Hi ya'll.. I'm starting a new thread about lapbooks in case everybody here doesn't know what they are, or in case you do and want to share. For those that don't know what a lapbook is, it is basically a graphic organizer used to organize your information on a subject studied instead of using worksheets.. It is a way of presenting the information you used in a fun way. Dinah Zikes says to think about how at museums we like to turn knobs, lift flaps and open/close things, that is the concept with the lapbook. And oh my Deena, you can do this ALL the way to college.. You kidding, 8th grade is perfect for this. It is almost like scrapbooking. I use legal size folders and do a shutter fold. That is where you bring both sides of the folder over to the middle, press down and create new creases on the both the left and right side of the folder. Now you have a shutter fold. When open, you now have 3 parts. The middle of the file folder is big, the right and left flaps are long and narrow.. Here is a link to describe in more detail http://lapbooks.freeservers.com/index.html Here is one of my all time favorites to get ideas and see how one looks.. http://scrapbookingtolearn.com/index.html So for example, I will use Jacci as an example of what could go in since she is doing an apple theme... You would divide the data into parts or different subjects.. So math--could be a mini graph or if a young child, you could use 10 apples Up on Top and make mini die cuts of apple, write your numbers 1 to 10 laminate them and stick them in a pocket part also shaped like an apple, OR fractions on laminated pieces of apple cut into the actual fraction size..and stick them in pockets, or use yarn or a dyed shoelace to thread them together.. or you could do a printout of a tree, color it, put the apples on the tree using velcro....That could be put on the right or left flap. For history/geography--read Johnny Appleseed..and find the Ohio Valley and/or label a mini map, mount it on cardstock, trace his route and put that on a flip book. One that flips open to see his route.. For science..talk about farming, or the seasons..I might even use a wheel for this...make a circle, divide it into 4 pie parts and draw pictures of each season. Fasten that with a brad, and turn the wheel and learn about fall when most apples are produced. You could even do a diagram of a tree, and label the parts the root,the branches,etc...OR, LOL, you could after cutting open an apple, stamp it on a mini piece of paper, glue the seeds on and label the parts of the apple, skin, core, seed,etc. Even an apple recipe in a pocket on the folder would be cool For journaling--rewrite a story or copy work and put it in a mini book and decorate the outside with apples, or a cute little worm....OR, use an apple shaped book and write poetry... Then you have all these little books, neat pockets and accordian books and circle books.....Then you lay all that out on the file folder to see which fits better where.. Too, another idea you could actually cut the file folder out to look like an apple if you used a red legal size file folder cut it round like an apple then put a cute brown stem on top of it... Open it up and you have all these fun little things to have fun with and turn and open... How is that? I can also talk about what I'm doing with my Native American lapbook and the shapes I'm using for it.. Jackie, I'd love to load your stuff on my site...We have so much to add to it, that we want on our site for free, that I wish I could work 24 hrs on it,kwim?:lol:
Love the thread! I have been thinking about notebooking this year. I love to scrapbook and have tons of supplies for my kids. I encourage them to work on their scrapbooks but thought that it would be a good idea to introduce them to notebooking and see how they like it. We are planning to do our first one on Colorado.
Rebecca, I tell you what when you meet together as a co-op to do this, it is a BLAST! I am doing that now, and with the scrapbook things the other moms in the co-op have and mine together, we have TONS of scrapbook supplies. This lapbook I'm doing now on Native Americans I have enjoyed the most---the other 2 were work trying to figure it all out.
We don't lapbook, but I use these mini books alot! I origionally found the instructions for making them on some other site about lapbooks. http://www.speechtx.com/one_sheet_book.htm
Syele, We don't lapbook all through the year. We have decided to do this once or twice a year, either to kick off our year or end it on something fun. It does take time and I LOVE all the mini books.... Like this year we are doing Native Americans, prereservation period. Next year, we we will study the same time, but the colonial people. So this year we are Indians, next year Colonial people. Depending on how our school goes, we might do one in the summer as well...
Ahhhh, yes, once or twice a year makes sense I was beginning to wonder what kind of boundless energy the Lord had blessed you with I could do a couple a year! Thanksgiving seems like it would be a really fun one for my girls' age group. That would be pre-baby, too Oh, fun! I'll let you know if we do one. Thanks for the great ideas!!!
I use the one page minibooks for bible stories and I write them out in words Sami knows by sight and use some clipart for the pictures. She likes them and for some reason really loves it when the last page has "This Book Belongs To:__________"on it for her to write her name. LOL
Thanks for the link you posted earlier,Syele. I made minibooks for my oldest when I was annoyed by how difficult it was to find phonics based early readers. Everything was sight words based, and we weren't learning the sight words, yet. Anyway, the book construction in that link is really fun I think the girls would get a real kick out of it They're smaller than the books I made last year, too, which I think they would find cute. Thanks!
The Great Science Adventure series has step by step and the graphics already there to put together a graphic organizer. We are in the process of doing the one on Human Body and it's fun!!!! There are books within the book and I would have never thought to do these type things on my own but...once you get the juices flowing the possiblities are endless. WOW!!! www.greatlearningadventures.com
Sheila, That sitte is hard to use, cuz you can't click on the things, so I'm not sure exactly how to see what's in the books! It says they have the Great Science Adventure, but I can't see inside or get anywhere to get it. I may try to find someplace online that'll have it where I can see it better! Thanks for the heads up on that series. Question: Does it have the graphics you are talking about in the book or what?
I had trouble on the site, too. It was HUGE and I had to keep scrolling back & forth to read things. I did find the science link, but since we already have a science curriculum, I wouldn't spend the $22. Maybe next year. I think the Human Body one sounds neat though.
I see what you mean. See I always get to touch and feel them and buy them on the spot so...didn't realize how her website was. Those science books have all the directions how to fold what to fold, what to glue where (and yes it comes with the graphics). It also has little mini books that are real fun. They basically go to 8th grade but...I'd say with 8th grade you'd be really having them expand and writing reports to go along with everything. It uses the one pencil, two pencil, three pencil level of difficulty. I'll talk to the gal and see if she has any samples of the book or if I can make some to share.
Am I missy something, I was wondering if anyone had a picture we could see of the lapbooks I would love to look at one. THANKS
Kris, Look at the messages from Tina, there are a couple of sites to look at, and the site Sheila posted, though kind of hard to maneuver around in , has a bunch of pictures of lapbooks.
Deena, I have tryed to go to web site but they wouldn't let me in. maybe it's just my connect tonight.
Kris, I just tried them all and got in to all of them. Maybe it IS your connection. Maybe you could try again in a little bit and see if it works.
