Elementary History: A Scope and Sequence

Think back to your grade school days: what do you remember learning about history? Whatever you did learn was probably focused on your country’s history, didn’t take up very much of your total learning time, and may have even contained some “facts” that you began to question as you got older. For the majority of us, in-depth history instruction didn’t take place until perhaps high school, and even then, it wasn’t all that comprehensive.

As with all subjects, Montessori schools begin with the big picture and gradually focus in on the details. That’s why when we teach history, we start at the very beginning. We give students an understanding of the start of the universe. Over the course of the year/years, we give progressively more detailed lessons that zoom in eventually to the various cultures that have existed on Earth throughout history. We find this approach helps give kids a frame of reference in which everything makes just a bit more sense - and is a whole lot more interesting.

It all starts in the first grade. History is one of the few areas of learning in the Montessori classroom in which students receive group lessons — sometimes even the whole class at a time. This is because all of the children within a three-year age span are developmentally prepared to engage with the information being presented, and when they participate in these big, impressionistic lessons each year they’re in a class, they gain something new each time. 

What do we teach and where do we start? We present an overview of what the Montessori history curriculum looks like in grades 1-6:

The Creation of the Universe

Early in the school year — sometimes even the very first week — lower elementary Montessori guides present a fantastic lesson about the beginnings of our universe. It’s all very dramatic and presented in a darkened room and delivered in a story-telling format, although there are a number of ‘science experiments’ sprinkled throughout. From the Big Bang/Great Flaring Forth, to the formation of the first particles, the first elements, states of matter, density, and the sheer vastness of space, there is a LOT of information included. The whole thing ends with the unveiling of a model volcano into which vinegar is poured to cause an ‘eruption’, much to the delight of 6-9 year old children. This lesson ends with an explanation of Earth’s early geological history, and children walk away excited and in awe.

The Concept of Time

At some point during the year, and likely toward the beginning, children learn a bit more about the mechanics of how humans observe the passing of time. They look at how the year is divided with the help of their fraction materials, they explore years by making their own timelines, and they learn to tell time on the clock. This section of study concludes by intersecting with grammar and learning the three fundamental tenses: past, present, and future.

The Long Black Strip

This lesson is literally so big it has to be done outdoors or in a *very* long hallway. While children stand to the sides, the guide carries out a large, rolled up strip of black felt. The outer end is weighted down, and as she unrolls it they tell the story of Earth’s history. From the formation of our planet itself, to the earliest one-celled organisms, through the evolution of all living things, and so on. The strip is 30 meters long, and each centimeter is meant to represent a million years. By the time the very end is revealed, the children can see a tiny slice of white. This represents the amount of time humans have inhabited the earth. You can imagine what children are feeling when they walk away from such a powerful visual.

The Clock of Eras

As you can tell by now, we like to give children impressionistic lessons, and visual aids that help them develop a frame of reference. The Clock of Eras imagines Earth’s history as if it were encompassed within a twelve hour clock. This circular, laminated cardboard material breaks down the major eras and allows children to see a visual percentage of the total history each section takes up. They are able to see the large chunk of time during which there was no, or nearly no life at all. This is followed by another imposingly long stretch of time during which Earth was host to just one-celled organisms. As life became more complex, the slices of the pie become smaller and smaller, until a minuscule strip of red again shows all of humanity.

The Time Line of Life

The time line of life is exactly what it sounds like: a large and gorgeously illustrated wall hanging that shows how life has evolved from the beginning of the Paleozoic Era. Children are fascinated to learn about the seemingly strange earlier life forms, and how over time they changed and paved the way for others. It’s also neat to see how there are several organisms that have withstood the test of time and developed ways to adapt regardless of an ever-changing planet.

Fundamental Needs of Humans

What do people need to survive? Children learn about our basic needs, consider how they meet those needs today, and explore how various cultures met those needs throughout history.

