Japan Lapbooks

This year the boys are studying Eastern Cultures.  This is such an important year of study, because these people make up about 90% of unevangelized people.  Our curriculum (Sonlight) is very mission focused--one of the many reasons we chose it 5 years ago.  For each country/place of study I try to mix it up a bit.  I was looking into some art projects as we studied Japan.  I came across FREE Japan Lapbook printables.  I wanted to try it out--and thought my kids would love it.  I had heard about lapbooks in home education circles, but wasn't sure what they were exactly.  I wanted to share our good experience.  You can easily find ALL KINDS of lapbook ideas online.  Thing for preschoolers-late elementary.  Here are ours:

Lapbook front cover

Lapbooks are made from file folders.  This particular one I printed out came with a front cover, I think many of them children would design themselves.

The inside of my youngest son's lapbook.

 

He wanted to show his oragami creations.  I love how the lapbook printouts came with an "oragami pocket".  It was perfect, since my curriculum already included an oragami book and paper!  (I've been thinking how interesting it is that we just happened to study Japan this year with all that has been going on there.  I feel like my children and I have a different perspective now for the Japanese people. They are in our prayers.  Praying for there to be an openness like never before to the Gospel.)

This is my oldest son's lapbook. 

Notice how his looks a little different.  All of the small "booklets" are glued onto the file folder anyway your child/student would like.  All the little square "booklets" are called matchbooks.  Inside of them is written a paragraph about the topic on the front cover.  They are writing a "report"---it's just so fun they don't realize it.  My children did their research online and some from books for this project.

A cool fold out on Modern Japan

"Why is it called a 'lapbook'?" you may still be asking.  I thought at first maybe it was something that you make in your lap...no.  It is something you put in your lap and share with someone else.  My boys have really enjoyed doing just that when grandparents come to visit.  The grandparents seem very impressed, and my boys very proud of a well put-together project.