POSTAGE STAMPS AS TEACHING MATERIALS IN SOCIAL STUDIES

POSTAGE STAMPS AS TEACHING MATERIALS IN SOCIAL STUDIES

By: Rodrigo P. de Vera, Jr., Ed. D.

Bobonan National High School (BNHS)-Senior High School Subject Group Head

            Its small size might not be qualified as a visual aid, but such size breaks the rule. Truly, value  of a postage stamp is greater that its size.

            For most people, postage stamp is only used when one goes to a post office and sends his/her letter, postcard, a gift or any item to be sent for his/her relatives and friends in another place. However, for a stamp collector, the use of a stamp does not end in the post office or at the hand of the recipient, it is just the beginning of its great journey.

A teacher who is a stamp collector considers stamps  as his/ her valuable teaching materials. Stamps  can be used in almost all subjects.

“Small but terrible” is appropriate expression for the use of stamps. We use the term “terrible” from the positive point of view which we may refer to great use of stamps in teaching.

Why use stamps as teaching materials?

Stamps existed because of a teacher.   Rowland Hill who was a British schoolteacher designed and introduced the world’s first adhesive stamp on May 6, 1840. His first design featured the young Queen Victoria and was printed in black and was priced at one penny. Thus, the term “Penny Blacks”.

Stamps record history. They serve as the eye witness of the past. People die, but stamps live longer. The history of a nation is chronicled on stamps. Did you know that 14 years after the first postage stamp was invented in England, the first stamp featuring Queen Isabella II of Spain  was issued in the Philippines?  Stamps have become a valuable source of records of our own history and culture. Even the rise and fall of a nation stamps rose and fell with them, too. Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, U.S.S.R., to name a few, cease to exist anymore, but stamps issued during their years of existence are still circulated and preserved in the hands of  stamp collectors worldwide. Stamps commemorate the founding of a nation, its occupation, independence, its leaders and among others.

Stamps teach us geography. All countries issue stamps bearing their names, except United Kingdom. You might wonder the names of some countries. We have Eire for Ireland, Island for Iceland, Hvvatska for Croatia, Magyar for Hungary, Nippon for Japan, Norge for Norway, Polska for Poland, Sverige for Sweden. If you encounter difficulty in finding a stamp with unique name, refer to stamp identifier on the net for your assistance. When you have a foreign stamp  with you, use your world map to locate that country. Stamps increase our knowledge on geography. Do you know where Kiribati is?

Stamps promote culture. Religious institutions, cathedrals, mosques, religious leaders are featured on stamps. Festivals or culture-related activities are also presented. Foods and drinks are also shown on stamps. People in their traditional clothes are featured on stamps.

Stamps keep us to love nature/ environment. Stamps teach us to appreciate the beauty of nature with its beautiful scenery and wild animals in their natural habitat. Activities related to the preservation of the environment are also featured on stamps.

As a teacher, you can organize your stamps according to themes- animals, archeology, astronomy, costumes, environmental protection, manned flights, maps (modern & antiques),  minerals, etc.

You can also promote philately among your students and organize a stamp club in your school. During Stamp Collecting Month of November, organize a stamp exhibit. In order to protect your stamps, you can cover your stamps with acetate film before mounting them in a special paper.

Isn’t it great to engage in stamp collecting? Start now!