The two of us exchanged a few television memories (How big were those TV sets? How small were those screens?) before I turned the sheet of stamps over and noticed on the back 2-3 sentences describing the background of each stamp. Here’s one:

The Ed Sullivan Show: Through more than 20 years on the air, host Ed Sullivan kept Broadway buffs, jazz fans, rock-and-rollers, and others entertained on Sunday nights. His long-running variety show — called Toast of the Town in its early years — provided a showcase for virtually every kind of act, from classical musicians, ballet dancers, and comedians to popular performers such as Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald, and the Beatles.

Each summary reveals extensive research and very dense language. Not a word is wasted.

What a great writing task! I began to wonder what students might write about TV shows they watch now or have seen in reruns.

• Mad Men
• Survivor
• Seinfeld
• Punk’d
• Oprah
• Dancing with the Stars

You get the idea. Extensive research condensed to 3 sentences. Add your own graphic, carefully selected to be a typical scene.

The resulting graphic + writing could even be dropped into Powerpoint slides and looped continuously during Open House, presenting parents with a microcosm of expectations.

(10/27 Update: Here is Stamps project handout I gave my students.)