Accordion

Book

This book is a variation of an accordion book. There are many forms of accordion books and
depending on what elements you include the books can function differently. This book has covers
and a spine piece that make this book look and function like a traditional book. This book form can
be read like a traditional codex, and also be displayed showing all of its pages, like a sculpture. To
simplify, simple make the book without the covers and spine.

Grades/Age Group: 3-12

Time Required:
Prep: 30 minutes
Teaching: 20-30 minutes

Materials needed (sizes and paper types can be adjusted as desired for your class needs):
1. 3 x 24 text weight paper (1)
2. 3 x 25 text weight paper, (1)
3. 1 x 3 text weight paper, (1)
4. 5 x 3 text weight paper, (2)
5. Scissors
6. Pencil
7. Glue stick
8. Bone folder or popsicle stick for folding (optional)

Procedure:
1. Start with your 3x 24 and 3x 25 text weight papers and lay the shorter paper on
top of the longer one. Make a score along the edge of the shorter paper where the
long paper peeks out from the short paper.
2. Fold back the tab where you scored.
3. Next fold 8-panel accordion out of the two strips. Keep the tab folded up on the strip
with the tab, and fold as if the folded tab were the end of the paper. Start with your
paper strip. Next fold your strip in half:

4. Next fold both edges of the paper to meet the first fold you made.









5. Open the papers you have folded and bring each fold over to meet the edge of the
paper one at a time and press down to make a crease.

6. This will produce an eight panel accordion:

7. Connect both accordions together by gluing the tab that you made in step one and
two and attaching it to the other folded accordion.

8. Make spine piece: get your 1 x 3 text weight paper and measure from left edge
and mark top and bottom. Repeat on right edge. Fold right edge over to meet marks
on left side. Repeat on right side and attach to spine of accordion.
/
1 4 /
1 4

/
1 4 /
1 4
/

1 4

9. Put a small amount of glue on flaps of spine piece, NOT the center spine itself. Place
over the spine of the accordion.

pane
l1

10. Glue cover boards on front and back. Make sure your cover lines up with open edge of
your book.

Accordion Book Lesson Overview:

Key Points:
1. This is a good example of a simple book form often utilized by book artists.


2. This book form can be read like a traditional codex, and also be displayed showing all
of its pages, like a sculpture.

Ideas for Innovation:
1. To simplify, simple make the book without the covers and spine.
2. Turn the book vertically to make blinds.
3. Hinge multiple accordions together to make infinitely longer books.
4. Glue boards on outside panels to make hard covers for a different look.

Learning Objectives:
1. Students will increase their dexterity skills with both simple and complex folding.
2. Students will have foundational skills for making accordion books, which can be made
from ANY size paper.

Core Standard Applications:
Math:
1st grade math. Objective: Tell and write time. Application: Have students make an
accordion book about the passage of time. Each panel can represent one hour of the
day. At the top of the panel they can draw a clock telling what time of day it is and
they can draw a picture of what they do at that time of day.
9-12 grade pre-calculus. Objective: Students will understand concepts from
probability and statistics and apply statistical methods to solve problems. Application:
Have students write statistics vocab and draw pictures to help them remember and
understand abstract ideas on each panel of their accordion book.
Science:
6th grade science. Objective: Students will understand that the appearance of the
moon changes in a predictable cycle as it orbits Earth and as Earth rotates on its axis.
Application: Have students make a book about the phases of the book. As the panels
of their accordion book progress they can draw pictures and write information about
the waning and waxing of the moon.
9th-12th-grade chemistry. Objective: Recognize the origin and distribution of elements
in the universe. Relate the structure, behavior, and scale of an atom to the particles
that compose it. Correlate atomic structure and the physical and chemical properties
of an element to the position of the element on the periodic table. Application: Have
students draw different the atoms and write information that make up different
elements that make up the periodic table. The whole class can work together to
cover all of the elements in the periodic table. Accordion books could be pinned to
the wall in a way that mimics the periodic table.
Language Arts:
6-8th grade language arts. Objective: Explain how an author develops the point of
view of the narrator or speaker in a text. Application: Have students read a novel,
short story, or poem that is told from multiple points of view. On the different panels
of students accordion book have students draw pictures of the different characters
and write information about how the author develops their point of view.


Application: Ask the students write a short scene with three characters. The first
panel of the accordion tells the story in the narrators voice. The subsequent three
panels tell the story from each of the characters perspective.
9th-12th grade language arts. Objective: Analyze the representation of a subject or a
key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent
in each treatment (e.g., Audens Muse des Beaux Arts and Breughels Landscape
with the Fall of Icarus). Application: Have students make a third artistic piece to
respond to the other two pieces they have learned about using both images and
words on their accordion books. Application: have the students write their analysis
for one piece on one side of the accordion, and their second analysis on the other
side.
Social Studies:
7th grade social studies. Objective: Students will understand the contributions of
Native American Indians, explorers, and Utah's pioneers. Application: Have students
make an accordion that has information about the contributions of Native American
Indians on one side and explorers and Utahs pioneers on the other.
9-12th grade U.S. history. Objective: Students will understand the causes, course, and
consequences of the United States' role in World War II. Application: Students will
make an accordion book timeline that shows images and text about WWII.