I know you have seen Fandex® books at Borders, Barnes and Nobles, or the local bookstore. Open this book by holding the bottom of the book with the fingers of one hand and fanning the pages open with the other hand. The unusual page orientation is what makes a Fandex® Book intriguing and fun.

You can challenge your students, at all grade levels, to make these books. The two student produced books were created by 5th grade students. The students worked from a list of 63 topics that spanned the pre-Columbian era through 1588 A.D. Although this particular product is part of High Seas Adventure, a Paideia Project I wrote, the Fandex® books can stand alone as a challenging, yet simple, product that asks the students to conduct research and use office oriented software to build the pieces of the book.

The result binds together the idea that computers and software do not stand in isolation. They are tools used to create a product with a value that is greater than the sum of its individual parts.

The Process

Like any unique and novel idea, use the Fandex® books idea as an instructional product once. Individual students, however, may choose to reuse the idea as a part of another, more complex project in your class or in another class. Follow these construction steps:

•    Select the class or subject.
•    Select the list of topics or ideas. Make the list cross curricular. Involve the ideas of different disciplines.
      Mix science, social studies, and literature.
      Mix math, music, and art
      Mix them all.

•    Type the student list.
•    Set construction and design parameters.
      Make this a collaborative project. Involve groups of three to five students.
      Suggest that some students may want to create more book pages. Set a minimum page creation for students.

•    Create and share the assessment rubric with the students.
      Set a minimum point value for the number of pages created in the rubric.

•    Schedule a time for the student to share and present their work.

By Grant Zimmerman

Grant Zimmerman is a Program Associate and National Faculty Member of the National Paideia Center at the University of North Carolina. He leads educators in Professional Development sessions on the Paideia Seminar and the Paideia Project. Grant is also a Senior Education Consultant with Knowledge Network Solutions—Leaders in Technology Integration in schools.