Field-Trip Friday...Montpelier

I absolutely adore that we live in Virgina!  There's so much history here and I love being able take the girls on day trips to explore all of it! 

We headed up Constitution Highway and spent the day at Montpelier, the plantation estate of James Madison, the fourth President of the United States.  We were extremely excited that Montpelier hosted its first ever Homeschool Day this year!   There were many fun, educational, and interactive programs and activities throughout the day, which included a tour of the estate, hikes in the old growth forest, the opportunity to sit in on the Constitutional Convention and to read from James' bookshelf, many colonial games on the back lawn, and much more!

James Madison's Montpelier...Virginia

 Montpelier offers 2,650 acres of rolling hills, spacious horse pastures, and spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The view from the front porch was breathtaking!  I love seeing the gorgeous mountain ranges.

 Exploring Montpelier...

 

 

The Temple where James Madison contemplated democracy is just north of the mansion.

 

 Montpelier was home to five generations of enslaved people.  For more than 100 years African and African-American slaves lived, labored, and died at Montpelier.  Very little is known about the slave community at Montpelier due to the destruction of most of the Madison family papers in the mid-19th century.

 Domestic slaves who worked in the Madison's household lived in this nearby area known as the "South Yard", which included three slave quarters and two smokehouses.  

 

Mac had the best time playing the outdoor games that young James Madison and his siblings would have: hoop racing, the game of graces, sack races, and corn cob dart tossing!

We hiked a very, very small portion of Montpelier's 200 acre old growth forest. 

 

The girls had a great time exploring the stunning 2-acre Annie duPont Garden!  Unfortunately, with our winter weather continuing into spring, there weren't any flowers in bloom.  However, I imagine that it is spectacular in full bloom!  

 

 

 After our educational day at Montpelier, we made a quick stop at the Train Depot down the road.

William duPont, Montpelier's last owner, built a train depot in 1910.  It has been restored as a museum to its segregated appearance. 

 

Ride on over to Chestnut Grove Academy to see other fieldtrips from this week!

And Homeschool Creations to see a lot of fun activities from the week! 

TOS Review: A Journey Through Learning

 

Have you tried incorporating learning lapbooks in your homeschooling?

A learning lapbook is a fantastic hands-on educational tool that is laid out in a creative manner, using file folders, craft supplies, and handmade components, such as mini books, pockets, flaps, and other foldables.  The lapbook encourages interactive learning from the beginning to the end, while giving ample opportunities to concentrate on specific topics throughout the process.        
 
A Journey Through Learning, co-owned by two homeschooling moms, Nancy Fileccia and Paula Winget, creates educational and professional quality learning lapbooks for all subjects and ages! 

As a member of the Schoolhouse Review Crew, I was offered to review several learning lapbooks from A Journey Through Learning.

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We received four instant downloadable learning lapbooks via e-mail. 

Letters, Numbers, and Shapes for preschoolers ($13).

The Earth for students in grades first through fourth ($13).

 

 Astronomy and Space for students in grades second through seventh ($13).

Knights and Castles for students in grades second through seventh ($13).

  

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 What's needed in order to complete a learning lapbook from A Journey Through Learning?

• A computer with access to the Internet.  Unfortunately, instant downloadable learning lapbooks cannot be purchased via a Smart Phone or an iPad because the links will not work.  Please be sure to order all instant downloads on a computer.  

 

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 During the review period, Izzie completed The Earth learning lapbook, while Mac completed the Letters, Numbers and Shapes learning lapbook.

Lapbooks from A Journey Through Learning

Before beginning, I would suggest:

1. Print off all learning lapbook pages.

A Journey Through Learning: The Earth Learning Lapbook

A Journey Through Learning: Letters, Numbers and Shapes Lapbook

  

2. Read over all printed materials and make a trip to your local library for suggested books.  There are a lot of additional activities, you may even want to schedule those in too.

 A couple suggested books for The Earth learning lapbook. 

 Some suggested books for the Letters, Numbers and Shapes lapbook.

  
3.  Figure out how to assemble the lapbook(s).  This can be a little tricky for first time or multiple time lapbook-makers!  Thankfully, a visual guide is included with step-by-step directions.  I actually preferred watching the tutorial videos!

The Earth learning lapbook is a 2-folder lapbook.  

Creating and folding a 2-folder lapbook

 The Letters, Numbers and Shapes learning lapbook is a 3-folder lapbook.

 Creating and folding a 3-folder lapbook

4.  For younger children, you may even want to have the lapbook components cut out and ready to go!  I did this for both of my girls, ages 6 and 4.

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Izzie, 6 years old, has completed a few learning lapbooks and really enjoys them.  She is a visual, hands-on learner, so, she was excited to get started on the newest one, The Earth.

