Files for Health

I tried to change fonts so they wouldn't be funky, but failed on a few....
Hope these help a few people! We're looking fwd to starting our new science [see last post]!!
Ch 1
Ch 2
Ch 3
Ch 4
Ch 5
Ch 6
Ch 7
Ch 8

A Beka Health, Safety, & manners 3

Picked up this freebie at our local homeschool meeting the other night [copyright 1984] and decided it is PERFECT for our next science unit to take us thru June or July or so. But, of course, it would be sooooo much better if we could notebook or lapbook with it, soooo.....I've been busy with minibooks!! And, I thought, perhaps, this would help someone else, so contact me if you want the files [5/8 chptrs done] and i'll see if i can get them converted to pdf soon... [I used microsoft online free graphics--not for resale].

English lapbook

To complement 3rd grade Rod and Staff, units 2 and 3 extra activities, I created THIS lapbook, called Building Blocks of English. The activity asks her to create a booklet--well, she'll make these mini books instead and paste them into a lapbook!! I thought that would be more fun and more presentable. I was in a hurry when making them, though, so hopefully you can understand them! I really should make more booklets about the various parts of speech that she is learning also, but oh well! She's been using the rules as copywork, so we may include those also.

Totbooks revisited

Totbooks? Lapbooking for toddlers............

Well, my 2yo now has an obsession with trains ever since he saw one up close and a bit too personal at a friend's house the other day. Apparently, his obsession is a love/hate relationship. He gets very excited when seeing a train or talking about Thomas the Train, etc. But at night? That's where the hate comes in---he is terrified of SOMEthing at night and all he can say is 'train' or "I hear it!!!!!!" at the top of his voice. If we don't get him to sleep before the train goes thru town, he hears the whistle and runs TERRIFIED out of his bed. Last night, we left the light on and it was fine eventually--we don't even live close to the tracks, but we can faintly hear the sounds. I guess spending the night at our friend's house is out of the question [sorry, Becky!!].
Well, we've tried just about everything these last couple nights and even went down to see the trains yesterday [none were running, but some were sitting on tracks]. TODAY?!? Making a Thomas the Train totbook. She has several other totbooks that would be GREAT to do--but they require more hands-on from mom than I believe necessary for this age :) unless of course, you have no older kids or babies needing attention!!!!!
My solution? Well, for future books, my 8yo can take charge and be the teacher {which she LOVES, by the way}, but for this one my 4yo and 2yo are just teaming up with mom. The 4yo can cut most of the booklets and she is now coloring a few of the trains [since the 2yo is DONE for the day and ready to cut the scraps]. I did the number line and will cover it with clear packing tape for durability. I will be mounting the shape cards on some cereal boxes and covering those in packing tape as well. In fact, if this becomes his favorite book, everything is getting taped for added durability. I have old blue file folders, so I'm opting for blue instead of plain. And we'll set it up like she does on her site [except I always print on draft, so my colors aren't so bright and pretty]. Big Machines may be in our future--and maybe even Handy Manny since tools are a favorite of my tot also!!!
HAPPY TOTBOOKING!!!!

Counting Caterpillar

New File Folder Game!!!!
Sorry, I haven't transferred it to a pdf file, but I have the word doc. if anyone is interested to try to get it via email attachment.
I got the idea from the Horizons 2nd grade workbook--there is a caterpillar to fill in the numbers when skip counting by 2s, I believe, so I decided we needed a counting caterpillar that they can do ALL and ANY skip counting on.
My 4yo can count by ones up to 20 while my 2nd and 3rd graders can skip count by 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, 7s, 8s, 9s, 10s, 11s, or 12s----that is, up to 20x12!!!! Yeah, that goes beyond the multiplication charts, but why not!! There are prime numbers included but it was giving me too much of a headache trying to figure out if it was worth deleting those circles in order to save a page of printables, so all the numbers 1-110 are included, then just the multiples that go beyond that {up from 6x20 thru 12x20}. There are 5 pages of number circles that need to be printed on cardstock or glued onto cardboard and laminated [I'm awaiting a good packing tape deal for this job]. Then the 2 pages of caterpillar will just get cut out and glued into a file folder, also getting laminated or taped over. I may add a cover page as well for the outside of the folder and a little tab decor for the tab of the folder. The number circles will be contained in a zipper baggie in the folder.
Leave a comment or mail me if you want me to send this to you! I had great fun creating it on Word and look forward to putting it together with the kids!!