The Study of Early Humans

We believe it is critical to teach children about where their ancestors came from. Having an understanding of human history allows us all to respect the enormous progress that has been made in countless ways since the existence of the first humans. We teach students how the earliest humans survived and met their needs, and how their eventual movement around the planet changed the course of history.

Stages in the Progress of Civilization

This area of study is of particular interest to upper elementary-aged children, and their newly-acquired research skills allow them to spend extensive amounts of time reading and discovering for themselves about how civilizations have functioned throughout history. Students dive deep into learning about ancient and more recent cultures and societies across the globe, discovering the many similarities and differences they have both to one another and to humans today. 

Once children complete the elementary program, they have a solid understanding of basic history. This allows them to more deeply understand and appreciate whatever history courses they take in the future.

Who Was Mario Montessori?

This article is part of a series that we will share throughout the 2020-2021 school year to celebrate the 150th birthday of Dr. Maria Montessori. Check back often for more posts that reflect on the past, present, and future of Montessori education.

Obviously you’ve heard of Dr. Maria Montessori, but did you know that her work was a family affair? Her son Mario Sr., and his son, Mario Jr. (as well as numerous other relatives) have worked hard to carry on the Montessori education tradition.

In 1898, Maria Montessori gave birth to her only child, Mario Montesano Montessori. She had been involved in a romantic relationship with the boy’s father, Giuseppe Montesano, a fellow medical doctor. The couple never married, and due to familial and societal pressures of the time, young Mario was sent to live with another family. His mother visited him often, although she didn’t reveal she was his mother until later in his childhood. As an adolescent, he realized the truth and went to live with her, although the general public recognized him as an adopted son or other relative for years.

After traveling with his mother while she worked around the world, he eventually stayed in the United States and, at age 18, got married. He opened a well-known Montessori school in California, and with his wife Helen and his children, eventually moved to Spain to live with his mother. Although he and Helen eventually divorced, they had four children together: Marilena, Mario, Rolando, and Renilde.

Mario and his mother worked together closely for the rest of her life. Their relationship was fascinating, and his daughter Marilena wrote about him with great affection and respect (link below). He worked hard to support Dr. Montessori as she explored and furthered her methods, and at many times he contributed to them as well. He worked alongside her to train teachers, handle logistical matters, and nurture her ideas.

Mario is well-known for having contributed many ideas and creative elements to the elementary and cosmic education portions of the Montessori approach. He became the director of AMI (Association Montessori International), the organization he and his mother formed in an effort to preserve the integrity of Montessori education. Upon Maria’s death, she appointed her son as the heir to her work, a role which he embraced fully and worked on with dedication for the rest of his life.

While he was never formally trained as a teacher, it was recognized that Mario Sr. was a born, intuitive educator. He spent his life dedicated to supporting children and refining the education methods that are still in use by thousands around the world, even today.

Mario Sr. married a second wife, Ada Pierson, who was also a devotee of Montessori education. The couple supported his mother and her work both during her life and after her death, with Pierson continuing after Mario Sr. died in 1982.

Mario Jr. was not an educator, but he made major contributions to his father and grandmother’s work nonetheless. He originally studied agriculture, but went on to specialize in psychology. This is the field he dedicated much of his life work to, but he always remained a staunch supporter and defender of high-quality Montessori education.

Mario Jr. spoke out against the injustices of a law in the Netherlands that prevented three-year-olds from attending school, therefore preventing them from benefiting from the first year of a Montessori primary education. He also created an organization for Montessori quality control in the Netherlands after observing misuse of the methods in his son’s classroom. He felt strongly that the methods must be used as originally intended in order for children to benefit from them.

Mario Jr. and his wife had five children, some of whom are also involved in the family’s educational work.

To learn more about Mario Sr., Mario Jr., and the rest of the Montessori family, check out the following links:

Highlights Mario Montessori

Mario Montessori | Montessori Australia

The Montessori Family

Montessori Basics: The Cultural Subjects

Montessori is known for fostering academic excellence. While most people think of how we teach children reading, writing, and mathematics, you might be amazed to learn how we teach other subjects!

