5/22/08

Students’ GeoBear replaced with stuffed camel by soldiers in Iraq

Earlier this year students in Melissa Molthan’s 6th grade class at Haller Middle School sent a stuffed bear to soldiers serving in Iraq as part of a social studies project. The GeoBears, along with regional information, are exchanged with people living in other parts of the world to help students learn about other areas and cultures.

As part of the project, the Arlington students sent a GeoBear named Jack Frost to Iraq to visit E-Troop 3-17. The class recently learned that "Jack" died tragically in a non-combat related Jeep fire in April. The soldiers chipped in over $300 to buy and ship a large stuffed camel to the students as a replacement. The determined soldiers had to convince a pilot to unpack a helicopter engine so they could use the box for shipping.

To honor its military heritage, the students decided to name the camel “Tank”. 

GeoBears in Melissa Molthan's classes and in teacher Donnica Farnsworth's classes (5th grade at Kent Prairie Elementary) have come home with other unique stories. Last year Ms. Molthan’s class sent a GeoBear to Germany. From there a German teacher sent it to Finland, and the Finnish teacher passed it on to a friend who lived in Turkey. Finally, the bear ended up in Syria. Schoolchildren in Syria wrote about the wonderful adventure the bear had in their country and returned it to Ms. Molthan's class.

Several GeoBears have even come back with treats from different countries for the local students. Earlier this year a class in Finland sent gum, which tasted just like black licorice. Most students have decided that they don't like gum from Finland.

Captions: (Top photo)-Ms. Molthan's 7th period class as Haller Middle School. (Bottom photo) Ms. Molthan's 1st period class with Tank the camel.