Pakistan Montessori Council

Montessori Early childhood diploma (3-6 years)

Module 8 “Culture 1 (Geography & History)”

Name: Zahra Sultan

Roll number: DK 2266
Q1. Discuss the significance of Montessori cultural exercises.
Ans. SIGNIFICANCE OF MONTESSORI CULTURAL EXERCISES:
Montessori Cultural exercises give opportunities to the child to experience Life Sciences
(Botany and Zoology), Physical Sciences, History, Geography, Dance, and Music.

 The Montessori Cultural Studies Curriculum explores the whole world including continents,
countries, people, cultures, terrain, natural phenomena, science, and arts.

 The Montessori Cultural Studies are aimed at helping the children develop their personalities,
adapt to their culture, as well as become independent, useful members of their society.

 During the early years, a child is quick to grasp the culture and absorb most of the culture
around him from 0 to 6 years. A child’s natural ability to absorb the cultural understanding and
norms of life prevalent around him are universal although the child is born in America or a
primitive tribe of Africa.

 The sensitive period for culture, according to most psychologists, also sustains through 2 to 5
years of age. It is crucial to expose children to direct cultural experiences, including ways of
living, history, sciences, geography, and arts, during the absorbent period to maximize
development in this area.

 Cultural subjects are character-forming and cultivate the child’s spirit.

 Children develop cultural values naturally and undoubtedly, but still something lacks in today’s
complex world, most of which has been designed by the adults for the adults, which hinders the
child’s fullest cultural development.

 In Montessori classrooms the cultural activities are very intelligently incorporated into the
environment. Along with familiarizing children with the culture, these meaningful and interesting
activities fulfill the developmental needs of the children. Exercise of practical life that focus on
the grace and courtesy of individual help to build character and introduce him /her to norms of
living in his/her culture. All the fundamental cultural and religious values can be made a part of
EPL. The Sensorial Materials help the child to build the base for cultural work, so he/she can
become participating and contributing members of his/her society. Language is a bridge in
culture. Language exercises develop written and orals skills in a child that helps him/her in a
social and cultural context, both at home and school. Mathematical Exercises also help the child
to adopt his/her culture through the abilities to count, calculate, compare, relate, assess, etc.
Q2. Prepare the following material and send it to your tutor along with th assignment;

 Four-part nomenclature material for the layers of the earth.

 Two-part classified cards of the flags of Asia

Ans.
Q3. Name and briefly explain all the exercises that can be carried out using the Jigsaw
Puzzle Maps of the Continents?

Ans. The children are made to explore deeper into the world of geography by introducing
sensorial activities with jigsaw puzzle maps of the continents, starting with the child’s home
continent. So, there are seven continents
I. Asia
II. Africa
III. Europe
IV. South America
V. North America
VI. Australia
VII. Antarctica