In Montessori classrooms (particularly elementary classrooms) the following subjects are referred to as cultural areas of study. They often overlap, as they do in the real world, and guides are adept at weaving language and math work into lessons as well.

It is important to note that while we do have a standardized cultural curriculum, our guides are specially trained to honor and support the personal interests of their students. This means some areas may be studied more deeply than originally intended, or they may end up branching off into other related areas of study in addition to typical lessons and materials. Doing this allows us to continually foster curiosity and internal motivation as young children grow and develop.

Science

When it comes to science in Montessori classrooms, biology is the main event. With work that spans basic biology as well as botany and zoology, we provide authentic points of interest by keeping living things in our environments. Our classrooms are home to both plants and animals, both of which are cared for by the children. When teaching various lessons in biology, guides often utilize living samples to increase interest and engagement.

Children in our primary classrooms begin this work by way of nomenclature. Card materials that double as reading practice help them learn the names of body parts of different animals. For example, one set of cards might include a picture of a horse with label, along with cards highlighting and labeling hoof, mane, tail, eye, ears, etc. Primary-aged children also get plenty of hands-on experience with botany learning; they cut and arrange flowers, they prepare various fruits and vegetables to eat, and many get a chance to garden and/or compost. They also learn the basic parts of plants, as well as the different shapes of leaves.

The learning continues into the elementary years, where students study the kingdoms of life on earth, differentiate between invertebrates and vertebrates, and study the external features and body functions of the five classes of vertebrates. Their understanding of botany expands and deepens, as they learn in greater detail how plants are formed, how they reproduce, and how they interact within their broader ecosystems.

In addition to their work in biology, Montessori students study a wide variety of other subjects in science. They learn about the scientific method, how to conduct experiments, and topics such as the solar system, chemistry, physics, and more. They attend lessons with guides, explore topics independently and with peers, and learn how to conduct research.

Geography

Montessori children learn to view geography as an interesting and multi-faceted area of study. Primary-aged children learn about the continents and biomes of the world using specialized globes, wooden puzzle maps, and other materials. During the elementary years this work is expanded significantly. Children learn about the different countries around the world, the cultures of the people who live there, and the animals who inhabit the various biomes. They also learn about landforms and bodies of water.

Beyond the surface of our earth today, our students learn about how it has changed over time. They are taught about the beginnings of our universe and how our planet was formed. They learn about the layers of our atmosphere and the layers of the earth itself. They explore the mechanics and functions of various natural occurrences around the planet, including how water (in all three states of matter) and wind can contribute to significant change over time.

Our hope is to give children a view of the whole world, and our work in geography serves as an impressionistic platform to inform them of the interconnectedness of everything on our planet.

History

While the bulk of the history curriculum begins in the elementary years, primary children often have an opportunity to reflect on their own lives during our traditional birthday celebrations, as well as gaining an initial sense of the passing of time. They learn about the days of the week, the months of the year, and start to use a calendar together as a group.

Beginning in the first grade, we know that children are developmentally ready (and eager) to explore the concepts of history. As mentioned in our summary of the geography curriculum, we give our students a look at the history of our universe. This leads to a study of the evolution of organisms on Earth, as well as a look at early humans.

Our study of the history of humans branches off into many directions. After learning about the earliest humans, children learn about ancient cultures, the fundamental needs of humans, and how people in different societies have (and continue to) meet those needs. We explore the origins and history of mathematics and language, which children at the elementary level find particularly relevant and interesting.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, these three subjects tend to overlap and connect quite a bit. Sometimes we guide children to discover these connections, and other times they recognize connections on their own.

