Books as a Platform for Writing, Movie Screen Books

My 3rd grade classes are creating movie screen books as a collaborative effort between the classroom teachers and me-- the art teacher :)  I am so excited about this!  In their regular class they wrote a story about their favorite winter day.  In art class, we are building our books and illustrating them. 

We are in the early stages of the book but it is under way.  In art class we are beginning to build our books.  The students have written a story entitled "My Winter Day."

How to Create Your Movie Screen Book:

The first step is to take a shoe box and cover it with decorative paper.  No one wants to look at the shoe logos, besides they will distract from our stories.  So we are covering the bottom and sides of the boxes.

Next, cut out the frame for your movie screen book.  You will need an adult to help with this.  I use an Exacto knife.  (I cut all the openings to the same size so that I can keep them uniform.  This makes it easier for me in preparations.  I need to cut and prepare enough paper for 125 kids so ease is important.)

Now, cut the holes for the scrolls.  I am using toilet paper tubes, paper towels tubes and wrapping paper tubes.  Again, an adult will need to help with this because you need a knife to cut these holes out.  Trace the tube end along the top side of the box with a marker, then cut.  Repeat on the other side so the tube can side the whole way through.

Once your shoe box is ready you can begin working on your story.  In order to make it easier to line up your story with the actual hole in the box I have the kids trace the rectangle on their paper.  This way they write their story within the designated space.

Once the story is written and illustrated you will need to insert it into the box.  Begin by gluing or taping on end to one of the tubes.  Insert it into the box and then roll the rest of the paper on to that scroll.  Insert the other tube into the box and take the other end and tape it or glue it to the tube.

This is one of my examples illustrating a specific part of my story.  In the beginning stages.

Watch/read your book as you gently turn the tubes!