1. INTRODUCING THE PUZZLE MAP OF THE CHILD’S HOME CONTINENT

Invite the group of children who are already familiar with the jigsaw puzzle of the world.
Introduce them with the jigsaw puzzle of the continent and say, “today we will work with a new
map…Asia. This is the map of the continent where we all live”. Bring the globe, a jigsaw puzzle
of the world and continent Asia. Let the child find Asia on the globe and then on the jigsaw
puzzle of the world. Compare continent Asia with the bigger puzzle map. Remove 4 to 5 insets
from the map e.g. Russia, India, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan, and ask the child to place
them back carefully. Continue removing more insets and let the child place them back. Make the
exercise more challenging by adding more insets. Then remove all the insets and place them
back to complete the map of continent Asia.
2. INTRODUCING THE NAMES OF THE COUNTRIES IN THE CHILD’S HOME CONTINENT
Bring the jigsaw puzzle map of Asia to the workplace with the help of a child. Select three
countries that are contrasting in shape and color including the child’s own country. Give a three-
period lesson and continue adding more countries while reviewing previously learned names.
When the child has learned the names of all countries, give names of the oceans through the
three-period lesson.
3. INTRODUCING THE PICTURE OF THE CONTINENT FOLDER
Ask the child to select his/her favorite country and place it on the map from the puzzle. Then ask
the child to choose the folder with the same color code as that of the country from the shelf.
Take the folder to the map and open it saying, “it has some pictures of the country”. Take out
one picture which may be a national flower, the national animal, the national sport, the national
dress or an animal, building, landscape, etc. discuss the pictures with the children and
encourage them to share what they see in the picture. Relate the pictures with the country by
placing them beside the first picture. Allow the children if they would like to look again and talk
further about it. When finished, show the children how to carefully place the pictures back into
the folder. Ask the child to place the puzzle piece back. Repeat the procedure for another
country on the same or another day.
4. RECOGNIZING PICTURES IN THE PICTURE FOLDER
Invite two children. Ask them to choose their favorite country from the puzzle and bring their
picture folders 2. Mix up the pictures. Explain to the children that look through the pictures and
decide to which country they belong. Ask to place the pictures beside the country on the mat.
Children can try with other countries or else wind up.
5. DRAWING THE COUNTRIES This is done to further the child’s familiarity with the shapes of
the continents and to introduce him to paper maps. Ask the child to select the country and place
it on the paper sheet. Show the child how to trace around the puzzle insets using a pencil to
make a map. Color the map with the same color as the inset. Ask the child to trace and color
other country puzzle pieces in the same way. Encourage the child to take the puzzle map
anytime to draw on paper.
6. LABELING THE COUNTRIES This is done to read and match the labels of the countries.
Ask the child to read the first label and place it beside the appropriate country on the map.
Continue in the same way till all the countries have been labeled. Encourage the child to trace
his map and label them.
Q4 Explain how land and water forms are introduced to the child.

Ans. Definitions of Land and Water Forms:

1. An ISLAND is a piece of land surrounded by water.
2. A LAKE is a body of water surrounded by land.
3. A BAY is an inlet of the sea surrounded mostly by land.
4. A CAPE is a piece of land jutting into the body of water beyond the rest of the coastline.
5. A PENINSULA is a piece of land jutting out into the water and is almost surrounded by water.
6. A GULF is an arm of the sea extending far into the land.
7. An ISTHMUS is a narrow strip of land which joins larger portions of land.
8. A STRAIT is a narrow waterway connecting two larger portions of land.
9. An ARCHIPELAGO is a group of islands.
10. A SYSTEM OF LAKES is a formation of several lakes grouped.

EXERCISE 1 Land and Water Form Trays

Material:

 Following ten models of land and water forms prepared in trays, with each land and water form
having its exact opposite.
- Island and lake
- Cape and bay
- Peninsula and gulf
- Strait and isthmus
 - Archipelago and system of lakes

 Pictures of real examples of land and water forms

 A small tray

 A jug

 A small bucket with water

 A sponge or towel to dry out the trays and clean up spills.

 Box of objects, tray, and towel

Presentation
1. This exercise helps provide concrete sensorial impressions and names of major land and
water forms.
2. the directress invites a small group of children to work with them and introduces them to the
place where the land and water form trays are kept.
3. She first selects the island and its opposite, i.e. the lake, and shifts the material to the
workplace with the help of the children (along with the other material required for the
presentation).
4. She tells them that she is going to pour the water into the trays carefully to make
geographical land and water forms and tell them its name.
5. She should also give a brief definition of the land and water form, for example, “A lake is a
body of water which is surrounded by land.” alongside showing them pictures of real lakes.
6. Next, she puts this tray aside and asks one of the children to pour water into the other tray,
giving the name of the form, its brief definition, and showing real picture examples as before.
7. She then puts the trays side by side and completes the Three Period Lesson.
8. To finish up, the water is poured back into the bucket and with the help of the children, the
trays are wiped.
9. In the same way, children may be familiarized with the names and definitions of other
geographical forms.

