Hands on History: World History Lap Book from Sonlight
This is a sponsored post. I have received complimentary access to this product and have been compensated for my time reviewing the product and producing this review. This resource may contain affiliate links for said product. I have not been influenced in any way and my opinions on this product are my own.
Looking for a way to make learning world history memorable & fun? By combining crafting with historical facts, lap books are the perfect mix of learning and creativity that captures attention and fuels a love for history!
My youngest absolutely loves learning about history. You know how many kids love watching cartoons on tv? Well, not this kid. My son will often wake up early to watch history documentaries on tv! And, when he’s not watching a documentary, he’ll voluntarily read a book containing historic fiction, play a history-based board game, or even play video games that revolve around a historic theme!
It’s no surprise that, when the World History Lap Book kit from Sonlight arrived on our front porch, he immediately claimed it for himself!
Let’s chat a bit about why it’s so important to include world history in your homeschool and why you should totally consider including the Sonlight Lap Book in your studies, m’kay?
Why Is Learning World History Important?
World history is old…and dusty, right? How can things that happened long ago even be worth learning about? Wouldn’t it just be a waste of precious time?! It may seem that way to many but, in reality, it really is super important to learn about (and from!) the events that have happened throughout history.
In case you need some help convincing the kids (or yourself!) that it’s worth taking the time learning world history during your homeschool days, here are 3 reasons world history is important:
- Discovering How We Got Here: History is like a time machine that shows how humans have evolved, how societies have grown, and how cultures have changed. By learning world history, kids can see the big picture of where we started, how far we’ve come, and start imagining how far we can progress.
- Inspiring Civic Engagement: By learning about key historical moments, like revolutions and social movements, kids can see how ordinary people have made a difference. It helps them understand their role in society and how they can be part of positive change.
- Learning from the Past: You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” (My son tells me this all the time!) History teaches valuable lessons about what works and what doesn’t, helping kids avoid the same mistakes others made in the past.
It makes sense to include world history, doesn’t it?
About the World History Lap Book from Sonlight
First things first, it’s important to mention that the World History I Lap Book is meant to reinforce & supplement a full world history education. There are plenty of activities that go into the completion of the lap book, but I definitely suggest supplementing with additional world history-themed activities and/or curriculum.
Created with students in grades 7 through 9 in mind, the World History 1 Lap Book kit contains nearly all the materials needed to complete an interactive lap book featuring historic world events spanning from ancient Egypt times to the 1600s. Just supply a few household items, like colored pencils & scissors, and the kids are all set up for nearly an entire year of learning!
The lapbook includes a total of 30 projects each consisting of coloring & lap book construction tasks, informational reading, and either informational or open-ended questions to answer. Each activity should take about 1-2 hours to complete, making for plenty of hands-on learning opportunities throughout each week.
Projects Include:
- The Unification of Egypt
- Egyptian Mummies
- The Battle of Qadesh
- Chinese Proverbs
- Pyramid Facts
- Stories of Greek Immortals
- The Trojan Horse
- Athens & Sparta
- The Greco-Persian Wars
- The Peloponnesian War
- Romulus & Remus
- The Punic Wars
- The Great Wall of China
- SPQR
- Augustus and the Pax Romana
- The Founding of Constantinople
- Roman Architecture
- The Structure of the Classes in Medieval Europe
- Justinian’s Code
- The Rise of Islam
- Japan
- People Who Made an Impact in World History
- The Bayeux Tapestry
- From Page to Knight
- The Magna Carta
- The Black Death
- Gutenberg’s Printing Press
- Ship’s Log (Explorers)
- If Henry VIII Had a Wallet…
- Leonardo da Vinci
Upon completion, students will have a completed lap book that can be referred to over and over again!
Our Experience
When I was a teacher, I was all about including opportunities for hands on learning whenever possible. An education based on reading textbooks is just so boring…and not meaningful, memorable, or fun at all. It checks the requirement boxes and makes students aware of the learning material, but the information “learned” nearly always vanishes from memory following the completion of an assessment.