Confucius Lapbook

MOH Volume I, lesson 65 "Confucius"

Mini-lapbook time!!!

Homeschool Share has an ancient China lapbook that we will use just a few ideas from.

We recently read aloud Little Pear by Eleanor Frances Lattimore and may be looking for Little Pear and His Friends as a follow-up reader for the kids. I used Sonlight's read-aloud guide for questions and vocab lists. The kids just wrote out the vocab words to see the new words and then we discussed their meanings.

Now we are ready for Confucius and plan on watching Mulan and we may as well do a mini lapbook!! {even though Daniel is not finished, since we haven't hit on the lion's den or writing on the wall yet, but that is SOON!}

We used only 1/2 a file folder for this mini-lapbook--a quick one full afternoon lesson!
1>have 8yo dd start on Confucius copywork during the prior week
2>read MOH lesson on Confucius
3>fill in a couple mini books from homeschool share
4>cut out extra pictures and have 6yo put together lapbook
5>have 8yo finish copywork and put together lapbook

SIMPLE!! And I really think Confucius is well-known enough to require the extra time spent!!
The only item not at homeschoolshare or in MOH was the yin-yang symbol, although MOH mentions it. I googled it so my 8yo could draw one of her own to include--that is a very well-known symbol and I thought it important to explain as well.......
I will cover these easy mini-lapbooks with clear packing tape [again, my idea of laminating] and they will be ready to show at an upcoming homeschool event like Writer's Club or something. YAY!!

Daniel Lapbook--part 1

We have started our fall history---quarter 3 of volume 1 Mystery of History. Thus, the start of a new history lapbook about not just Daniel, but the Babylonian captivity and rulers and the food pyramid and general health information. Homeschool Helper has a Daniel lapbook and most of these links will be from there, denoted by an *. Since we are going in chronological order thru our history book, I'm trying to put it together chronologically also.

Book of Daniel accordian fold*
The Captivity of Babylon -- this is a group of notebooking pages that I got and I cannot find the site anymore. I will only be using page one and turning it into a booklet. If you want this pdf file, just ask!
The Ishtar Gate -- I made this book on word doc. and can email it to you if you are interested!! Information and picture gathered from bible-history.com.
We will be focusing on what happened with Nebuchednessar II, Daniel, and the food pyramid this next week, taking a "detour" to study Aesop and his fables the next week and continuing on with our MOH lessons--all those during Daniel's lifetime could add little activities to this Daniel lapbook, but the majority will be completed this week.
Food folder game This will be the second folder or a flap (for my preschooler). She may also have a Medley Match-Up game. The older ones will probably also need an extra flap or 2 in this folder for their coloring pages and activities I have found on the food pyramid.
GuestHallow.com has a free health unit based on the book "Food and Nutrition for every Kid". We will be using several of her mini books from her Nutrition lapbook--especially for my oldest:
Vitamin Storage Petal Book
Fats Chart
Fat Accordian
Nutrition Facts Book
Protein fan book
Protein Wheel
Vitamin ABCs long booklet
Saccaride Dbl Flapbook
Examples of saccharides dbl flapbook
What a way to incorporate Science into our school day!!
Change of names tab fold* I may save this for lesson 62 "Shadrach, Meshac and Abed-nego" along with The Fiery Furnace.
Lion's Den* -- a small unit on lions could be given with a classification of lions and what they eat, etc. This will probably be saved for lesson 67, "Darius I"
I will try to add more......but this will get our week started at least ;)

