Switzerland Lapbook - Homeschool Share

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Chocolate, watches, and alpenhorns–head to Switzerland for an exciting learning adventure. Grab our free Switzerland Lapbook to get started.

Switzerland Lapbook Information

Official Name: The Swiss Confederation

Capital City: Bern

Official Languages: Many languages are spoken in Switzerland. The majority of people speak German (known as Swiss-German in Switzerland). Other languages spoken include: French, Italian, and an ancient language called Romansch.

Currency: Swiss franc

Climate: Switzerland’s climate is moderate; there isn’t any excessive cold, heat, or humidity.

Population: For current information, use this website: Population of Countries

Comparing Times: To compare the time in the capital city to the time where you live, use this website: The World Clock

Basic Geography:
Major Rivers: Rhone, Rhine
Area/Size: 15,940 square milesBordering Countries: France, Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, and Italy
Lakes: Switzerland has 150 lakes.

Animals in Switzerland: Your student will need to research these animals in order to complete the mini-books.

Swiss Inventions: These items were all invented in Switzerland: shoe with Velcro straps (1948), contact lenses (1877), electric oven (1889), waterproof watch (1926), self-winding watch (1931), and the Swiss army knife.

Swiss Food:

Chocolate: Swiss people love chocolate! Switzerland makes some of the finest chocolate in the world. In 1879 a Swiss inventor name Rudolphe Lindt created smooth chocolate (before this chocolate was gritty like sand). Do you recognize his last name? Can you find some chocolate at the grocery store with the name Lindt? Another Swiss chocolate manufacturer is credited with creating the first milk chocolate. He did this by combining chocolate with Henri Nestlé’s powdered milk. Do you recognize the name Nestle’?

Cheese: The Swiss are also famous for cheese. They make Swiss cheese (of course!) and Gruyere cheese, too. Consider sampling these cheese this week.

Fondue: This is Switzerland’s most famous dish. You start with a bowl of melted cheese and you put bread, meat, or vegetables on the end of a stick. You dip them into the cheese. You can also do this with a melted bowl of chocolate and use fruit to dip.

Eierzopf: This is a sweet braided bread.

Tirggel: This sweet is often cut into the shapes of storybook and cartoon characters.

Sports: The world’s oldest pair of ice skates were found in Switzerland at the bottom of a lake. No one knows where the sport of ice skating began, but it is possible that it was Switzerland. Mountain climbing got its start in the Swiss Alps.

Other sports that are popular in Switzerland include: football (soccer), skiing, ice hockey, schwingen (Alpine wrestling sport), tennis, and hornussen (a combination of golf and baseball).

Musical Instrument: Switzerland is known for the alpenhorn. IT was originally used by herders in the Alps to call cows to pasture. It can be up to 20 feet long, and it can be heard as far as eight miles away!

Make a Salt Dough Map: Add to your Switzerland study by making a salt dough map of Switzerland.

National Geographic Site: National Geographic has an amazing Switzerland site for your student to explore.