Exercise 2 Land and Water Form Cards

Material

 A set of ten cards representing major geographical land and water forms

 Land and water form trays

Presentation
1. The teacher begins by inviting a small group of children who have worked with land and water
form trays.
2. She asks them to bring land and water form trays.
3. She introduces them to the place where the land and water form cards are kept and asks a
child to shift the material.
4. The children are asked to tell the names and give a brief definition of each model to review
and reinforce previous learning.
5. The cards are taken out from the box and piled up before a card is selected and placed in
front of the children.
6. They are asked to place the card beside the appropriate land and water form tray, and this
exercise is continued until all the remaining cards have been matched against the
corresponding trays.
7. Finally, the trays are removed and the Three Period Lesson is completed with the cards,
taking three at a time.

Exercise 3 Finding land and water forms on the outlined world map
Material

 Outline maps large enough for the child to see major water and landforms.

 Two colored pencils, brown for land and blue for water.
Presentation
1. The teacher begins by inviting a small group of children who have worked with land and water
form trays.
2. Introduce them with the maps and ask the child to shift the material.
3. Tell the children that I will use this map to highlight the land and water forms.
4. Decide along with the children which form you are going to look e.g., islands.
5. Ask the child to define it briefly and show them how to color it on the map.
6. Let a child locate the first example.
7. Help the children to locate more examples of islands and color them in the same way.
8. Once finished, label the map according to the geographical form highlighted.
9. If children are interested, take the new map for locating new forms.
10. Encourage the children to take out the maps anytime and work with them in the same way.

Exercise 4 Classified cards of land and water form

Material

 Two sets of classified cards of land and water forms.

Presentation
1. Invite the child to bring the classified cards of land and water forms to the workplace.
2. Take the cards without labels and select two to three cards.
3. Place the cards in front of the child and give their name one by one.
4. Complete three-period lesson.
5. Repeat for all the cards.
6. Introduce the matching labels when the child is reading in the same manner.

Q5. How are children trained to tell the time in a Montessori house?

Ans. EXERCISE THE CLOCK MATERIAL

 A model clock with movable arms and changeable numerals in a box.

 A series of cards set of corresponding labels and a stand.

PRESENTATION 1

 Invite a small group of children who are already familiar with numerals and can count.

 Shift the material to the workplace with the help of children.

 Point to the empty slot for numbers on the clock face and show how to put the numbers in
order one by one starting with1.

 Tell the children that these numbers on the clock face represent hours.

 Let the children take over at any time.

PRESENTATION 2

 Ask the child to arrange numbers on the clock face.

 Now demonstrate how the clock arms move around.

 Pointing the short arms say “this is the short arm. It shows what hours it is.”

 Move the short arm onto number 1 and say, “one o’clock”. Continue in the same way till you
reach 12.

 Then ask the child to make different times e.g. “can you please make 6 o’clock?

 Complete the three-period lesson with the child.

PRESENTATION 3

 Ask the child to arrange the number on the clock face.

 Now pointing to the long arm say, “this is the long arm. It represents the minutes. There are
60 minutes in an hour”.
 Pointing 12 and 1, explain that between 12 and 1 there is a period of five minutes.”
 Then begin to skip count by five with the child from 5 to 60 along moving the long arm
around the clock.
 When the long arm takes one whole round, move the short arm one hour ahead.
 Repeat a few times in the same way.
 Make different times on the clock and complete the three-lesson period.

PRESENTATION 4

 Introduce the clock cards showing clock faces for all of the hours.
 Show one card to the child and ask him to tell you the time.
 Then introduce the labels and have the child match the appropriate label to each card.
 Check his/her work when finished.
EXTENSION
 Ask the child to draw different faces and label them.
 If the child has learned the concept of fraction, introduce half past, quarter past, quarter to,
etc.