A Bit Spacey

I've always tended to be a bit on the spacey side--walking into the room and forgetting why I was there, pausing mid-sentence and not knowing what I was saying. Just this morning, I was cooking scrambled eggs and needed to go blow my nose [darn allergies + a hormonal break-down]. While in the bathroom, I'm looking at my hair, thinking it looks okay today--so I take out the mirror to look at the back of it, fluff it a bit, then head back to the kitchen....OH!! I was cooking eggs! Thankfully, they weren't burnt, just a little stuck to the pan........good grief!!
Anyway--this just leads me in to say we just finished our week of VBS--the Answers in Genesis curriculum called "Operation Space". It was awesome--our usual Sunday School attendance (adults and kids) is around 100 and every night this week, we had over 130 kids plus the adults. And many of these kids are unchurched! Most are public schooled. Most have no idea about Creation Science, just Evolutionary Science or a strange combination of the two. We were able to teach and lead these kids to God's Truths and show them that His Word is the Absolute Authority. We also had a special guest come visit on Thursday--Mr. Aken is an astronaut and has been in space 4 times, holding the record with 2 other guys for the longest spacewalk of 8.5 hours. He is a Christian and he shared some really cool pictures and info for us all. Pretty awesome for a little midwest town that doesn't even have a gas station anymore, let alone a street light--just a few churches and an elementary school.......
WELLLLLLLL.....now what to do with all the papers and STUFF that the kids come home with, have good info on and they really want to keep....hmmmm.......since I caught them drawing planets on their free Saturday morning, I asked if they wanted to do a space lapbook (really, astronomy was supposed to be our summer science and it never has happened). SO---into my file of space lapbook stuff I've collected and back to homeschoolshare for more relevant booklets. If you're looking for more fun, yet school-like space stuff, search learning page.com for their space stuff--grades PreK thru 3rd grade math, science, and language worksheets. It's free to sign up, but you do have to log in.....great simple math review for those not doing regular school right now--all with a space theme!!
Now, we are not sitting down and DOING school today, I just started printing pages (always printing an extra for my master notebook) and my eldest has a clipboard of some planet stuff to do whenever and however. She's started gathering all her color pages and other papers from this week, adding them to her clipboard. My 6yo boy with have a file folder here close to my desk and so will my 3yo girl--eventually, probably having a ziploc baggie for all the things they cut out. Currently, I hear my 8yo daughter "teaching" crafts and having class at the dining room table--my 3yo has her new treasured bible [a Gideon New Testament] and insists on carrying it everywhere. Making paper airplanes may not be constructive, but it is definitely keeping them busy......and hopefully, they'll decide to do a little more of the stuff I printed for them. If not, we'll tackle it on some free afternoons when they need planned activity ;-)
Now that I've made it thru a week of late-night VBS, I am in desperate need of a week-long nap (LOL)......or maybe just a Saturday afternoon nap, so the little one and I are headed upstairs soon so i can be totally spacey and relaxed, perhaps get some rest so the hormones and emotions will not break out and take charge of my cloudy, allergen-filled brain----ahhhh, to be weightless and floating on a "cloud"....I think I may have found my lamaze "happy place"!!!

language arts with games

We've done several little file folder games lately and have a few more in the works....I think the lessons stick better in the kids's minds when they have a hands-on activity. It also makes mommy/teacher seem a bit less of a stick in the mud and "summer school" more attractive.

1st grade
Pathways Phonics/Reading, lessons 105 and 108 teach the consonant digraphs "sh" and "ch". Then, lesson 120 teaches "th" and "wh". I used Lapbook Lesson's Rain Shower Digraphs for the "sh" and "ch", then used the blank ones to make "th" and "wh" umbrellas. We used his workbook page clip art for the drawings on these raindrops. We turned the umbrellas into pockets by cutting them apart and stapling, then contact papering the fronts. The raindrops were pasted onto cereal box cardboard and contact papered as well. We have added a half a folder to fold down in order to continue adding more umbrellas inside later--room for 4 more as of now. Mine looks nowhere as nice as the sample pictures on the site--just do what you can!!

Pathways Phonics and Reading, lesson 125 taught plurals that you add "es" instead of just "s" to. I decided this deserved a file folder game for my hands-on 6yo boy. I made up a not so pretty (but functional) Ice Cream Shop, adding "-es" game. I'm sorry, but I did this all by hand and not on the computer--but here is the explanation: You just use a file folder--put a cover on the front and I label my little tab so it can be filed and found again later. Holding the folder up like a regular 8.5x11 paper, you open it and paste your homemade ice cream cones along the bottom. I wrote the letters s, x, z, sh, and ch on these cones. Explain that words that end in these letters cannot just have s added to make them plural, you need to add es. I made ice cream scoops in various colors (glued onto thin cardboard and covered in contact paper) with various words on them like brush, fox, etc., being sure to not use words that need their consonant doubled like bus (those may be made later). I also made cherries with the letters "es" on them, so he puts the scoops on the right cones and then adds cherries to them. Later, for the doubling consonants, I may make nuts with the extra letters--we'll see!! All the scoops and cherries are held in a baggie that I stapled to the folder. You can get a lot fancier--but this worked for us!

2nd grade
We haven't been adding much fun in for my dd, so I decided I needed to look for something in her upcoming lessons. Tomorrow we learn contractions in Rod and Staff Phonics, unit 4, lesson 14. I found this lesson plan and thought it just PERFECT! I hope I feel like pulling it off well--if not, I'll be faking it and hope it sticks to their brains anyway. Contraction Surgery

Also for Phonics, beginning in lesson 20, she will be learning homonyms. They list 25 sounds in that first lesson, so those are what I am using to create Hatching Homonyms, a game that I am trying to partially do on the computer in order to save and share. The nests will be brown pockets with the pronunciation written on them (25 in all). The words and definitions are on eggs and they need to be put into the right nest. If you want these word eggs, please just email me and ask--I have them in Word documents (6 pages=52 words and 2 blank eggs). I will be doing the nests with pronunciations by hand since it is easier with the different symbols. I may use little brown paper sacks cut into nest shapes and, of course, contact paper to preserve them.
My kiddos help with the making of their own file folder games and lapbooks--it's not just me doing all the work. Depending on the difficulty and their age, I may do some of the cutting in order to have a NICELY done game that will last longer. I also do the contact papering since that is not cheap stuff and it's easily wrinkled.......your kids (or yourself) may or may not like artsy crafty things--to each his own, this is just me........

Jonah mini-lapbook

Homeschool Helper has a Jonah lapbook so isn't that convenient!! And I believe it can be used for ALL ages, although my oldest is only 8. We used 5 out of the 7 booklets (not the map or Jonah's lessons learned) and condensed it to use just less than half of a file folder. You can use all 7 booklets and still make this a mini lapbook. I cut the file folder in half and then folded the half in thirds, cutting off 1/3, making a little brochure type booklet. I had to trim one of the booklets a little to fit, but otherwise, it was a perfect one day activity to supplement our previous day's lesson over Jonah (Mystery of History, vol 1). I just read through the bible story to help them answer the questions. I also looked up dates to see what others had to say.

Now--the cover--WELL--I thought fish would be nice, don't you? I just googled fish alphabet and this is what I got, in pdf format at that!!!! We used the capital letters to spell out Jonah, they each decorated their fish and we lined them up for the cover from top down (we cut them out of the rectangles to help them fit the space--if you use the small letters, they would fit easily). This was the simplest little lapook we have ever done--easy to fill in the blanks and not too time consuming [of course, you could add SO much to this like games and water or boat info, but simple is all we were going for--and if that's what you are going for, don't mess with any of the extras :)].

EXTRAS [mostly to keep little hands busy or kids just needing something extra]:

poems/songs for the little ones

color page

crossword puzzle (pdf)

dot to dot #s 1-40

color the dots

hidden pictures

Ocean Totbook

Ocean life crafts {many links do not work, but there are several that are good, so I still included them in the list}

AND ONE FOR THE OLDER ONES:

Notebooking pages

Lapbooks we've done..

Unfortunately, I don't have a homemade pdf for you of all our lapbooks or even a "how-to" like some bloggers have done. (see here) BUT, I will tell you what we have done and some of the specific resources for each topic. I hope to eventually replace our missing digital camera and upload pics for everyone. I started out just wanting an "art" avenue and a place to store all the STUFF that accumulates with school and kids in general. We found legal sized folders for cheap at first, so our folds were different (for #1 and #3) and --the big plus-- they fit on our bookshelf for the kids, which regular lapbooks do not!!

1. Butterflies
There was a free unit study summer '08 that I downloaded from currclick.com. That, plus our regular Sonlight science, this and that found online, AND happening to find caterpillars to "raise" in a friend's garden, made our butterfly study complete.
[I have a bookmark under my "freebies" file for http://www.currclick.com/. I love their freebie selection.]
Homeschool Share--lapbook
Homeschool Helper--lapbook

2. Ancient Egypt
Following along MOH, volume 1, we researched a bit about Ancient history including Egypt, the Jews in Egypt, etc. There is a HUGE selection out there for this subject--here are some sights I gleaned from:
Ancient Egypt for Kids
Homeschool Helper--lapbook
Old Testament Bible Lessons

3. Flowers
We studied the parts of a flower in science and thought it would be an easy one to include the 3yo also. Yep--easy to find preschool lapbooks, not so easy to find for the 1st and 2nd graders.
Most of what we did we made up from various worksheets and free printables. They made flowers out of the letter F (green with sequins arranged for the petals)
Although I don't have all the pdfs in one file, you can search for your own, start with this or contact me for some of my files...
http://lapbooksbycarisa.homestead.com/Lapbooks.html

4. Fire Safety
I did practically no searching for these resources. It was a topic at our library's storytime and we came home with coloring and activity handouts that turned into a lapbook for my 6yo boy. We used letter and number stickers on the cover and learned about when to call 9-1-1. That was just a week he needed more stuff to do and actually WANTED to cut, color, and glue.
Letter "F" pages

5. Animal Classification


This study came after going through Usborne First Encyclopedia of Animals in our Sonlight Science 1. The lapbook came almost completely from HomeschoolShare. Basically, the kids just needed to cut and paste while learning.
I also got info from PBS-Animal Classes and Missouri Botanical Garden.
This was an incredible resource also.
I hope to do these animals for the 3yo and 19month old sometime soon--you know--whenever I get around to it and have the paper and ink! LOL


The best thing I've done and know I'll continue to do is to make a master notebook. I make 1 extra copy of anything we use, 3hole punch it and put it into a binder with dividers. I have one binder for our history, including all the worksheets, printables, lessons, etc. that I find to go along with MOH, V1. (We're only doing a quarter per semester).....this includes the Ancient Egypt Lapbook and another binder for all other lapbooks. If we do unit studies or notebooks, I'll make another master binder for those.
WHY a Master Notebook?!?!?!
Because I have MORE kids and many more years of school to teach. We will study all these things again and I have a start for what we'll do, at least for the younger set of kids.

Now--HOW I have organized on my computer...........
In my documents I have a folder for homeschool and a subfolder for lapbooks. When I decide to look for a certain subject to lapbook, I make another subfolder and name it. Then I search--just google what I want. When I find stuff I like, I "save target as" directly into that folder {I prefer pdf files, but if they aren't, then I create a Word doc and save a list of sites on that subject}. THEN when it comes time to DO the lapbook, I open that folder and look through everything to see what I want, then print it in duplicate (or triplicate if it's for 2 kids) and file it (or set it on my desk as a "to do" project--haha--I mean, let's be real!).

I'm a-learnin' and I hope this helps someone, even me being the newbie that I am
After all, it's JUST ME!