Want to learn more? We believe the best way to discover Montessori education (or just to expand your understanding) is to visit our school. We welcome you to schedule a virtual tour. Today, we leave you with a quote from Dr. Montessori’s book, To Educate the Human Potential:

"…to give the whole of modern culture has become an impossibility and so a need arises for a special method, whereby all factors of culture may be introduced to the six-year-old; not in a syllabus to be imposed on him, or with exactitude of detail, but in the broadcasting of the maximum number of seeds of interest.  These will be held lightly in the mind, but will be capable of later germination, as the will becomes more directive, and thus he may become an individual suited to these expansive times."

Montessori Basics: A Brief History

Have you ever wondered how Montessori got its start?  You likely know the educational model is named after its founder, but the beginnings of this approach are fascinating.  Read on for a brief history of Montessori education.

Maria Montessori was born on August 31, 1870.  She lived with her family in Chiaravalle, Italy, though they eventually moved to Rome.  An excellent student, she decided upon graduation to apply to the University of Rome to study medicine.  Just as in her younger years, Montessori was an outstanding student in medical school, even though she faced plenty of discrimination as a woman.  Her chosen career was nearly unheard of for women at the time, yet she continued undeterred.

Dr. Maria Montessori is often credited with being the first female physician in Italy.  There were actually other women that came before her (for example, Maria Dalle Donne was the first woman to receive a doctorate in medicine), but her achievement in this area was astounding nonetheless.  After graduating she began her work in pediatric psychiatry, which is where the first seeds of Montessori education were sown.

The children in her charge were cognitively impaired; no one expected them to engage in any sort of meaningful education.  During this time she became an advocate for children with disabilities, and began to develop many of the materials that would later become what we now know as Montessori materials.

In 1907 Dr. Montessori opened a child care center in a poor neighborhood in Rome.  She called it Casa Dei Bambini (Children’s House) and the first Montessori school was established.  The intention was for her to create a place to educate the children of poor, working parents.  She began to apply what she had learned previously in her pediatric psychiatry setting, as well as using the materials she had developed there.  

A highlight of Dr. Montessori’s work was her use of scientific observation.  A scientist first and educator later, she looked at child development through a different lens than had many others.  She noticed several surprising things:

• The children were able to focus deeply on independent work that interested them.

• The children were interested in practical life activities, such as preparing food and caring for their classroom environment.

• The children learned (seemingly absorbing information) according to what was available in the environment.

• The children responded positively to learning materials they could complete by themselves.

Casa dei Bambini was regarded as a huge success, and people began to take notice of Dr. Montessori’s ideas.  The approach began to spread, with several other schools opening in Italy, as well as a training center led by Dr. Montessori herself.  After publishing several papers, the international community began to take notice early in the twentieth century.

Schools began to open around the world, including in the United States.  Over time, her original focus on early childhood shifted to elementary and adolescence, leading her to develop her famous Planes of Development.

Montessori’s popularity in the United States waned after a period, but found a resurgence in the 1950s.  Today there are two main organizations that support Montessori education in the United States; AMI (Association Montessori International) was created by Dr. Montessori and her son Mario in order to standardize and preserve her methods, and AMS (American Montessori Society) which was created by Nancy McCormick Rambusch who is often credited with sparking the revival of Montessori in the US.  Both organizations are similar in many ways, with AMI adhering more closely to Dr. Montessori’s original ideas and AMS feeling that some changes are needed to fit with the nation’s culture.

Montessori education has become increasingly popular over the decades, with variations of its materials and implementation of its ideals found in even more conventional classrooms.

Still have questions?  Send them our way - we love to teach others about the history of this powerful method of teaching!

A Peek at the Montessori History Curriculum

Montessori elementary classrooms certainly do lots of work with math and language, but they also rely heavily on what is often referred to as cultural studies.  These cultural studies include geography, science, and history, and today’s post will focus on the latter.

Think back to when you first learned anything about history.  Perhaps your earlier lessons were based on holidays we celebrate, or on the political history of the nation.  Later (in high school), you may have been introduced to more about the history of the world and expanded upon earlier learning.

The Montessori study of history is much like all its other subjects: we start with the largest, overarching concepts, then gradually zoom into the smaller details.  With that said, we officially begin teaching history in the first grade, and it all starts with the birth of our universe.

