MONTESSORI ELEMENTARY
“Our experience with children in elementary schools has shown us that the age between six and twelve years is a period of life during which the elements of all sciences should be given. It is a period that, psychologically, is especially sensitive and might be called the “sensitive period of culture” during which the abstract plane of the human mind is organized." -Dr. Montessori
The Montessori Elementary Program's main focus is to develop the foundation that leads to a love of learning that will last a lifetime by allowing children to explore the universe and all the tiny details of life. We instill within them the importance of every generation that came before us and an appreciation for the accomplishments that made our world what it is today. We foster independence and set high academic expectations while allowing the freedom to grow at each child's pace. The Montessori Elementary Curriculum is based on Maria Montessori's "Five Great Lessons" which introduce the growing mind to all of the areas of science along with the histories of how civilization developed.
The areas of study covered by the "Five Great lessons" are outlined below:
GREAT LESSON 1: THE COMING OF THE UNIVERSE
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Astronomy: solar system, stars, galaxies, comets, constellations
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Meteorology: wind, currents, weather, fronts, erosion, water cycle, clouds, glaciers
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Chemistry: states of matter, changes, mixtures, reactions, elements, atoms, periodic table, compounds, molecules, chemical formulas, equations, lab work, experimentation
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Physics: magnetism, electricity, gravity, energy, light, sound, heat, friction, motion, experimentation
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Geology: types of rocks, minerals, land forms, volcanoes, earthquakes, plate tectonics, ice ages, eras of the earth
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Geography: maps, globes, latitude/longitude, climates, land/water form names, continent and country research
GREAT LESSON 2: THE COMING OF LIFE
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Biology: cells, organized groups, five kingdoms, specimens, dissection, observation, use of microscope
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Botany: study of plants, classification, functions, parts of plants (seed, fruit, leaf, stem, root, flower), types of plants
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Habitats: location, characteristics, food chains/webs, symbiosis, adaptation, ecosystems, conservation
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Ancient Life: eras of the earth, evolution, extinction, fossil records, excavation
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Animals: classification, needs, similarities/differences, human systems, nutrition, hygiene
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Monera, Protista, and Fungi Kingdoms: what they are, classification, observation
GREAT LESSON 3: THE COMING OF HUMANS
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History: timelines, prehistory, ancient civilizations, world history, history of specific countries and continents
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Culture: art, artists, music, composers, dance, drama, architecture, design, philosophy, religion, grace and courtesy
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Social Studies: current events, government, economics, commerce, volunteering & charity
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Discovery & Invention: scientists, inventors, scientific method, inventions, simple machines
GREAT LESSON 4: THE COMING OF WRITING
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Reading: literature, poetry, non-fiction, myths and folk tales, authors, reading comprehension, reading analysis, literary terms
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Writing: elements of style, function, voice, composition, letter writing, research, study skills
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Language: origins of spoken language, foreign languages, history of languages, speech, drama
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Structure: alphabets, bookmaking, grammar, punctuation, sentence analysis, word study, figures of speech
GREAT LESSON 5: THE COMING OF MATHEMATICS
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Mathematics: operations, fractions, decimals, multiples, squares, cubes, percentages, ratio, probability, intro to algebra
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Numbers: origins of numbers and systems, bases, types of numbers, scientific notation, mathematicians
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Geometry: congruency, similarity, nomenclature of lines, angles, shapes, solids, measurement, theorems
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Application: story problems, measurement, estimation, graphs, patterning, rounding, money concepts