We’ve done a lot of lapbooks in the last 6 years, including some from HOAC. Right now my 5th grader is doing their Veterinary Science one. Here is how we do it with her (as she’s independent):
I print the lapbook pieces and research guide, order library books to go along, and then hand it all to her. She reads a portion of the research guide and does 2-3 related lapbook pieces about 3 days a week. She also reads from some of the library books each science day. At the end of the study is when she’ll put it all together into a folder (gluing in the minibooks). Until them things just stay in a hanging folder in her workbox crate.
Some lapbooks take her a month, others less time if she decides to work on it outside of the scheduled science days/times.
With my younger ones we do it similiarly except I cut pieces out in advance, read the library books with them, and they only do 2 lapbook pieces a day.