WRITING
Student-Created "Big Books"
with Carpet Holders

Submitted by: I Love That Teaching Idea! Staff
From: SLC, Utah
Date Submitted: April 16, 2001

Kids in all grades love to create big books for the classroom library. Ask your local carpet retailer if they'd be willing to donate any of the plastic handles that hold carpet samples. They are about 30" in length, which is a perfect size to hold large pieces of poster board (22" x 28") The handle become the "binder" of the book. There are a few fun ways you could incorporate this "Big Book Idea!"

1) Celebrate a year's worth of writing with an "Author's Tea Party." Have students choose their favorite piece of writing, and create their very own "big book" with it. They can show these off at the celebration.

2) Create an ABC book about your community, state, etc. Assign each child to a letter of the alphabet. Students can write or draw pictures about exciting things to see or do in your state that begin with their assigned letter.

3) Have a "class mascot" that students can take turns bringing home each week. The mascot can be a stuffed animal of some sort, like a cheetah or panda. Give the child a poster to take home, along with the animal, so that he/she can write about the many adventures the mascot had during that special week. The poster journal can be added to the class' big book!

4) As students leave on vacations throughout the year, ask them to create a poster that tells about the highlights of their trip. The child can add any pictures, postcards, pressed flowers from the area, etc. to make his "page" that peers will want to read and see. When the student turns in his poster, simply add it to your ongoing class book!

5) Assign different countries to your students to research. Each student or cooperative group can create a poster about their new-found knowledge and share it through a class big book.