Review
Contrary to the popular belief of many non-romantic types, Valentine’s Day was not created by Hallmark as a way to sell cards. Actually, it is steeped in a long line of traditions that started way back during the Middle Ages. Digging into a unit study is a fun way to learn about this holiday, especially when done in a lapbook format.
A Journey Through Learning has designed such a lapbook loaded with several different mini-booklets, notebooking pages, a maze/crossword puzzle, recipes for delicious snacks, as well as an opportunity for students to create a card of their own. The Valentine’s Day Learning Lapbook with Study Guide is a compact, fun introduction meant for elementary children that highlights how the celebration of one’s love came to be, what the common symbols represent, and how other countries honor it. Additional resources are provided and include:
- A full tutorial on how to assemble a lapbook using file folders, along with the suggested placement for each mini-booklet pictured on a completed lapbook
- Each booklet/component page with a description about the particular piece, and visual “map” of where to place it
- A study guide–more like a concise description–containing the information needed to complete the booklet (This material is informative, interesting, and written so most students can understand it easily.)
- Several add-on options for older students, such as a biography book report, reading log, NICK notes [helps student take key notes to remember information for later], and a blank outline form to use for notes
- Pages to write down a narration of the study for younger and older students alike
- Supplementary reading suggestions
The Valentine’s Day Learning Lapbook is a relatively quick study that is not overtly challenging or difficult to complete. It is best suited for new-to-lapbooking families, since it is not as in-depth or overwhelming in requirements or activities found in advanced projects.
Usually, we tend to bypass the festivities of Valentine’s Day in our home, outside of the exchange of a few Necco candy hearts and a card or two. With this study, we found we learned a lot in a short amount of time, but were not super wowed by it. We usually prefer lapbooks based on one particular book, and we are used to more complex material than what is included in this particular course. Regardless, the Valentine’s Day Learning lapbook with Study Guide offered us a chance to truly get to know more about the traditions of Valentine’s Day, especially how folks in other countries express their love for their special one.
About the Reviewer
From the publisher’s website: It is their hope and prayer that their curriculum will be a blessing to your family and that it provides your children with many hours of smiles, laughter, fun…and knowledge. They create beautiful lapbooks for many “well-known and beloved” programs.
