describing events or writing a compar-ison/contrast of two main characters’
points of view.
students to express themselves creatively while demonstrating their
understanding of the story’s content.
Construction Paper Wardrobes
During our reading of The Lion, the
Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S.
Lewis, we talked about how wardrobes were used before closets to hold
clothing. The
class looked at
photographs of
wardrobes found
on antique websites. We discussed
similarities of
construction and
noted the ornate detail on some of the
wardrobes. Students fashioned their
own construction paper wardrobes,
adding details by using various shades
of brown paper to simulate wood and
reflective contact paper to look like
mirrors.
Two of the main characters in the
story, Peter and Edmund, each had
their own side of the wardrobe filled
with student compositions describing their thoughts and personalities.
Just as the back of the wardrobe in the
book is the entrance to the fantasy
land of Narnia, students created an
illustration of Narnia on the back page
of their wardrobe.
Social Studies Curriculum
A favorite social studies unit among
fifth graders is the Revolutionary War.
To help students keep track of the
many events leading up to the war,
they chose an
important sym-
bol of the period
to make into a
personal journal.
Students learned
about the impor-
tance of these
symbols, and then fashioned a folding
booklet in the shape of a Liberty Tree,
tricorn hat, or teacup. The book cov-
ers were made of colored construction
paper and lined copy paper was cut to
the same shape and folded to form the
interior pages.
Students created their own persona with an imaginary name, age,
occupation, and home. Every few
“years” they would add another entry,
catching up on what was new in their
life and what important events were
Students showed increased
enthusiasm in putting their
ideas into writing, along with
a greater awareness of the
material covered.
happening to them as history literally “unfolded” from 1755 to 1775 in
Boston. By writing in their books,
students were able to review the
sequence and reinforce the main ideas
of the pre-war events.
Final Note
As a result of these lessons, students
showed increased motivation and
enthusiasm in putting their ideas into
writing, along with a greater awareness of the material covered. These
projects provided that necessary link
between classroom curriculum and
the arts, demonstrating that educational standards and creative expression can go hand in hand.
Sue Colozzi is a fifth-grade teacher at
Lynnfield Middle School in Lynnfield,
Massachusetts. colozzis@lynnfield.k12.
ma.us
WEB LINK
www.makingbooks.com/bookmulti-
cultural.shtml
Log-Cabin Accordion Books
As we read The Sign of the Beaver by
Elizabeth George Speare, students
completed written assignments that
would later become their books.
Students wrote a letter from the
perspective of the main character to
his parents in Massachusetts as he
was minding the family’s new cabin
in Maine. The letter draft was then
worked into a final piece of writing as
an illustrated booklet.
Students made brown construction
paper log cabin envelopes out of 7 x
18" ( 18 x 46 cm) pieces of paper. The
booklet on the inside was made of two
6 x 18" ( 15 x 46 cm) pieces of white
construction paper, glued together and
folded into an accordion book with
4½" ( 11. 5 cm) wide pages. Students
were encouraged to add illustrations
using cut paper, natural materials, or
pop-ups. Making the books allowed
