Biology focuses on the plants and animals which form part of the environment in which the over six child lives and continues to develop through experiences they have in it, when they interact with plants and animals. Montessori, in Childhood to Adolescence, says “The World is acquired psychologically by means of the imagination, reality is …
The Needs of the Plants
The child explores basic Botanical facts, through the following experiments. The Needs of Plants opens up this Botany work with three experiments The Needs of Seeds/Plants (small group presentation to a group of four children) Material Description: Four shallow dishes, cotton wool, some quick sprouting seeds (cress/mustard), watering can with a rose …
The Root
Experiment 1A – roots seek water Material Description: Large rectangular transparent dish, silver/river/washed sand, seeds (peas soaked for 24 hours) 2 markers, one labeled seeds, the other water, a pebble, watering can Method: Fill the dish 1/2 to 3/4 full of sand Plant eight seeds in a furrow at one end of the …
The Stem
Introduction with a story relating to function of parts Material Description: Results of experiment 3 and tree circles Method: ‘If all the plants remained on the ground there would be so many leaves on the floor, the leaves would all be trying to get light and many might die. Remember the ‘great struggle’? …
The Flower
Story of the function of the flower Material Description: No material is shown here Method: Give an impressionistic story. Say, ‘When the flowers are out on the plant it is a very special time, it is a time of festivity, like people at a Christmas Market, calling out to those passing by, ‘Come, …
The Fruit
Dissecting the Fruit Material Description: Large variety of fruits with seeds and where possible remainder of the parts, stems, calyxes and stigma; some succulent ones, grapes, tomato, pineapple, grapefruit, cucumber and plums and some dried fruits, walnuts, almonds, chestnuts, fruit of trees like the ash. Chopping board and a fruit knife. Method: Oral Introduction …
The Seed
Material Description: Examples of monocotyledons and dicotyledonous seeds (corn, kidney beans), and spouted examples and dishes, chopping board, tissue paper, needle for pointing. Method: Oral Introduction Say, ‘Remember when we cut open the fruit, what did we find inside (seeds) the seed is going to be the new plant, so the mother plant …