A Tooth Graph

Here's an idea for the whole classroom to participate in: A Tooth Graph

Write the number of teeth lost on the left and the names of the months along the bottom. 

(Displayed at Whole Earth Montessori School - Open House, Bothell, WA)

Science & Nature Songs!

Wendy Duvall, UMA student from Oxford, OH, sends us this amazing and fun link!

"While I was hunting around for physics songs (for a UMA Science Theme Project) I stumbled upon this great series of LPs from the 50's. They have such great songs that match up fantastically with much of the Montessori material. I thought I'd pass it along..." 

(Click here for YouTube video) 

Thanks Wendy! Check out more Nature Songs, sung by Marais & Miranda, on this YouTube site. This is just one part of a 6 LP set called Singing Science. This set came out in the late 50's/early 60's and exposed children to different science topics through fun and catchy little songs. 

Enjoy!!

(Photo courtesy of Daphnea Solomon, UMA graduate and owner/director of Tupelo Children's House - Montessori School)

Math - Fractions Booklet

Here's another idea taken from the 2011 PNMA Montessori Spring Sharing Fair in the Seattle area. It's self explanatory, so follow along with the photos. Enjoy! 

Use the laminated booklet (above) as a "control" and allow the child can construct his/her own individual "Fractions Booklet." We recommend using all one color (below), keeping "isolation of stimulus" in mind.

Grain Matching - Food Unit

Contributed by Connie Jones Ostrowski from the 2011 Seattle PNMA Sharing Fair.

Curriculum Area: SENSORIAL

Age Group: 3-5

Prerequisites: Rough and Smooth Touch Tablets

Direct Aim: Classification skills, sorting/matching different textures of grains

Presentation:

1. "Today I would like to show you some different types of grains. Let's see if we can match them up."
2. Take out each container of grain and take a close look and briefly describe the texture, color, and say the name of the grain.
3. Show the grain 'wheel' and say, "Now I will find the match."
4. Match them, placing the containers of grains to the corresponding spot on the grain wheel.

Variations/Extensions: After doing basic match ups for a week or so, you could add a 'texture art project' using the same grains and with glue on cardboard.

Materials: Use a basket or tray, create a 'grain wheel,' dividing the circle into 10' pie slices and cover with different types of grains. The more varied, the better.

Source of Materials or Supplies: Go to the bulk section of your grocery store (PCC or Whole Foods) to acquire varied grains. This was used for a Food Unit to demonstrate the different kinds of grains used as staple foods around the world.

Ideas for Grains: black quinoa, oats, emmer, buckwheat groats, corn, wild rice, millet, brown rice...and things made from grains (cereal, wheat flour rainbow pasta)

Science-Botany Experiment

UMA's Jennifer Bailey (Silverdale, WA) shares an idea for the Science area of the classroom: 

"We are doing a spring botany unit and are discussing the needs of plants. We have an experiment going to see what happens when plants don't get what they need...

1. The first plant is the control getting both sun and water (L=sun, R=raindrop)
2. The next gets sun but no water (L=sun, R=slash-marked raindrop)

There are two plants under the boxes:

3. One gets water (L=slash-marked sun, R=raindrop)
4. The other does not (L=slash-marked sun, R=slash-marked raindrop)

We check them every couple of days and we're talking about the results that we are seeing." 

Great idea...thanks, Jennifer!

Take a Good Look - Science

Just a couple of interesting activities to put on your Science Table... (Photos taken at the 2011 Seattle PNMA Montessori Spring Sharing Fair.)

Looking at nature through a magnifying glass!

Classifying "living" and "non-living"

Just for Fun!

This surely must be the child of a Montessori parent...a happy, early reader. :)

Click on photo: 

Watch all the way through...it will make you smile.

Melted Crayon Art

Don't throw out all those used crayons. Recycle! Here's a simple idea you might want to incorporate into this year's Mother's Day craft. (Click on heart...it will direct you to the "Tired, Need Sleep" website - a wonderful resource for the Montessori classroom.)

Coconut Puffs!

UMA attended the PNMA Sharing Fair on April 30th at the beautiful Cedar River Montessori School in Renton, WA. There were many fun and creative ideas shared by Montessorians from around the greater Seattle area. Here is one entitled "Cocounut Puffs" by Fances Mead of Sunnyside Montessori in Seattle (Columbia City).  

Aim

• To push the puffs into half-coconut shell through the "eye" of the shell
• Develop eye/hand coordination
• Stengthen hands
• Practice concentration
• Enjoy the beauty and touch of the coconut shell

Materials

• Half a coconut shell (coconuts at some grocery stores are scored - these are easier)
• After you have cut it in half, choose the half that has the eye(s); open one eye with a pointed knife, taking care to not make the hole too wide (you can widen it later if need be)
• Puffs, about a dozen, made from yarn; wrap yarn around 2 fingers several times, tie in the middle, cut joined ends (should be somewhat challenging to work them into eye…they get fuzzier with use)
• Coconut and Puffs may be arranged on a woven plate or tray 

Presentation

1. Take out the Coconut Puff Work and take it to the table
2. Say, "This is the Coconut Puff Work"
3. Take the puffs up one by one; twist and poke each into the eye of the coconut
4. When all the puffs have disappeared, lift the coconut and show all the puffs, stacked in a colorful pile

Essential Movements

    Twisting puffs into eye of coconut

Natural Playgrounds

Continuing our Earth Day theme....Natural Playgrounds Company has the right idea: A lower carbon footprint, safe and more sustainable, plus they have a higher play value (discovery oriented). Check it out the video and be inspired!

Natural Playgrounds Company