Day Eleven: Lapbooking and Notebooking--Great Learning Tools

I attended teacher's college but I did not learn about lapbooking or notebooking until I began homeschooling. Then, all of a sudden, many other strange and wonderful words became part of my vocabulary, such as, twaddle, living books narration, and being-there experiences. Oh, how I wish these methods had accompanied my own schooling when I was a child! Various forms of them did now and then, but this way of learning is changing our education in a effective, fun and positive way. 

 

Lapbooking is generally geared to younger students as it includes "foldables" that contain hand-written information about a particular subject. The flaps, accordion booklets, pockets, fans, mini-books and other "foldables" might be designed for short details or for longer descriptions. They can hold pre-printed pictures or spaces for the students' diagrams and drawings. These are then glued into a file folder that has been decorated and most often creased to expand like two windows, opening from the centre. Notebooking is simply pre-printed pages comprising of blocks and lines for drawing diagrams and writing notes on a subject. I love the visual appeal of notebooking and how my kids are proud of their work when they use notebooking pages. Here is a good description of what it actually is and how to utilize it with your children (click on the link). I like to slip the pages into plastic covers from the dollar store, and place them in a three-ring binder.

Notebooking is probably my favourite keepsake of their work.

Sometimes they draw diagrams and sometimes, we print photos of related field trips.

Here, photos of their pioneer day fit perfectly with the short essay she's writing about pioneer children.

Because it's a binder, we alternate lapbook style pieces, notebooking pages, full drawings, essay pages and whatever else will slip into a plastic page protector. It acts as a pocket to hold all the items that go with the study.

 

Here are a few good sites for lapbooking and notebooking:

 

Notebooking Nook

Notebooking Fairy

Notebooking Pages

Homeschool Share (for free Lapbooks)

 Homeschool In The Woods

History Pockets

                                      ... to name a few

 

Binders, file folders, project folders (from business supply stores), spiral bound pages are just some of the ways you can contain your children's essays, poems, artwork, history notes, science experiment notebooking, nature notebooking.  

Lapbooks for little ones 

  

 They love how things open and close, fold and turn.

notebooking with downloadable pictures 

with photos that represent the study 

drawings of the subject 

photos of the pioneer craft (because the real thing gets thrown out, or in this case, eaten!) 

write-up about a pioneer working-bee, plus a photo of our actual working-bee dress-up day 

Middles Ages lapbook 

Gold Rush lapbook 

project folder for Ancient Times...

using History Pockets this time (works best for youngest students as it's mainly pre-printed items)

 

Since many of our lapbooks and project notebooks are connected to our unit studies, I'll share where a large part of our inspiration comes from. Several years ago, my sister and I came across a website in which a woman and her sister and her friend designed curriculum around a theme. We were so taken with her style that we have implemented many of her ideas. Her website is called, Courageous Beings: Ignite Passionate Learning and Heroic Living. (watch the second video, especially--truly, it brings a tear to my eye over how glorious it makes homeschooling appear! Lol! Please, always read every site with discernment). You will get an idea of a couple of the adventures we created for our kids here and here (with my sister being the creative and fully-immersed momma).    

 

Finding the right curriculum can be a daunting and overwhelming task as there is an abundance of curricula out there for homeschoolers. Lapbooking and notebooking are ways in which we can incorporate a quick and complete study related to a child's interest when we're unsure of what  the next best curriculum is for our children. It's even great for those who use textbook style learning (or school-at-home). I'll bet you wouldn't guess that my theme-loving sister uses Abeka for several subjects! Although it works well for her family, they would not make it through the year without throwing in a unit study, or two, with some of these components above. Oftentimes, she will replace a chunk of chapters dealing with a biome or historical era with a self-designed, purchased or free  lapbook or notebook project. It makes things just a little more hands-on and fun for the textbook learner. I love how you can use them as your only method of educating or as a supplement. Since so many of these items are free online, it's also an inexpensive and appealing way to teach your children.

 

Tomorrow, I will share photos of our school room :) 

Moved By History

She re-reads the last sentence slowly and wipes her nose. Lowering the book, she meets my gaze and is reassured that I am also aching with sympathy for the main character of the book she's reading to me. Meg was drowing in sorrow over Elli Friedmann's plight and so, with a quiver in her voice, she began to narrate how Elli dragged her wounded mother and brother off the train while the Germans shot at them and their companions. Too much for the young girl in this true story to deal with, too much for Meghan, and apparently, too much for me.

