Zines & Accordion Books
Free to teach, adapt and share in your classroom.
- Grade 6–8
- Subject Visual Arts
- Duration 4 sessions · 40 min
- Instructor Mr. George
Overview
Unit Context: Sequence, image and voice in a small book · an accordion-book scaffold, then a single-sheet 8-page mini zine
Big Idea
A book is a sequence. The order of images changes what a reader understands. Students first make a four-panel accordion book to practice reading panel to panel, then fold a single sheet into an eight-page mini zine with a clear sequence.
The central question is: How does the order of images change what a reader understands?
The default theme is A Place on Our Block, designed as an extension of The Block: Places We Call Home. Students may use an imagined place and choose what they share. The format also works for any theme.
The accordion book comes first as a scaffold: one long strip folded into four panels, read left to right, with no cutting. Students who are ready can go straight to the mini zine; students who need more time can complete their zine as an eight-panel accordion instead (two strips glued end to end), which counts fully.
Planning note: Built from KC George’s Zines 3 Day Plan and the October 2026 zine planning notes. The 9 × 12 sheet size, the page map and the accordion scaffold are new for this page.
Unit at a Glance
| # | Session and goal | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The accordion book (scaffold)Fold an accordion book and tell a four-panel sequence. | 40 min |
| 2 | Fold the dummy and choose the sequenceFold an 8-page mini zine, number the dummy and choose my content. | 40 min |
| 3 | Compose and testMake my final pages and test them with a reader. | 40 min |
| 4 | Revise and shareRevise one page and share my zine with readers. | 40 min |
| 4 sessions | 160 min |
Artists and References
Romare Bearden, The Block, 1971: connected scenes along one street, read panel by panel. Tate Kids, “How To Make A Zine!” with Lu Williams: folding starts at about 1:50. Preview video playback on school devices before class. Bearden did not make zines; his work is a model for sequence and place.
The 8-Page Map
- 1 · Front: a title and one strong image.
- 2 · Our place: an overview or detail of the Block, or an imagined place.
- 3 · My contribution: a building, gathering place or detail.
- 4 · How space works: a spatial choice, with a short label.
- 5 · Life here: an activity or relationship that gives the place meaning.
- 6 · A decision I changed: a before and after, with the reason.
- 7 · An image worth carrying forward: a bold shape or motif.
- 8 · Back: a maker’s note and credits for any borrowed imagery.
These are page functions, not eight essays. Short labels, drawing and small collage pieces carry the meaning. No page requires private information.
NYS Visual Arts Standards Alignment
- VA:Cr2.3.6a–8a Creating: organizing images and text in a sequence.
- VA:Cr3.1.6a–8a Creating: revising after a reader check.
- VA:Pr5.1.6a–8a Presenting: preparing a booklet for readers.
- VA:Re7.2.6a–8a Responding: how sequence shapes meaning.
Instructional Outcomes (Objectives)
- Studio / Experiential Students will fold an accordion book and an 8-page mini zine and fill them with a deliberate sequence of images and short text.
- Cognitive / Analytical Students will explain how changing the order of pages changes what a reader understands.
Key Vocabulary
- Zine A small, self-published booklet.
- Accordion book A strip folded back and forth into panels.
- Dummy A blank, numbered practice booklet that shows page order.
- Sequence The order in which a reader meets images.
- Spread Two facing pages seen together.
- Emphasis What the reader notices first.
Materials & Resources
- Accordion strips: about 4½ × 18 inches, cut from newsprint or drawing paper.
- Mini zine sheets: 9 × 12 white drawing paper (pages about 3 × 4½ inches); newsprint for practice dummies.
- Drawing: pencils, black pens or fine markers, colored pencils.
- Collage: small, thin construction-paper scraps and glue sticks. Thick layers across folds keep the book from closing.
- Scissors for the one center cut.
