I love foldables!
07-22-2008, 08:04 PM
I use them in science all the time. Basically, I look at foldables as another way of note taking. Any information that you might want your students to take notes on can be put into a foldable.
I was introduced to foldables a few years ago in college, but since I don't have the book, I have just been making up my "own" foldables to go with the stuff in science. Any subject that has a variety of subtopics under the main topic is a good candidate for using a foldable - it just helps keep the info separated.
My favorite is foldable to use is the one that uses two (or more) pieces of paper. Lay them on top of each other one inch from the edge of the paper below it. Then fold both pages over so you have four (or more depending on how many sheets of paper you use) "tabs". Staple it and fill it in. The kids like that one. They are amazed by how neat foldables look when you are done with them!
I used that one for the layers of bone, parts of speech (LA) and i am sure other stuff too.
Another easy one is to fold the paper hotdog style again, then fold that a few times (depending what you need)... hamburger style (or opposite of your first fold. Then you open the paper and cut the folds from the left side of the paper to the middle so you have a "flap" that you can open. I use that for definitions (word on the front of the flap, open it up and definition "inside the foldable") or a label (we did types of muscle) and a picture on the outside and the information on the inside.
Basically I look at the information that I want to use in the foldable and figure out how many sub groups need to be in the same foldable (but still separated) and then figure out how to fold the paper to make it work.
I always like to make a BIG example (from the roll paper) so that the kids can see it all over the room.
I hope this made sense. It is hard to explain how to fold something without showing you.
The kids really do love these! My kids got really frusterated at first because they didn't pay attention as we started making them but as soon as they realized that I was showing them exactly what to do, they relaxed and really got into it:-) In the begining I even give them the notes we will be using in it in the different sections, by the end of the year they were able to tell me how we should set up the foldable and what information to use!
Good Luck! Have fun with them!