My daughter and I sit across from each other and the two of us quietly weep as Meghan continues. She's taken my place, today, as out-loud-reader and it seems natural. We connect not only with like emotion but also with an understanding that we're both grappling with this senseless evil and can't do anything but cry. She's grown up enough to share this moment with me and I recognize that she has the potential to change the world with her anger against injustice and to live out Jesus' command to help set captives free with the love of God. It's why He sent His Son.

She gathers the strength to deliver the final chapter and I silently pray she'll see beyond prevailing entitlement of North American culture and desire to be more, to do what she's been called to do. She's being moved by history and God has created her to be stirred in this way.

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8

Trapped In Time

Are you waiting for something? Have you heard and read so many times to wait patiently, that God's timing is perfect? Sometimes it's so difficult to believe, isn't it? That He hasn't forgotten you? That He really is working out all things for your good? Try to imagine it this way, God transcends time. He is not governed by it. The end is as clear to Him as the beginning. He reads each moment as a whole and not as segments or a succession of time slots, as we do. He is and He always was. Your life to Him is one moment and yet He's to intimately involved with you every second. This is so hard for us to fathom but, since He is not bound by time, nor by "hindsight", your prayer is as much a part of your future as it is your past. He knows what you need and He's already provided it in the future. We wish we could see it all, as He does, but what we can do is rest in knowing that the prayer is already answered. Our best is already up ahead of us; we are trapped in time. Praise God that His love has already saved and provided for our future. Rest in this today.

They Can't Take It Away From You

The Holocaust. We're talking about it together today. I want my children to know the wise words I've heard lately and listened to again on this video, "What you keep in your head cannot be taken away by anyone." The Bible tells us to hide God's Word in our hearts so that we don't sin against Him. Keeping Scripture in our minds and hearts also protects us spiritually and emotionally from what "man" can do to us physically. Alice, who is the oldest holocaust survivor in the world (107 this month!), knew how to maintain her sanity through this horrible time in her history. She shares it here. Watch and be inspired to be full of gratitude today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EMlDf_cH8Y&feature=share

Day Twenty-Four (of 31 Days)

He walked the dusty sod with twelve men, gathering crowds, healing the sick, embracing the people. He came from a small town but His message of His Father's great love spread around the world and became written down. Although this Word met opposition, to the point of mass burning and confiscation, lovers of the Word hid it in their homes and in their hearts to preserve it. It will never die. It will be completely fulfilled.

Our pastor has been digging deeply into Scripture with our congregation and we've trodden where the the seven churches have walked. To know that time and all it's qualities and trials is beautiful and eye-opening. However, I've loved imagining Jesus being born into our time. What would that have been like? He is the same yesterday, today and forever! He came at a specific place in history but He is eternal. God's plan is astounding.

Dig into New Testament history and watch it come alive for you. Feel what the early churches felt, hold their dreams of deliverance and hope with them as they sacrificed their freedom and even their lives to carry out their Lord's will in a difficult time. This week, draw close by studying the history and geography surrounding Jesus' mission while He was here on earth. It will come alive for you and get you excited for His return.

HIS-tory

2009. Here we are somewhere along the timeline of His Story. Since the beginning, God has demonstrated His love for His people. He created humans in His image, protected, cared for, and disciplined His children throughout the Old Testament and sent His only Son to rescue His loved ones from themselves and from their enemy in the New Testament. He gave us His Holy Spirit so we could know Him intimately through His Word. He left us the book of Revelation to give us hope for our future. It's not over. He's not finished with us and He didn't leave us to fend for ourselves.

God's amazing plan carries us through the generations until we meet Him face to face. Our comfort is in knowing that none of this life is in vain, but while we're here we have a job to do. We must care for the orphans and widows, bear the burdens of others so that we will be healed, draw the "lost" to His arms. We are His hands and feet. That is how He's designed it. We must stop looking at the injustices of the world as hopeless, but instead, roll up our sleeves and do the loving. We are the church and whatever "sphere of influence" we've been given, we must serve in it. So as we live out each minute, hour, and day, let us be mindful that our place on this journey called life has meaning and purpose. We are part of His Story.