Differentiation
- Fine-motor supports Pre-folded or pre-scored sheets, the accordion route for the final book, and a partner to help with the center cut.
- Multilingual learners Pages can be mostly images with one-word labels, in any language.
- Privacy Imagined places are always allowed. Sharing stays in class unless the student chooses otherwise.
- Extension Carry the page-7 image into a foam-print plan, or make a second zine on a theme of the student’s choosing.
Anticipated Misconceptions
Misconception Every page must be packed with detail.
Intervention One clear image per page reads better. Finish the sequence before decorating.
Misconception Pages can be filled in any order.
Intervention Number the dummy first. Half the pages end up upside down on the flat sheet.
Instructional Sequence
Four 40-minute sessions, each protecting seven minutes for cleanup. Session 1 is the accordion scaffold; Sessions 2–4 make the mini zine.
Session 1The accordion book (scaffold)
40 min
Today, I can… fold an accordion book and tell a four-panel sequence.
Materials today: Paper strips, pencils, pens, colored pencils.
Do Now: three moments
“Draw three tiny boxes: something before, during and after on your block.”
Fold the accordion
Fold a strip in half, then each half in half, and zigzag it to stand.
“Read it left to right. What happens between panels?”
Four panels, one sequence
Students fold the strip and fill four panels with a sequence about a place: arriving, looking, a detail, leaving.
“Each panel should make the reader want the next one.”
Check: Four panels in a clear order.
Swap and reorder
Partners swap the order of two panels and read again.
“Did the story change? How?”
Cleanup
Books stored flat; scraps sorted; tools counted.
Session 2Fold the dummy and choose the sequence
40 min
Today, I can… fold an 8-page mini zine, number the dummy and choose my content.
Materials today: Newsprint and 9 × 12 sheets, scissors, pencils, the page map.
Do Now: recall a detail
“Name one detail from the Block, or from an imagined place, you want a reader to see.”
Success signs
Look at a sample zine and list together what makes it easy to read.
Fold and number
Fold eight panels, cut the center slit only, fold into a booklet, and number the dummy pages 1 to 8.
“Number before you draw. Half the pages are upside down on the flat sheet.”
Plan the pages
Students fold their own dummy, number it, and sketch the plan for each page from the page map.
Check: A numbered dummy with a plan on every page.
Reader check
A partner reads the dummy in order.
“Can you follow it without the maker explaining?”
Cleanup
Dummies in folders; scissors counted.
Absent last time? Make the accordion book first (Session 1), then fold the dummy with a partner.
Session 3Compose and test
40 min
Today, I can… make my final pages and test them with a reader.
Materials today: Final 9 × 12 sheets folded, drawing and collage materials, dummies.
Do Now: two arrangements
“Sketch page 2 two different ways. Which one leads the eye?”
Line, value and emphasis
Show how a dark shape or bold line sets what a reader notices first. Dry-fit collage before gluing.
Make the pages
Students make the final pages, with a peer dry-fit check before any glue.
“Keep collage thin near the folds.”
Reader feedback
A reader names what they noticed first on two pages.
“Is that what you intended?”
Check: The reader identifies the intended emphasis.
Choose a revision
Students mark one page to revise next time.
Cleanup
Zines flat; glue capped.
Absent last time? Use your numbered dummy and start with the front cover.
Session 4Revise and share
40 min
Today, I can… revise one page and share my zine with readers.
Materials today: Zines, drawing and collage materials, reflection cards.
Do Now: the revision
“Write the one change you will make and why.”
Finish and revise
Students complete and revise the zine. Finished quality matters more than eight packed pages.
Check: A coherent sequence and one explained revision.
Partner reading
Partners read each other’s zines front to back.
“Which page would you keep if you could keep only one?”
Self-assessment
Students assess against the class criteria and choose a page-7 image to carry forward.
Cleanup
Zines collected or taken home.
Exit Ticket Prompt
Swap two pages in your zine in your head. What would a reader understand differently?