TEACHER:
Elba Iris Marrero, sixth grade special educationP.S. 72
New York, New York
AGES:
Six to 13PROJECT:
Craft a bookGOAL:
To inspire interest in reading and writing
Elba Iris Marrero grew up in East Harlem, a neighborhood better known for its rough character than its educational opportunities. "I had a wonderful education in the public school system here," she says. "That's why I came back here to teach. I want to show these kids that if I built a career, they can do it, too."
Learning how to make handcrafted books has earned Marrero's students distinction in a crowded school. In addition to accolades, Marrero found that creating books sparked even the most reluctant student's interest in reading and writing. "There's something about making it yourself--the product has a significance it could never have if you just bought it," she says. "And once you've made the book, all those blank pages need filling. Writing is the obvious next step and my students rise to the occasion."
MATERIALS
• Five sheets of white typing paper
• Two sheets of colored construction paper
• Paper clips
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Needle and thread
• Self-adhesive shelf liner
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Two pieces of corrugated cardboard, each 5 1/4 by 8 1/2 inches
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Fold each piece of typing paper in half to measure 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches. Do the same with the construction paper. With folded edges on the left, sandwich the colored sheets between the white ones. Use paper clips to hold the pages together.
2. Measure and mark a 1/4-inch margin on the left side of the book next to the fold. Sew the sheets together, spacing the stitches every 1/2 inch within that margin. Remove the paper clips.
3. Measure a 10 1/2 by 13 1/2-inch piece of shelf liner. Position the long side nearest you with the backing paper face up. Fold the liner in half with the patterned sides inside.
4. Unfold the liner and peel off the backing paper. Lay down the pieces of cardboard on the paper, leaving 1 inch between them in the middle and a 1-inch margin all around the edge.
5. Cut out 1-inch squares from each of the four corners of the shelf liner paper. Fold in the sides of the shelf liner that extend beyond the cardboard.
6. Line up the spine of the sewn pages with the fold that was made in the middle of the shelf liner. Rub the glue stick on the outside of the left-hand piece of colored paper and lay the left-hand piece of cardboard on top. Do the same on the right-hand side.
