Post by mamared on Sept 7, 2020 0:48:26 GMT -5
This item was introduced in 2015 and retired in 2018.
With this 1950s-style school set, your girl can help Maryellen practice her writing skills as she learns cursive, and also learn about geography. It includes:
A two-sided reproduction map from the 1950s, featuring the U.S. and Europe
A reversible chalkboard
A pointer
An easel stand to hold the map or chalkboard
Flash cards
This set was released in 2015 and retired in 2018, and the retail price was $40. I think it’s a fun addition to any classroom scene, and while it’s particularly appropriate for Maryellen’s time, it can work in other eras as well.
Jess is using it today:
The chalkboard measures about 8 inches by 11 inches. It feels like it’s made of a thick piece of sturdy plastic, colored green with a white border. One of my favorite toys when I was little had a real chalkboard with chalk and an eraser; this one came with neither, so I don’t know if it can actually function as a real chalkboard, but I do wish it had come with chalk.
One side of the chalkboard is blank (just the green background), and the other side has the cursive alphabet neatly written along the top and numbers written along the bottom. The cursive has ornamental loops or curlicues at the top (which I think is a traditional Zaner-Bloser style); I appreciate the historical accuracy here, as a more simplified cursive style became more widely used after Maryellen’s time. (I’m not sure what style the numbers are, but they look like something different.) Grade: B+ (It gets docked a little for no chalk and no clear indication of it can actually be used as a chalkboard. If it can, I’d happily raise this.)
Here are the two sides of the chalkboard:
You can see the pointer being used in one of those pictures. I think this is a fun piece. It’s really just a piece of wood colored plastic, with a white tip on one end and a rubbery handle on the other end, which can slip around the doll’s hand to make it easy to hold. Grade: A
The map seems like it’s made of a plastic sheet or possibly that it’s laminated. It comes rolled up and is connected to plastic wood- colored dowels on either end, which gives it support at both the top and bottom to hang straight(ish). There’s a grey/ silver handle on the top dowel to hang the map easily from the easel. One side of the map shows the 48 United States in the 1950s, plus the territories of Alaska and Hawaii and Guam, Samoa Island, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, Panama Canal Zone, and Philippine Islands. The other side shows 1950 Europe. I love the possibilities for investigating history, geography, and politics that are presented by these historical maps! I also appreciate that many of the different areas shown on the United States side are shown using the same scale, which gives perspective of relative size. Grade: A+
The easel that holds the chalkboard is about 17 inches tall and is made of two pieces that connect like a hinge. The tallest piece is grey/silver plastic and has a hook at the top where you can hang the map. The other piece is green and has two legs that swing away from the first piece to give the easel stability. The green piece moves easily; the legs move as a single unit, and they’re connected by the ledge that supports the chalkboard. It’s not fancy, but it does the job it’s meant to do and I think it’s much simpler to use than easels with three legs that move independently. Grade: A
And finally, the flash cards. These measure about 1.5 inches by 2.5 inches, and they’re made of a thick card stock with slightly rounded edges. They’re plain white on one side and colorfully printed on the other with the letters of the alphabet and pictures to go along with each letter. I think these are cute and they would make cute decorations in a classroom scene, but I think “flash card” is a bit of a misnomer here, especially if talking about someone old enough to be learning cursive! I still like them a lot, though. Grade: A-
Overall, I like this Classroom Set a lot! I wanted it for a long time before I bought it, and now I’m looking forward to adding a student desk to complete the scene. Although of course it would be great to have wood instead of plastic, it seems to me like the pieces are sturdy and well made and have lots of playability.
My overall grade:
With this 1950s-style school set, your girl can help Maryellen practice her writing skills as she learns cursive, and also learn about geography. It includes:
A two-sided reproduction map from the 1950s, featuring the U.S. and Europe
A reversible chalkboard
A pointer
An easel stand to hold the map or chalkboard
Flash cards
This set was released in 2015 and retired in 2018, and the retail price was $40. I think it’s a fun addition to any classroom scene, and while it’s particularly appropriate for Maryellen’s time, it can work in other eras as well.
Jess is using it today:
The chalkboard measures about 8 inches by 11 inches. It feels like it’s made of a thick piece of sturdy plastic, colored green with a white border. One of my favorite toys when I was little had a real chalkboard with chalk and an eraser; this one came with neither, so I don’t know if it can actually function as a real chalkboard, but I do wish it had come with chalk.
One side of the chalkboard is blank (just the green background), and the other side has the cursive alphabet neatly written along the top and numbers written along the bottom. The cursive has ornamental loops or curlicues at the top (which I think is a traditional Zaner-Bloser style); I appreciate the historical accuracy here, as a more simplified cursive style became more widely used after Maryellen’s time. (I’m not sure what style the numbers are, but they look like something different.) Grade: B+ (It gets docked a little for no chalk and no clear indication of it can actually be used as a chalkboard. If it can, I’d happily raise this.)
Here are the two sides of the chalkboard:
You can see the pointer being used in one of those pictures. I think this is a fun piece. It’s really just a piece of wood colored plastic, with a white tip on one end and a rubbery handle on the other end, which can slip around the doll’s hand to make it easy to hold. Grade: A
The map seems like it’s made of a plastic sheet or possibly that it’s laminated. It comes rolled up and is connected to plastic wood- colored dowels on either end, which gives it support at both the top and bottom to hang straight(ish). There’s a grey/ silver handle on the top dowel to hang the map easily from the easel. One side of the map shows the 48 United States in the 1950s, plus the territories of Alaska and Hawaii and Guam, Samoa Island, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, Panama Canal Zone, and Philippine Islands. The other side shows 1950 Europe. I love the possibilities for investigating history, geography, and politics that are presented by these historical maps! I also appreciate that many of the different areas shown on the United States side are shown using the same scale, which gives perspective of relative size. Grade: A+
United States side:
Close ups:
Europe side:
Close up of one part:
Close ups:
Europe side:
Close up of one part:
The easel that holds the chalkboard is about 17 inches tall and is made of two pieces that connect like a hinge. The tallest piece is grey/silver plastic and has a hook at the top where you can hang the map. The other piece is green and has two legs that swing away from the first piece to give the easel stability. The green piece moves easily; the legs move as a single unit, and they’re connected by the ledge that supports the chalkboard. It’s not fancy, but it does the job it’s meant to do and I think it’s much simpler to use than easels with three legs that move independently. Grade: A
And finally, the flash cards. These measure about 1.5 inches by 2.5 inches, and they’re made of a thick card stock with slightly rounded edges. They’re plain white on one side and colorfully printed on the other with the letters of the alphabet and pictures to go along with each letter. I think these are cute and they would make cute decorations in a classroom scene, but I think “flash card” is a bit of a misnomer here, especially if talking about someone old enough to be learning cursive! I still like them a lot, though. Grade: A-
Overall, I like this Classroom Set a lot! I wanted it for a long time before I bought it, and now I’m looking forward to adding a student desk to complete the scene. Although of course it would be great to have wood instead of plastic, it seems to me like the pieces are sturdy and well made and have lots of playability.
My overall grade:
