New Lapbooking Meme!

I'm excited about this one--of course, I've been rather excited about all of the memes. They are all fun...but, I really love lapbooks and notebooking right now. I love them for their endless possibilities and uses. I love them because we learn best by doing, and making a book about a topic is higher level thinking than simply reading or answering questions. I love them because they incorporate such a broad spectrum of learning into one final project. I love them because they make everything we have and do important; worksheets, brochures from outings, photos, drawings, downloaded pictures, and every little detail of learning becomes something worthwhile to keep and assemble into one resource. Lapbooking is a form of some of my favorite school projects growing up, as well as my mother's handmade "Quiet Time" books she made us; a creative combination of journaling, scrapbooking, writing, researching, and crafting. I imagine a bin full of these lapbooks with my growing kids pouring over them on the couch for years to come. "Hey, I remember when we studied Christopher Columbus for homeschool"...(this week's lapbook).
Ok, so for those who don't know, lapbooks are manipulative 'books' made from file folders using any number of folds and added flaps. To this basic structure of a 'book' one can adhere any series of elements: a title, library pockets, envelopes, mini-file folders w/ 'lift a flap' quizzes, journaling, or photos underneath, plastic sleeves with objects, pressesd plant samples, etc., photos of field trips, 3-dimensional projects or models, and flaps containing completed worksheets, brochures, and other information. Lapbooks can be assembled by the parent for the child, by parent and child together, or by the child himself. It is a great assessment strategy following a unit of study.

Little Blots of Faith Christian Printables (http://www.littleblots.com/) just announced a new meme for Christian Lapbookers -- Little Laplinks! Each month a "Theme of the Month" will be posted where we can all glean resources from each other to create special and unique lapbooks. This month's theme is PUMPKINS! Click on the cute graphic above to learn more. The following is information from the host:

What is Little Laplinks? Little refers to “little people” as in early elementary children (Pre/K up to Grade 3)! Laplinks is the combination of Lapbook and Links, because that is what the meme is all about! The purpose of this meme is to generate a nice list of free resources that would be good for making an early elementry lapbook, and then sharing the lapbook you've made with your children if you choose.

This will be a monthly meme, the first week of each month the theme for the lapbook will be announced. During the month, you find a free resource for that theme, and post your finished lapbook to your blog before the month is over and link up so we call all see it! All past links and lapbook examples will be archived on little blots, and for every month you participate you’ll recieve a link back to your site!