Mystery Book
Take two sheets of 8 1/2 by 11 paper and fold hotdog. Then fold like a fan (both ends back
to the first fold, so that it looks like a M or a W. Choose one and lay the other down.
Holding the chosen piece with the middle fold down between your thumb and forefinger,
pretend it is an airplane. Cut a slit from the middle fold to the "wings" at about midway from
one end to the other. Cut another slit halfway between the first slit and the end, then do the
same on the other half of the paper. Put that sheet down
Slits
Folds
Lay this sheet down and hold the other sheet with the middle fold down between your thumb
and forefinger. This time, cut the “wings” off along the folds. This will give you the two strips
that you weave. Weave the strips between the slits so that they are opposite each other. (If
you started with the left one over, then the right one starts under.
FRONT
Now fold the book like a fan again, and close it so that the opening is on the
right as you look at it.
To open the book, you have to pull between the strips and the actual book.
They will open to reveal a secret place where students can write their
answers.
They pull the book out flat and write their question or 5x3 on the flap. To see
the answer, they would pull the center apart and write the answer or 15
inside. This can be used as a review or self- study guide.
Hint: Make it with 2 colors of paper, so it is easier to tell the strips from the
whole sheet. Also, never glue or tape, because it will keep the book from
working.
Denise White, 2007