Publishing Nonfiction Text with Paper Doll Books

Marcia Tayte tells us the importance of art in learning and developing brain power. This is a fun way to incorporate art, writing nonfiction text, and information about insects.

This paper doll book is really quite easy to make. At the beginning of the year, I teach the kids how to fold the paper to make the book.  We do it together several more times. By this time of the year, they are an expect and can easily make their own. Here are the steps to make the book.

First, get a piece of 12 x 18 construction paper. Invite the children to fold the paper in half like a "hotdog".

Leave the paper folded hotdog, and fold it again. This time fold the paper "hamburger".

Now, fold the paper again "hamburger" style.

Unfold the paper. Using a pair of scissors, invite the children to cut out the rectangle on the bottom left and the rectangle on the bottom right. Save these for later.

Fold the two outside rectangles on the top row over. This will make the jacket for the paper doll.

Using a pair of scissors, invite the children to cut a triangle between the two bottom remaining rectangles. This will divide the two bottom rectangles to make legs.

Glue the two rectangles (cut out earlier) behind the jacket to make the arms.

Use patterns, or free cutting, to make the head and shoes. The children can trace their own hands to make the hands for the paper doll. Use scrapbooking paper to make the jacket front.  Add a name tag, and you are all done with the paper doll.

Now it's time to add the "All About Insects" book.  Staple a cover, a diagram page, and several blank pages together.

Work together in a guided writing, or invite the children to work independently to make a table of contents.

On the first page in the booklet, the children draw and label an insect. Provide several nonfiction books that include diagrams of various insects for the children to use as a reference. On the remaining pages, the children write facts to match the table of contents.

This idea, the reproducibles for the paper doll and the nonfiction book are included in this unit.