Magic Books Motivate Writing!

My class loves making books. I love making books! There's just something about making books that gets kids to take care and pride in their writing. One of the current favorites is a "magic" book.

So what exactly is a magic book?  It's a book made from one piece of construction paper and one half sheet of construction paper, cut into two strips.  (Be sure to use construction paper and NOT printer paper; it's too floppy and will slide right out of the book()

The great thing about this book is that the inside (behind the two front doors) can be about one topic or  "before". Then when you spread or peel it open, students can write about a new topic or "after".

 We just made these books to compare and contrast the effects of the Spanish missions on Native Californians' lives.  Students wrote about Indians' lives with their tribes on the left inside door, decided on categories, then drew pictures for each category. After "magically" opening the secret page, students drew pictures of Indians' lives at the mission for the same categories. They wrote about the changes on the right inner door.

Magic books are also terrific for teaching cause & effect, changes in character's personality, compare and contrast, and even teaching problem & solution. If books are made using all white construction paper, the entire inside (woven panel) can be drawn as one scene, as if it is a smooth piece of paper. In this way, when you open the magic inside, another scene can be shown as changed. There are so many ways to use magic books and your kids will LOVE them!!

This mission magic book is a terrific complement to my California Missions unit! You can check it out by clicking on the picture below.

Do you make books with your students? Please share ideas! 

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