Friday, March 4, 2016

Seeing the universe in every child: The Montessori Cultural Curriculum

The cultural curriculum in the Montessori classroom is a window into the universe at large. We invite children to develop an awareness of how their world came to be and cultivate an appreciation for all the things, big and small, which coexist in it. Learning about our natural resources (land/air/water; sink or float; parts of a plant; how to grow a plant), the seasons (seasons sorting cards), the elements on our planet (magnetic vs. non-magnetic), the flora and fauna (vertebrates vs. invertebrates; extinct vs. non-extinct), the vastness of our world--as well as our connectedness-- (the solar system; the colored globe; the continent maps) and the concept of time (calendar; telling time) –these are all ways we help children to discover our natural world.

By exposing each child to cultural area of the classroom—Geography, Science, Botany, Zoology, and History—we invite them to explore the universe at large, using their own curiosity and drive. 


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