The Legend of Lightning Larry Unit Study & Lapbook

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Thanks to Michelle Light for writing the lessons for this The Legend of Lightning Larry unit study.

The Legend of Lightning Larry Unit Study Lessons

This unit study includes lessons and lapbook printables based on the book The Legend of Lightning Larry by Aaron Shepard.

Here are some sample lessons from the The Legend of Lightning Larry Unit Study.

Language Arts: Tall Tales
Most tall tales have some elements of truth but much has been exaggerated. You may wish to read some other tall tales with your student. (Paul Bunyan, John Henry, Davy Crockett). While Davy Crockett existed, many stories about him are not true. Lightning Larry is not a real person but an imaginary person the author has made up. Legends are stories that are passed down from one generation to another.

Tall Tales have various characteristics (see list below). Discuss the characteristics of tall tales with your student. Which ones are noted in the story? You may wish to read some other tall tales with your student to compare to The Legend of Lightning Larry and note which characteristics are found in those tall tales, too.

Tall Tale Characteristics

The main character can accomplish great feats using strength, skill, or wits
The main character is helped by a powerful object or animal
The main character has super-human abilities
The author uses exaggerations
The setting of the story begins with the hero as a child
The plot of the story is humorous (funny) and impossible
The main character has one or more companions (i.e. Johnny Appleseed’s animals)
The story includes lots of action
The main character solves a problem, defeats villains, or overcomes an obstacle
The main character dies or disappears at the end

History: The Old West
Discuss the details in the text and in the illustrations that clue us in as to the setting of this story (cowboys, disputes being settled with guns, the clothes of the characters, the desert looking surrounding on the first page, the use of the word outlaws, etc.

As the West was being discovered, some new towns were springing up. By 1849 80,000 people from all over the globe had arrived in California for the “Gold Rush.” Owning and carrying guns in that day were common. Disputes were often settled with a gunfight because there was little to no local law enforcement throughout the Old West. The roots of the Old West were grown in greed, adventure, and survival; sometimes it is referred to as the WILD West. Can your student guess why?

The American Old West comprises the history, myths, legends, stories, beliefs and cultural meanings that collected around the Western United States in the 19th century.

You can grab a copy of the entire The Legend of Lightning Larry Unit Study and Lapbook in an easy-to-print file at the end of this post.

The Legend of Lightning Larry Lapbook Printables

In addition to the unit study lessons, the free file includes a The Legend of Lightning Larry lapbook with these mini-books:

Tall Tales Tri-fold Book
Alliteration Simple Fold Book
Vocabulary Words Cowboy Hat Shapes
Shadow Observations Flap Book
Past and Present Strips Mini-book
Romans 12:21 Cowboy Boot Shape Book
Lemonade Recipes Pocket & Recipe Cards
Onomatopoeia Flap Book
Cowboy Shape Book (use as desired)

How to Get Started with Your The Legend of Lightning Larry Unit Study & Lapbook

Follow these simple instructions to get started with the The Legend of Lightning Larry Unit Study:

Buy a copy of the book, The Legend of Lightning Larry, or borrow one from your local library.
Print the The Legend of Lightning Larry unit study.
Choose the lessons you want to use with your student (a highlighter works great for this).
Choose and prepare the lapbook printables you want to use with your student.
Enjoy a week of cowboy fun with your student.