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How-to Books

Objective:  Students will research the career of designing how-to books and manuals.  Students will locate and examine different types of how-to books, using the World Wide Web.  Students will then construct and design their own how-to book over a simple activity, complete with step-by-step procedures and illustrations.

Steps:

1.  Using the Internet or the library, research the career of designing how-to books.  Locate two different examples of how-to books for purposes of comparison and contrast.

2.  Think of an activity that you want to describe to someone, something that you are an expert on.

3.  On a sheet of paper, outline the steps for completing the activity you have chosen.  Make sure you have at least ten steps and make sure each step is simple and easy to follow.

4.  Take four sheets of 8x12 plain white paper and fold them in half, like a book.  Fasten at the fold with staples.

5.  On the cover of your book, draw an illustration and title that describes the essence of the activity that will be described within the book.

6.  Write one step on  each page, in progression.  Make sure you use both the fronts and the backs of each page.  If you do not have enough steps to cover both the fronts and backs, either include more detailed steps or think of illustrations that can expand over two pages, so that each page has something relevant on it.

7.  For each step of your activity, draw an illustration that corresponds to that step.

8.  You will be graded on the completeness of your book as well as the creativity and craftsmanship of your book.

9.  Add color wherever it is appropriate.  There must be some use of color throughout the book, as a unifying effect for the book.

Examples: