There are five Cosmic Stories. They are given in dramatic, impressionistic story form, personification of the elements to portray a sense of mystery, to have a psychic function which arouses awe, admiration and interest. They can be given to the whole class, depending on the particular group, it is a good idea to inform the …
Cosmic Education
What is ‘Cosmic Education’? Montessori’s particular view of the child’s needs and tendencies inform ‘Cosmic Education’, as she had a particular view of life, nature, human nature and the cosmos. She planned education as an ‘aid to development’, enabling children to adapt to their physical and social environment. Adaption is explained in AMI Communications 1978 …
The Coming of Life – Second Cosmic Story
Setting the Scene; Do you remember that we said that a very, very long time ago there was absolutely nothing at all, just immense chaos and darkness, and then, into this measureless void of cold and darkness a vast, fiery cloud which included all the stars came into being. The whole universe was in …
What is Montessori Education?
The classroom Montessori’s outlook was inspired by a deep respect for all aspects of life and creation, she had a holistic philosophy and was interested in the unity of the personality and the universe. She saw Education as fundamental in the formation of humans during all four planes, as a means for the personality to …
Sciences
The World of Plants (Botany) and The World of Animals (Biology and Chemistry) A plant is a living organism manufacturing its own food (autotrophic) while animals require carbon to be fixed by plants which they digest (heterotrophs). Traditionally plants are divided into ground cover or non flowering plants and seed producing and flowering plants. The …
The Imagination
In the first plane the child’s mind absorbs directly from the environment, between 0-3 the child takes in information unconsciously. Between 3 -6 years she begins to direct her conscious observation, deliberatly gathering information from her immediate environment through sensorial impressions and by interacting physically with it. Doing so she explores her physical environment and …
Moral Development
In the ‘Advanced Montessori Method Vol. I’ p.258 (Clio), Montessori states, the essence of moral education is given in the loving environment, no-one can teach it, to perceive the difference and know it are not the same thing. She says that while preparation in the first plane key is vital, in the second plane the …
Introduction to Arithmetics
Montessori believed that Humans have Mathematical Minds (from Pascal) and that Human Minds engage in Mathematical Activities almost as an instinctual drive, as a characteristic of our species which gives us a predisposition towards mathematical thought knowledge and progress comes from accurate observation…the warp into which all of the riches of perception and imagination is …
Introduction to History
History is the account of the gradual dawning of human consciousness, it is mainly unknown to us, taking place in pre-history. On a cosmic level it is the history of all the living and non-living aspects of our world, and at a personal level we have the ability to reflect on our experiences, our understandings …
Introduction to Geography
For Montessori the focus in Geography is on the interconnectedness of human beings and life. In the second plane Geography is approached by presenting the whole universe, and in doing so inflaming the imagination and answering the questions of the reasoning mind. Wonder and curiosity are encouraged in response to creation, the forces of creation …