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CULTURAL STUDIES
Dr. Montessori believed that the key to a peaceful world is held within the peaceful child. Igniting the spirit of global citizenship in children will develop peace and harmony, making the world a better place to live in. In Montessori environment, children exploring cultural activities including maps, music, food, and artifacts of different countries and cultures build awareness of the world around them.
The diversity of our children, in conjunction with the cultural materials help them develop a respect for all people. Cultural studies cultivate the child’s fascination with the universe and help them develop a lifelong interest in observing nature and discovering more about the world in which we live. The curriculum of cultural studies includes an introduction to different subjects like botany, zoology, history, geography etc. The study of cultural subjects bring an appreciation of nature and the environment among the children and provide knowledge that all living and non-living beings in the universe are interdependent and interrelated to each other. History: The concept of what happened in the past; history is first introduced to the children by explaining their own timeline. Books related to history when read to the children give a better and clear understanding of the events that occurred in the past. Different topics introduced in history are then well understood by the children. Geography: The Montessori geography materials are concrete providing sensorial impressions of the world. Manipulating these sensorial geography materials give children a clear understanding of the world in which we live. The young children are first introduced to globes where they can have a visual and tactile experience of the rth. Other sensorial materials and puzzle maps are used by the children to explore the continents of our world, the countries of each continent, and the states of our own country. Geographical materials give understanding of land and water formations on the earth. Children also create key land and water forms such as lakes, islands, peninsulas etc. Geography vocabulary is given both orally and with prepared nomenclature cards that are used by the children as an integrated part of their language work. The children are introduced to the diversity of international cultures by means of stories, songs, celebrations, pictures, and artifacts. Botany: Children learn the scientific nomenclature of the parts of a flower, tree, leaf as well as the different kinds and shapes of leaves. The study of germination gives them the understanding of plant’s needs for their growth and survival. Planting in the garden and watering the plants give children firsthand experience of nurturing them and understanding their growth. |