It starts with a bang

Imagine this: one sunny afternoon, very early in the school year, the children come in from recess.  The classroom is dark and soft music is playing.  Second and third year students immediately know there is an exciting surprise in store, and they do everything they can to contain themselves so as not to spoil the magic for the younger children.

The guide is at one end of the large rug, and in front of her lay a series of curious items.  The children sit facing her, with the youngest ones in the front so that they may have the best view.  The guide waits for the children to settle into silence, then begins her story.

She tells of a time when our darkest night would have seemed blindingly bright, and our coldest winter would have been warm in comparison.  She continues into tales of particles forming, connecting, and repelling away from one another.  She incorporates information about states of matter and weights of liquids, giving demonstrations as she speaks.  They talk about the vast quantity of stars in the universe, the incredible distances, and eventually, the formation of earth.  The children hear how the particles on earth heated up and cooled, how the water filled in the crevices, how storms raged and volcanoes exploded (they see a model revealed from beneath a black cloth!), and how eventually all was calm and our planet was ready to support life.

In addition to the scientific view of earth’s beginnings, the children may hear creation stories from cultures around the world in the weeks following.  The stories may be read to them, or they may read them or perhaps even act them out.  They will have a sense that there is always more than one version of history.

Impressionistic lessons

Following the creation story, there are several materials that give the students a deeper understanding of time.  

The Long Black Strip is just that: a strip of fabric that is nearly 100 feet long.  (Dr. Montessori’s original was much longer and had to be unrolled by teachers holding it on a dowel and riding bicycles!).  As the guide unrolls the strip she talks about the beginning of the earth, how the planet changed over time, the coming of the first single-celled organisms, early plants, the evolution of fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals.  By the time she gets to the end of the fabric the children will notice a tiny strip of fabric at the end, just a fraction of an inch wide.  She tells them that this tiny strip represents the time humans have spent on earth.  This can be an amazing lesson, even for adults, when they see it for the first time. What a concept to grasp! 

The Clock of Eras gives the children their first look at how life began to evolve over the course of time.  Earth’s geologic time periods are represented as if all of our planet’s history were on a 12-hour clock.  The circle chart shows representations of the various eras via colored pie slices.  Check out this fun stop motion video made by some Montessori students:

Time through an evolutionary lens

The Montessori guide may introduce various timelines in the classroom to spark curiosity among the children.  Through a series of discussions, research, reading, and other activities, children learn about the evolution of life on earth.  This history work connects directly to a large portion of the lower elementary science curriculum, which is based in botany and zoology.  

These lessons, oftentimes stemming from a material called the Timeline of Life, give children a deep understanding of the connection between our physical world, the living things on it, and how species have changed throughout history.  

Human history

As you may have noticed, human history is not the focus in the Montessori curriculum.  It is important however, and an emphasis is placed on how humans have changed over time and to the various contributions different groups of people have made.

Much like the Timeline of Life, many Montessori classrooms use a timeline of early humans.  There are also several other areas of human historical study that are covered, oftentimes connecting children to other areas of study in the classroom:

• The history of writing

• The history of mathematics

• How different civilizations have met the fundamental needs of humans

As a final note, you may be wondering why Montessori schools begin teaching such deep concepts at such a young age.  Our reasoning lies in the readiness of the children and a deep respect for the elementary child’s capacity to grasp larger concepts.  Our methods rely less on what has been traditionally taught to children in schools (as well as the traditional timing), and more on what is developmentally appropriate and engaging to children.  We know that elementary aged children, even those as young as 6, are incredibly eager to learn about the world and their place in it.  By giving them a larger historical framework in which they can place the immense amount of historical, geographic, and scientific information they acquire, we are providing them with a better understanding of themselves and the world (and universe!) around them.  

Curious about our methods?  Want to learn more?  Please contact us with questions or to schedule a visit today.