There’s nothing like having to give “boring notes” to 8th graders. I knew I needed to introduce key information about claims, evidence, arguments, facts and opinions… and that a foldable would help. So, when I found this easy step-by-step guide from Dividing by Zero, I knew I’d found the answer.
This foldable is unbelievably simple, but totally cool. My students went giddy with delight when they saw how it worked. If you know any 8th graders, you know that is a rare thing indeed. Also, even though I did this foldable with them weeks ago, my students have’t lost this set of “notes”!
Intrigued? Try it yourself!
Materials Needed: 
- 1 full sheet of construction paper
- 1 half sheet of construction paper in a different color (I found it a huge time-saver to prepare a bunch of half sheets ahead of time)
- Scissors
- That’s it. Really. No glue, no tape, no staples…
Step 1:
Fold the whole sheet of paper in half. Then, fold the edges towards the fold so that it creates a “W.”
Step 2:
Hold the “pointy” middle section of the W, and cut a slit in the center, all the way to the fold. Then cut another slit on either side, to create 4 equal sections. When you lay it down, the paper will only have slits in the center.
Step 3:
Fold the half sheet of paper in half, and cut into two pieces.
Step 4:
Weave the two half sheets of paper into the whole sheet so that it alternates the colors.
Step 5:
Find the “secret” section in the middle! Gently pull the parts of the woven sections apart. (It works on either side of the foldable, but one side is usually easier to open than the other.)
It took me a while to plan out where I was going to put each part of the notes, especially since there is so much space on this foldable!
Using this Foldable for Claims & Arguments Notes
On the “cover” I had the students title the notes “Analyze Claims & Evidence” with their name, class period and date.
A couple students had already figured it out, but when I showed them how to open it up to the middle for the definitions, the looks on their faces were priceless. I’d never seen such smiles during note-taking! They spent the next minute playing with the foldable, which is to be expected.
We added the definitions to the middle of the foldable, then continued with the left and right panels (as mentioned above).
The back also opens up into a secret space with even MORE room to write notes, but we just wrote critical thinking questions related to close reading for claims and evidence on each square.
I actually intentionally left the back panel blank (not shown), in case they wanted to glue the notes to another page, but most of them just folded it up and stored it in a pocket folder.
Again, it’s miraculous how these notes haven’t gotten lost or destroyed–and I still see them referring to it!
All Kinds of Learning Adventures 
Thanks for sharing! This is really cool. I'm totally stealing this!
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Do you also have a YouTube video on assembling this?
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That’s a great idea! I’ll have to look into that.
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Wow! that's ace 🙂 Will have to try this with my children. thank you.
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Love this way of using the magic folder! I use the folder to demonstrate compare and contrast
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This is super cool! I wonder if you have all the information typed elsewhere to share, since it is hard to read all the writing in the picture. If you did, I would love to see it. I will also give credit where credit is due. I already pinned this on several of my Pinterest boards. So fab!
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Your request has been granted! I added this information as a free document on my Teachers Pay Teachers page. You can find it here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Claims-and-Arguments-Magic-Insert-Foldable-2355257I'd appreciate a positive review on the site!
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This is GREAT!!Thanks so much!
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Exactly what I was looking for thanks….8th grade reading
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Oh, this is fun! I found myself playing with the folds as well! Thank you! This will come in handy for any grade level.
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Love this!!! I just finished a trial run and it worked perfectly. I think my 8th graders will like the “magic space”. Thanks for the free document on TPT too. I left a rave review! 🙂
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I teach high schoolers and they absolutely LOVED this idea! Thanks so much for this lesson and notes!! They complained about the writing (of course), but were in complete awe of the “secret compartment”! Awesome foldable! I used it as a guide since we are doing an argumentative essay.
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Thanks so much for the feedback! I love seeing the students’ faces when they discover the secret part!
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Your foldable has made it to Vietnam! I have adapted it to use with students during a poetry unit I am teaching here. Even the university students love it! You’ll be cited in the curriculum guide soon to be published on this site: tflanagan.us/shareyourpoem. Thanks!
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Thanks for a great idea! I can’t wait to try this with my 7th grade science class. I needed something with lots of room and the secret middle space is perfect for putting those pesky, confusing word pairs like genotype and phenotype side by side.
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I’m so glad that you found a way to use it in science! The foldable is super-easy to guide students with. I usually start by providing the full and half piece of papers, and then tell them to “fold it like a W or M” and “hold the middle part and make it flap like a bird” before having them cut. Have fun with it!!!
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Thank you! This is awesome –
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