String Figures: From Practice Log to Hobby Fair Guide

Ibrahim's Hobby Fair Writing

1Every spring, Ms. Lindqvist's fourth graders run a Hobby Fair for the rest of the school. Each student sets up a table and teaches visitors about a hobby. Ibrahim chose string figures, which are shapes made by looping a long string around your fingers. People in many parts of the world have made string figures for a very long time. Ibrahim first learned about them from a book on his grandfather's shelf.

2For two weeks before the fair, each student kept a practice log. Ms. Lindqvist said each entry should take about five minutes and only needed to make sense to the writer. Here are three of Ibrahim's entries.

3Day 1. Tried the opening from Grandpa's book. String kept slipping off my little fingers. Ugh!

4Day 4. Did the opening 5 times in a row!! Trick = palms face each other, pull apart SLOWLY.

5Day 7. Finished my first whole figure, the Butterfly. Messed up the last step twice. Drop thumb loops LAST, not first.

6In the second week, Ibrahim turned what he had learned into a guide card for visitors. The card took four days. On the first day, he wrote each step as a full sentence, because visitors would not understand notes like "pull apart SLOWLY." On the second day, he tested the card on his little sister, Zara, to see if someone who had never made a string figure could follow it. She got stuck at step 3 because it said only "Pick up a string," and she did not know which one. So Ibrahim changed step 3 to name the exact string. On the last two days, he drew a picture for each step and made a neat copy.

7Guide card: How to Start a String Figure
1. Hang the loop over both thumbs and both little fingers.
2. Face your palms toward each other and slowly pull your hands apart.
3. With your right pointer finger, pick up the string that crosses your left palm.
4. Do the same with your left pointer finger on your right palm.

8After the fair, Ibrahim wrote two more short pieces. He wrote an exit ticket telling Ms. Lindqvist what went well at his table. He also wrote a thank-you note to Grandpa for letting him borrow the book.