Easter Lapbook

Tink has finished her Easter lapbook just in time for Resurrection Day! This was a fun lapbook and an excellent way to put the details of Jesus last week on earth deep into the minds of the kids. I downloaded the Easter story that came with some of the mini books and wouldn't you know it I cant recall which site it came from. But the story was told by an aunt to her niece and it was told clearly and simply enough that both my kids could understand it. As we covered each chapter Tink would do the mini book, or books, that went with that part of the story.

Peter was especially struck with the story of the Passover. Could it be because he is the oldest son and his life would have been taken that night if his parents decided not to put the blood on the doorposts? Who knows? But the other day I heard him tell a little friend that he just loves the Passover. Folks this is what homeschool is all about for us as Christians. Our children can get a secular education anywhere but they cannot have the Bible as their main textbook in any grade school save the home school(and some private christian schools). If you are the mother of a Christian home and are homeschooling I beg of you to make the Bible your greatest study.

The story of Jesus' last week on earth is so important in the spiritual lives of our children. I felt it was of such great importance that I decided to drop other workbooks this week and focus on this chapter in Jesus life! We continued our classes at the Academy but here at home Tink did nothing else but this lapbook and reading stories pertaining to the Easter story. This lapbook and all the stories and discussions around the kitchen table culminated in one huge ending Friday night when we attended the Easter play at our church, entitled, More Than Just A Man. It was a perfect ending for our study.

This past week was a soul searching, thoughtful time in our home. A couple of weeks ago when we had barely begun this study we had communion at church. It was one of Peters first communions since he had asked Jesus into his heart. His understanding of what was happening was far greater than it had been because of this lapbook study.

I wish I could tell you all the intensity of this past week, the spiritual growth in my children and the deepening of faith that has taken place in our household as we made our way through this epic time in the life of our Lord. But now without further comment I will show the lapbook Tink has made.

Easter Lapbook
This lapbook has been made from a file folder. We will be taking a closer look at the mini books in the pics below.
This little lamb book is Tinks favorite. Each lamb lifts up to reveal another lamb underneath. The lambs tell how they resemble Jesus. Tink has written on them things like: Jesus was pure and good, Jesus was a sacrifice for sins, etc. The story that came with the download had the three ways Jesus was a like a lamb so it was easy for Tink to do this one.
The first photo above shows the communion book in the right hand bottom corner of the first flap. This is an inside look at that communion book. It explains what the communion symbols are for. This book too has a unique fold inside. Each of the three symbols are defined in the inner fold: The donkey, the palm branches, the word Hosanna. This book is a pile of coins. The top one says: The Wicked Plot of Judas. The pages tell the plot how he was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver.Under the coins in the pic above is The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus. The photo below shows the inside of that book. Each one of these sides opens up yet again. And now the story is told in the child's own words. Now lets focus in this last flap. The book the Easter Song is sung to the tune of Do You know The Muffin Man.
Now we will lift up the inner flap of this file folder to reveal more books underneath. The flap is made from card stock and stapled to the file folder. Under the flap we now have eggs telling the story of Jesus using Bible verses in each egg. Under the flap and against the file folder we have three more books. The blue one tells the symbolism of the Easter egg. The orange one shows different kinds of lilies. Here we see the inside of the lily book. Also take note of the green book in the photo above that says, He is Risen. Now to the green book. It is actually card stock stapled together with a slit in the top in which we have placed a Jesus that can be pulled from the tomb by a string. This one too is one of my kids favorite parts of the lapbook. They love to make Jesus rise from the grave!
Hope you enjoyed this lapbook. I belong to several yahoo lapbook groups and if you are here from the email group feel free to leave a comment too. If you have done an Easter lapbook my readers and I would love if you would leave the address to it in the comments below.

The mini books for this lapbook came from:
Homeschoolshare: The Legend Of The Easter Egg
Homeschool Share: The Parable of The Lily
Allbright-News
Christian Preschool Printables: I believe the only book from this one was the one of the Risen Jesus coming from the tomb.

If you see one of your templates in here and I have not mentioned your website be sure to let me know. I will give you credit here in this entry. If you would like to see more lapbooks that I have done just click on the Lapbooks and notebooking label below this entry.

The arrangement of this Easter lapbook is my original arrangement.

