How to Make a Math Pop Up Book

Pop-up books are filled with secret surprises. Open a page and an image pops out, as if it was a three-dimensional object tucked into the book. What it actually is, is a cleverly cut piece of paper that is strategically fastened to the pages, and when the pages are pulled open, the image pops out at the reader. A math pop-up book can be created one page at a time, and inserted into a three-ring book binder. This will allow you to make new pages to add to the book.

Things You'll Need

• Three-ring photo album Construction paper Colored pens Scissors Sticky tape Glue

Instructions

1. Visit the photo album section of a discount store. There you should find three-ring photo album books. Choose one filled with blank magnetic photo pages, with peel-back pages where photos are inserted. Purchase a book to use for the pop-up math book.

2. Remove the pages from the book and set aside. You will re-add the pages, one at a time, as a new page is completed.

3. Take one page and remove the plastic. Throw the plastic away. You will now begin creating your first page for the book.

4. Decide on a math problem for the page. For illustration purposes, we will use 1 + 2 = 3.

5. 

   Cut a piece of heavy construction paper to cover one side of the page. Draw a door on the construction paper and cut along the edges so that the door will fold open and closed.

6. Glue the construction paper onto one side of the photo page. Do not glue the door area. You want the door to be able to open and close.

7. 

   Draw an illustration of the math problem: 1 + 2, on the outside of the construction paper

8. 

   Cut out a piece of paper that is as wide as the door, and half as tall. Then fold it in half. We will call this paper A.

9. 

   Open the door. Use tape to attach one end of paper A to the inside of the door, in the middle. Tape the other end of paper A to the center of the doorway, on the page. When the door closes, the paper should fold shut, and not be seen from the outside of the page.

10. Draw a large "3" on a separate piece of construction paper. It should be slightly smaller than the door. Cut out the 3.

11. Fold the 3 in half, vertically. Glue the back of the folded 3 onto paper A. When the door shuts, the 3 should be hidden. When the door opens the 3 will pop out.

Tips & Warnings

• Instead of drawing a "3", draw a picture of three cats or three other objects for the pop-up.

Resources

• ABC Pop-up Books