The Earth learning lapbook consists of 42 pages, including a Study Guide with the following topics: 

• Location of the Earth 

• Layers of the Earth

• Three Types of Rocks: Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic

• Earth's Four Spheres: Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere and Atmosphere 

• Earth's Rotation and Revolution

• Parts of the Earth, including Landforms, Mountains, Volcanoes and Ocean Zones

•  Layers of the Atmosphere: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere and Exosphere

• Water Cycle 

In addition, there are numerous suggested activities, which include: 

• Books to Read 

• Songs

• Poems

• Science Questions 

• Crafts

 I really liked that The Earth learning lapbook included a Study Guide!  For each section, there was a 1-page summary of information about the topic, which could be used to complete the components of the learning lapbook.  Technically, it is the only resource needed to complete the learning lapbook. However, if you want to spend a longer time on the topics, I would recommend using the suggested books and activities too. 

A Journey Through Learning, The Earth: Study Guide Page

 

 In addition, at the top left of each component page there is a highlighted area illustrating exactly where to place the component on the learning lapbook.  There isn't any guessing or trying to squeeze everything onto the folders...everything fits nicely, organized by topics.  

 

 Izzie really enjoyed the various activities included within the learning lapbook. 

The Earth completed learning lapbook. 

A Journey Through Learning, The Earth learning lapbook.

A Journey Through Learning, The Earth learning lapbook: Folder 1

A Journey Through Learning, The Earth learning lapbook: Folder 2

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Mac, 4 years old, loves to be part of our homeschooling day.  She was thrilled to complete the Letters, Numbers, and Shapes learning lapbook!

The Letters, Numbers and Shapes learning lapbook consists of 51 pages, with the following basic concepts:

• Letters of the Alphabet

•  Shapes: circle, square, rectangle and triangle 

•  Numbers and Counting

• Colors

In addition, there are many more suggested activities, which include:

•  Things to do with Letters 

• Learning About Shapes with Food

• Games to Play

• Fingerplays

• Rhymes

• Books to Read

At first, I was really hesitant to complete a learning lapbook with Mac.  I kept thinking that it was a lot of color ink to be scribbled on and used for only one setting.  After brainstorming, I decided that we would create a reusable learning lapbook!  With my handy-dandy laminator and a pack of Velcro, we were ready to go!

First, we spent a week on letters.  I found one clipart picture for each letter of the alphabet and had Mac color each.  Afterward, I laminated the alphabet foldables from the lapbook and the colorful pictures that Mac colored, then added a little Velcro to each, which resulted in a great way to review letters and beginning sounds, over and over, again! 

 Since the letters were divided over three folders, it was a great way to focus on just several letters at a time.

A Journey Through Learning: Letters, Numbers and Shapes lapbook

The following week, Mac focused on shapes. Again, I really liked that the pages are nicely organized and at the top left there is a picture illustrating exactly where to place the components within the lapbook. 

Instead of having her draw on the components, I had her color clipart, which I laminated.  Then, just like the alphabet, I added Velcro to all the components and she was able to identify and match up the correct shapes over and over, again!

A Journey Through Learning: Letters, Numbers and Shapes, Folder 1

During the third week of the review period, Mac continued matching up shapes and the alphabet clipart art to the correct beginning sound.  In addition, she completed folder 2 within the learning lapbook. 

A Journey Through Learning: Letters, Numbers and Shapes, Folder 2

For durability and the sake of reusing the learning lapbook, I laminated everything included in folder 2.

Mac tracing the number words using a washable marker. 

Drawing the correct amount of animals on each card with washable markers. 

Each time she finished, she would simply erase the washable marker and place the components back in the learning lapbook, then it was ready to use on another day! 

The fourth week of the review period, Mac completed the third folder within the learning lapbook. 

A Journey Through Learning: Letters, Numbers and Shapes, Folder 3

I laminated all components, except the "Find and Color the Shapes".  I figured we could use these, over and over, again, by playing I Spy. 

Using a washable marker to match upper and lower case letters and drawing her favorite shape of the day, which on this particular day was a star. 

Letters, Numbers and Shapes completed learning lapbook.

A Journey Through Learning: Letters, Numbers and Shapes lapbook

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What I liked:

• It's a fun hands-on way of learning that keeps my girls' attention and desire to participate!

•  Learning lapbooks are extremely flexible.  You can simply dust the surface or dig deeper depending on your child's interest.

• The learning lapbooks were highly educational.

• The Study Guide in The Earth learning lapbook was a fabulous resource.  

• The additional activities included were great to have to help encourage digging deeper into the topics. 

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In conclusion, I would highly recommend the learning lapbooks from A Journey Through Learning.

Sail over to read what other Crew Mates had to say about their experience with A Journey Through Learning.