The Sonlight Lap Books are the sort of activities I would’ve loved to have access to while teaching so it’s no surprise I’m definitely a fan of including them in the educational activities for my own children.
@thathomeschoolfamily My son actually looks forward to completing his World History activities from Sonlight – who would've thought?! #ad #sonlight #homeschoolhistory #worldhistory #homeschool #homeschoolcurriculum #homeschooling @Sonlight Curriculum ♬ original sound – Liz | That Homeschool Family
Like the Election Lap Book we completed in the past, the World History I Lap Book has been a hit in our home. My oldest (age 13) is happy to sit on the sidelines and learn by watching & reading while my youngest (age 10) would be totally content to fill his day completing lessons from the lap book.
Even though I was hoping the lap book could be completed equally by both boys (please note: Sonlight does recommend getting 1 kit per child), being able to let my youngest take the reigns on this project has been refreshing! He enjoys being able to have his moment to shine while soaking in all the information!
To help supplement the lap book, my son has been using a number of reference books from our personal library and from our community library as well as videos from YouTube and streaming channels. Instead of spending about 20 minutes a day or so on the lessons each day, he’s spending even more time furthering the research and learning by himself! How cool is that?!
To say I’m happy about him spending his “free” time learning from & about history instead of playing video games is an understatement.
In addition, my assistance in completing the lap book has been minimal! He does need some help with assembling the different parts of the lap book (he is a “lefty” and using scissors isn’t his forte), but, otherwise, he’s pretty much taken the responsibility, quite literally, into his own hands.
Why Choose Sonlight?
At this point in our homeschooling experience, we’ve actually used quite a few materials from Sonlight! Even though we tend to be secular homeschoolers, and Sonlight is a Christian company, we have been successfully incorporating their science curriculum and history lap books into our lessons.
Why do I consider Sonlight to be a good investment when it comes to homeschool curriculum? My top reasons to choose Sonlight are:
- Little to No Prep Required: minus a few additional household supplies that may need to be provided (We all have colored pencils. We all have tape. It’s no big deal), Sonlight curriculum are open & go. We homeschool to make the most of our time together as a family. I’d much rather spend quality time with my kids than preparing a unit study for them, you know?
- 100% Money Back Guarantee: purchasing curriculum through Sonlight is no-risk. If the curriculum isn’t a good fit for the family, they’ll happy do a refund for the kit.
- Try Before you Buy: if I’m going to invest in a curriculum (even if it has a money back guarantee), I want to take a sneak peek first. Sonlight offers Instructor’s Guide Samples so we can do just that!
Give Sonlight a Try
The Sonlight World History I Lap Book has been a great addition to our homeschool this year! It’s really very cool that my son actually looks forward to completing the activities and then…doesn’t want to stop! The hands on activities really work well for our family and I certainly appreciate when activities don’t require much (if any!) preparation on my part.
Homeschool smarter, not harder, right?!
If you have any questions about this Sonlight resource, go ahead and leave a comment below or feel free to ask in That Homeschool Family Hangout! I’m happy to help!
Until next time, stay safe and enjoy quality time with your family,
Elizabeth Dukart is a proud Florida based born and raised Jersey Girl, wife, and mom of 2 human boys & 1 canine boy.
Created in 2021, Elizabeth owns and publishes That Homeschool Family: a free resource for homeschooling parents and beyond! A seasoned blogger, Elizabeth previously published a popular location-specific family resource blog, but decided to “Pivot!” her blogging focus after she started homeschooling her two boys in 2020. In addition to this blog, you can follow Elizabeth’s homeschooling and family adventures on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest. She can also be found in her Facebook Group: That Homeschool Family Hangout.
When she’s not busy taking over the world or homeschooling, Elizabeth can be found listening to music (especially The Beatles & Harry Styles!), being silly with her boys, watching movies with family, shopping, or traveling!
Have a question or want to work with Elizabeth? Send her an email!
