Turn five ordinary observations into a little book.
“Small things, noticed” is an original example you can adapt for a classroom, library workshop or your own desk. It uses a cover, six inside pages and a back cover. It is a starting point, not a lesson that has been classroom-tested or professionally reviewed.
Open the example in the maker ↗
What you need
One sheet of ordinary printer paper per person, pencils or pens, and scissors used with appropriate supervision. Print a blank or lined template for handwritten work, or edit the example's text before downloading the sheet.
Give every page a job
| Page | Prompt | What to put on paper |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Small things, noticed | A title and a short invitation |
| 2 | A shape | An outline without the details |
| 3 | A sound | A description without naming its source |
| 4 | A texture | Three words about a surface |
| 5 | A color | A name for two colors together |
| 6 | A small change | Something different from yesterday |
| 7 | A question | Something still unexplained |
| 8 | Keep noticing | An optional name, place and date |
A simple session plan
Begin by folding a numbered practice copy together. Choose one familiar place to observe, then give everyone a few quiet minutes to collect ideas. Make the inside pages next and the cover last. Offer a chance to share, with no requirement to reveal personal stories or names.
Three ways to adapt it
- Drawing first: use the blank template and replace every written response with a sketch.
- A tiny comic: use the comic template, with two frames on each page. Show a change from one moment to the next.
- Writing first: use the lined template, or type short responses in the maker. Check the preview before downloading.
Permission to use
You may print, copy and adapt Pocket Zine's own templates and this activity, including in classes, libraries, workshops and zines you sell. You do not have to credit us in your work. Keep the rights to anything you add, and ask contributors before sharing their work. Linked resources have their own permissions.
After the first copy
Read it in order, check the type at its real printed size, and look for a place where one sentence or drawing could become clearer. Make copies after that first check. For a different starting point, consider a recipe, a six-scene story or a guide to an everyday object.