Literature and Spring Plans

It has dawned on me that I can now pull out my old Five In A Row and reuse it with Peter! Oh happy day! I try not to force my love of literature on the kids but when a person is passionate about something its hard not to push it on others. Peter loves to read but I don't see him developing a great love of literature. I suppose that is to be expected with a boy. But regardless of where his love lies I am going to introduce him to it anyway. So out comes my FIAR books!This is exciting stuff. I cant tell you how I love it. Im also going to use the
Literature book from Veritas Press that has all the books with workbook pages. And by the way, if you're looking for good literature for your child check out this site at Veritas Press. I have linked to the second grade literature but you can find all grades there on the sidebar at Veritas Press. I need to keep Peter occupied. I had forgotten how quickly a second grader can go through his work compared to a 6th grader!

I'm also going to go back to lapbooking since Peter has never done one before. With Spring around the corner I'm going to do one on Springtime with them. I haven't ran this by Tink yet. She may not be interested and if she isn't I'm not going to push it. I am going to insist that Peter do it though. Tink stays incredibly busy with her books. It's Peter that needs more. I'm thinking of taking the more scientific approach to spring than just the nature stuff because Peter loves science. I'll have to see whats out there for this sort of lapbook because I am not into making my own this time around. Speaking of lapbooks, the Multiplication Lapbook I made and designed is making its way around the world, I kid you not. It has been linked to over and over and is part of lapbook clubs and yahoo groups. Maybe I should have copyrighted the thing. I had no idea it would catch on like it did.

Tink is writing the final draft of her report on Mice. She is typing it into Microsoft Word and loving it. Peter is in a typing class this year so I'm using the same website to teach Tink how to type. Both kids have to spend at least 15 minutes a day on their typing lessons. Peter is thrilled to discover that if he keeps his fingers on home row he can type without looking. Tink doesn't see whats so great about it! sigh

Both kids are busy making their cars for the Awana Grand Prix this weekend. Oh the decisions that must be made! I have left the entire thing to their Dad. He has cut their designs and helped them with sanding and painting and the whole bit. I have had nothing to do with it. I love projects that I don't have to be a part of! Sometimes its nice to sit back and let someone else do the teaching!

While Ive been typing this I have been in the Academy's family room. A Russian lady came in a while ago and she and I have spent the last half hour talking with her. She teaches Russian here at the Academy. I had a fun half hour of picking her brain about the culture there. She explained to me the difference between Orthodox Russians and Old Believers, and the difference in weather from St Petersburg to Kazakhstan where my girlfriend lives. She told me about the types of wheat grown there and how the peasants have made a living from genetically programming wheat when they didn't even know they were genetically programming it. She laughed a rippling bell like laugh at the thought of it. She is such a refreshing lady, beautiful in her long dress and brown wavy hair to her waist. Ah, its a good day when I meet new people and learn new things!

I have several homeschool events and fun things scheduled with the kids. This morning I made our plane reservations to Idaho to visit grandma over spring break. Mr Darling is going to meet us up there on the weekend and drive home with us so that means we will do a bunch of sight seeing on the way home. I'm actually looking forward to it. My sister and her family are there too so there is always plenty to do.She has nine children so each of my kids have a cousin or two around their ages up there to play with. She also owns and operates a bent and dent store. The kids love helping out in the stock room or at the register. They're all excited about it!

Next week one of my friends is doing a huge homeschool play date at her house. Its called Home School Recess. The kids are all Peter and Tinks age so they will playing basketball and soccer and ping pong and such. I haven't told the kids about it. I have learned not to mention that stuff until closer to the date just in case something happens we cant make it. Then in April we are scheduled to do the School On Wheels with Amtrak. For only $13 a child Amtrak is offering two way fare to Seattle for homeschoolers. The idea is that you homeschool on the three hour ride to Seattle. Then you get off the train and take advantage of the Aquarium and museums close by and then be back to the train in four hours for the ride home. Its such a popular event here that I had to sign up for it last fall. I hate paying for stuff so far in advance but I had no choice. Its a wonderful opportunity for the kids. They rode the train several times before but they never tire of it.

Well Peter is now in his PE class. Tink is watching and supposedly doing her Spelling on the stage of the gym. I have a feeling I better go check and see what she is actually doing! Somehow studying in the gym doesn't sound conducive to learning.