be able to complete some of the practical parts of them too.

b. Copy a map of U.S. and/or world map showing where your postcards are from and display at an event. Display your postcards of your choice topic. (You do not need to display the entire 150 postcards)

The map is pretty easy, just print out or get a map, mount it on display board, and mark all your themed postcards by place of origin. This tests your knowledge of geography and the ability to put together a display.

c. Create a game using postcards as game pieces

• Some idea is to s
• See how fast people can match postcards showing the same state (two or three per state) with lots of pairs.
• You could use them as flashcards where people have to name the state or country.
• They could be used as visual Jeopardy! clues.
• Visual pictionary clues - show the drawer the post card, they have to draw the place/person/thing well enough for their team to guess.
• Your ideas?

d. Create a digital album or media presentation that illustrates the history or scenery of the cards in your collection (minimum 30) in more detail

This could be on a webpage or blog post, or perhaps a powerpoint presentation style show. A good chance to give more detail on the places etc your postcards depict.