Problem: Facts and basic skills, although important to learn, do not usually hold student interest for long.

Solution: Invite students to create fun and informative bookmarks in Word.

Classroom Application: Create bookmarks in any K-8 classroom -- especially for such subjects as language arts, social studies, and science. You also can modify the size of the table to make trading cards of famous figures in history, literature, and so on.

Directions:

• Click Table.
• Select Insert and then select Table.
• In Number of Columns, type or select 1.
• In Number of Rows, type or select 1.
• In the blank to the right of Fixed column width (or Initial Column Width), type or select 1.25.
• Click OK. You have created a table consisting of one cell 1.25 inches wide.
  
  
  
• Click inside the table so the cursor appears there.
• Hit Enter about 24 times -- until the table is 5 inches tall.
• Insert any clip art or text you like.
• Save your work, print it, and cut out the table to create a bookmark.

Hint: Bookmarks can be laminated, printed on colored paper, printed in color, printed in black and white and then colored, cut out using pattern-making scissors, or decorated with a hole and string.