Archives for April 2012

How do I make a lapbook?

This is probably Homeschool Share’s most frequently asked question. I will start off by saying that there really isn’t a “wrong” way, and you probably won’t find two homeschoolers who do them exactly the same. We’ve been lapbooking for about 8 years now, and my girls each have their own preferences as to how to complete a lapbook. Last week my 14 year old daughter completed a Movie Lapbook based on the musical “The Music Man” so I asked her to tell y’all how she lapbooks. This is what she had to say:

HOW I MAKE A LAPBOOK IN 6 EASY STEPS

Step #1:

First, I decide what kind of lapbook that I would like to make. What color theme do I have in mind? Do I want it in a file-folder? Do I want it on cardstock? (I personally like cardstock better, since it’s easier and I could add as many pages I want if more room is needed; some other people seem to like file-folders better, but I choose cardstock, so that is what the following instructions will be for.) I try to think all of these things through before I start on the lapbook of my choice.

Step #2:

Then I find all of the supplies that are needed: Scissors, glue sticks, pens and pencils, a hole punch, a 3-ring binder, paper cutter and colored cardstock. After that, I print out all of the lapbook components and possibly some nice clipart to go with my lapbook. When doing the movie lapbook, I also research information on the main actor through books, documentaries, or on the Web, and I collect a few photos to print out and to put on the cover of the lapbook and little pictures of the actors to put on the components marked Character Profile. (I always end up printing out more Character Profiles for every main character I like.)

Step #3:

I then cut out all of the components and clipart, and fold them all as the instructions say to. You may not think that this is an entire step unto itself, but believe me, it is.

Step #4:

Writing time! Now I fill in all of the components. This usually takes a long time, and may take up to a week to fully complete. On the movie lapbook, if I don’t already know the answer to the questions, I research them in books, in movies and documentaries, or on the web as a last resort. I also watch the movie I am doing the lapbook on about 3 times, to catch anything that I might have missed, and I work on different components each time I watch it. For example, I could first study the characters and how they act, and fill out the Character Profiles and other related components, next study the story behind the movie and fill out the Author’s Purpose and What is the Theme? components, etc.

Step #5:

After all the lapbook components are completed, I hole punch a couple pieces of cardstock and lay out the components and clipart the way that I’d like them to look after they’re all glued in. Once I finish laying them out, I start gluing. In the movie lapbook, I always start on gluing in the clipart that goes on the cover, along with a picture depicting the movie box or poster, or maybe both.

Step #6:

Once the components are all glued in to place, I then insert the pages into a 3-ring binder, say ‘Abra-Cadabra!’ and I have made myself a movie lapbook!