Eye Spy!

Create a lapbook about sight using online resources. This is a good example of a 'simple' lapbook which requires little writing on the part of your student.



We created this lapbook using the Curriculum Guides available at the Museum of Vision. In particular, we used the "Eye Openers" and "Animal Eyes" files. These guides were written for grades 4-6, but they are easily adaptable to other ages. Each file explains the basics of vision. The "Eye Openers" guide then uses optical illusions to teach about the interesting mechanics of eyesight. They cover Binocular Vision, the Eye-Brain Connection and Persistence of Vision. The "Animal Eyes" guide highlights the differences in vision for different types of animals and how they use their vision for different purposes.

Lapbook cover:


Lapbook open:


Left flap:

Parts of the eye - yellow 6 flap booklet

I printed this page from the pdf file in color and cut out the unlabeled eye image. Using the free template for the hexagon petal book at homeschoolshare.com, I placed the eye image in the center. I then printed the labels and we adhered them to the 'petals' and drew lines to the corresponding eye part.

Optical Illusions - red pocket book

I printed and cut out each of the 7 optical illusions from the file. Each one was adhered to an index card. The instructions and explanations were also printed out with the instructions adhered to each pocket and the explanations adhered to the back of each index card. If you need help making a pocket book, you can find a free pocket book template here. I made 4 pocket books and glued them back to back to create 8 pockets - enough for the 7 cards.

Middle section:

Flipbook - in green pocket
We created the flipbook in the Eye Openers file. I didn't have a stapler that would go through that many sheets, so I used a small binder clip to hold the book together. I created a little pocket to hold the flip book and stored it inside. Because it was so thick, a normal library pocket wouldn't work so I cut a large 'T' out of the green paper and wrapped it around the flipbook to make sure it was deep enough to hold it.

Thaumatrope - in blue pocket
We made a thaumatrope to illustrate persistence of vision as outlined in the curriculum guide. I made a simple pocket to hold it so we could add it to our lapbook.

"How Do You See" - blue strip book
In the curriculum guide, they outlined the six steps our eyes and brain use to see. I printed each of these steps out on blue paper and cut them into same-sized strips, along with a 'cover' strip. My son put them in the correct order and the strips were stapled together and glued into the lapbook.

Vocabulary book - Orange book

I found a list of the parts of the eye with definitions online. I chose 10 and printed off the terms and their definitions on different colored paper. My son affixed the terms to the flaps of the vocabulary book and placed each term's definition under the correct flap. This book was made with 2 sheets of paper of equal size. I folded them in half and one sheet was cut almost to the center four times to create five 'flaps' on each side for our ten terms. The cut paper was glued to the other sheet in the center to create a book with flaps that open on the inside.

Right flap:

3-D - green book
Although we went through the Animal Eyes guide, this is the only lapbook item based on that one. I wanted to add other items (such as pupil shape) but decided to stop and not add an extension to this lapbook. This is a simple book that is just paper folded in half with the 3-D/2-D illustration from the Animal Eyes guide glued inside. Further explanation could be written or typed out and placed on the inside left flap of this book.

Eye illustration - picture
As part of the Eye Openers guide, they have the child look at their own eyes and draw a picture. I cut out my son's drawing and adhered it to a piece of colored paper slightly larger than the drawing to create a frame and glued it into the lapbook.


That's it! No writing and just a little drawing was required of my 'reluctant writer' for this lapbook. He found the lesson to be very interesting and both he and his brother go back to the lapbook to try out the optical illusions time and again.

I hope you found this article to be helpful. Take these ideas and add your own to create your own one of a kind masterpiece! Also, see my Lapbooks for Everyone article for more ideas and lapbooking resources.