Giving You the World

To print out the directions above, here’s the PDF of Origami Base for World Map And here’s the PDF for the World Map That Can Be Folded Into An Origami Base.

I have a slew of agendas when I work with students. One item at the top of my top-heavy list is to incorporate a world map into projects whenever possible and appropriate. If I can provide students with a clever and fun way of using a map, all the better.

This is a 6″ x 6″ square (folded down from a 12″ x’ 6″ paper). Open the cover and you’ll find a map of the world, with Sweden highlighted.

Just in case it’s not clear, the map is a separate piece of paper glued into the cover.

Note the  compass rose, that has been colored in by the student and notice how well the world map sits on the paper.   Allow me to tell you that it took me hours of searching for the images, then resizing and positioning the map and the compass rose so that it would work well for this project.  I want you to think of this as a gift to you from me, for taking the time to read my posts.

 Here, again, is the PDF of the World Map That Can Be Folded Into An Origami Base. You will have to cut off the bottom 2 1/2″ of the page so that it will become a square. I don’t quite know how people in A4 land can use this….let me know how it works out if you try it, OK?

I generally print out the map on lightweight blue paper so that students only have to color in the land masses. Students have a hard time identifying places on the map, so I am happy to do my part in giving them a reason to look at continents and oceans.

A fun map exercise is to ask students to look at the map and come up with fanciful ways of traveling from their home to another destination in the world.  Helicopters, dog sleds, walking, and sailing are all acceptable,  as long as it’s possible (ie no driving from India to Australia).

There’s a trick to glueing the map into the cover: make sure that the point of the origami base is just touching the middle of the fold of the cover. Use the minimum amount of glue on the paper (it’s pretty obvious where the glue goes, especially if you do it wrong a few times), then CLOSE THE COVER over the map, rather than raising the map up to the cover. Try this out a few times before you (blush) embarrass yourself in front of a roomful of students. Good Luck to the brave hearted who try this out.

Biome Book, Post #3

This will be the last of the posts that I am going to write about these magnificent biome books made by Mrs. DePace’s second graders. 

The books were made from one sheet of folded paper, about 17″ by 35″, folded as a single Book Base.  This gave students a front cover, back cover, a two page spread  to illustrate the biome, and a two page spread for writing.

Red Fox, out of his origami pocket

The first spread of pages is full of interesting features.  Students drew an animal, which was stored in an origami pocket.    Actually, students made two of these animals, and attached them together with a paper spring, so that they could be freestanding.

Paper spring attaching two red foxes together, so that they can stand by themselves

In the middle of the spread are a couple of simple pop-ups.

 Students glued items on to these simple pop-ups for a wild effect.

Close up of add-ons to a pop-up

 This first set of pages is labeled by a title that is attached to the page by more paper springs.

Title of Biome, attached with paper springs.

The rational behind using paper springs here is that students love making paper springs, so any excuse to make them is a good one.

The second spread of pages is where all the research goes.

Opening to the second spread of pages

 The writing for these Biome Books happens, for the most part, on the second spread of pages, in mini books which were worked on individually, then glued, with glue sticks, into the book base.

Mrs. DePace guided student reaserch, then the students added their writing to these mini-books. I  that the students were required to look for images to collage on to the cover of some of these papers and that the titles of these little books are boldly printed.  When I spoke to the students I compared each of the booklets to paragraphs, saying that they could write a typical report on paper, using paragraphs to separate subject matter. They liked the idea of, instead,  using these little booklets to separate the subject matter.

Booklets open showing research on biomes

Just for the sake a variety, the little booklets, which were simply folded cover stock  papers with lines, opened in different directions.  The one on the lower right has a map of the world on it, along with a compass rose at the top, on which the students colored in the places that their biomes exist in the world.

Good bye Bear

This is end of the Biome Posts.  I hope you have enjoyed these images as much as I have.   Good work!

Kyra’s Origami Pockets

Origami Pocket by Kyra, made for her mom

  

      To test out the  instructional hand-outs that I create I try to enlist the help of the people who might actually use them.  I offered my How to Make an Origami Pocket handout to my nine-year old friend Kyra. The next day Kyra’s mom informed me that her daughter was making one after the other, with no parental help.    

More Pockets by Kyra

  

     I had to go take a look at her work. She had made the pockets out of various papers around the house, some of which were lovely, exotic papers.  Most of the pieces she started with were about 12″square.  In the photo above she laced a cord through the upper edge of the pocket, so that the pocket hangs.  The is the pocket that she is letting me keep.  I am honored! The rest I borrowed to photograph.  Thank you Kyra!     

   Inspired by Kyra, I made a few pockets of my own to post here.   

Pocket by Paula

   

   The pocket on the left is made with two sheets of construction paper, pockets made, then nested together.  I cut out some shapes on the pink piece so that the red will show through in a decorative way.  I then glued the cut pieces on to the red for more decoration.  The blue pocket is made with 24lb copy paper with other papers glued on.  The little cup is made from a page of a National Geographic magazine that was in the recycle bin.  When using recycled materials I like to find images that I like to look before I transform them.   

Pocket to hold CDs

   

   Since colorful papers are not always available, here are a few models that are made from paper then is generally more available.  The pocket on the left is made with standard white copy paper.  Notice that it makes a perfect size pocket to hold CDs.  The pocket on the right is made from wide-ruled notebook paper: I like how the lines provide a structure for decoration.  

Silly Burdock Pocket by Paula

  

     At the edge of our garden my husband pointed out some giant burdock leaves that appear to be mocking our efforsts at civilizaton.  Just to be silly, I picked one of these leaves and made a pocket.  Maybe I will remember to do this is I am ever out foraging and need to fill a cup with something (like water?).