The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

Today, we launched our final book-based writing unit of the year—and what better way to end things than with a little mystery, a lot of laughter, and a dash of Jedi wisdom? That’s right, we’ve begun ‘The Strange Case of Origami Yoda’ by Tom Angleberger.

In today’s reading, we met Dwight—a sixth-grade oddball with a flair for the bizarre. This is a boy who thinks nothing of wearing the same t-shirt for a month (yes, a whole month) and insists on being called “Captain Dwight.” Mortifying, right? But just when you think he’s all weird and no wow, he does something surprisingly cool: he creates an origami Yoda. And that’s when things take a turn from strange to strangely brilliant…

Inspired by Dwight’s Jedi paper-pal, our own class bravely ventured into the world of origami. Armed with an online tutorial, a few sheets of paper and a whole lot of determination, the children set out to fold their very own Origami Yodas. It wasn’t easy—there were upside-down flaps, mysterious folds, and the occasional paper-based meltdown—but the children showed impressive resilience. In the end, many were thrilled with their little green creations (though some Yodas looked like they’d had a rough ride on the Millennium Falcon).

Tomorrow, the real challenge begins: writing a clear, step-by-step instruction manual to help others make their own Origami Yoda. The children will need to use imperative verbs (like “fold,” “crease,” and “don’t panic”) and time conjunctions (like “first,” “next,” and “thank goodness for that”). No doubt they’ll rise to the task—and hopefully with fewer paper cuts.

May the folds be with them!