The animal kingdom is one area of study in Montessori science activities.
The Montessori method of education has been in place for more than 100 years. Maria Montessori believed in teaching children concretely about the world around them. Activities strive to feed children's natural curiosity and can sometimes be cross-curricular. Topics that can be studied include zoology, botany, biology, geology, physics and chemistry. An important aspect of teaching science in Montessori is to learn the nomenclature or vocabulary associated with each unit.
Zoology
The first unit of study in the early childhood Montessori science curriculum is "Living/Nonliving." Children learn the characteristics of living things, then categorize them by plants and animals. From there, they study the life cycles of different parts of the animal kingdom. Initial classification occurs during a unit called, "Fur, Feather, Scales." Then, they learn more about the characteristics of the vertebrates, including mammals, insects, amphibians, reptiles and birds. During the elementary years, they have deeper studies within the animal kingdom, including invertebrates, and learn classify animals, all the way down to the species. Classrooms often have multiple pets representing different parts of the animal kingdom.
Botany
Children begin by learning the names of different parts of trees and leaves, plants and flowers. They study the life cycles of each and examine samples both in and outside the classroom. They grow plants from seeds and cuttings and care for a garden. Later studies in botany get into more detail, such as the names of different leaf shapes. Many classrooms have a nature table, in which children can share their findings from the outdoors.
Human Body
Children in the 3-6 classroom start anatomical studies by learning the names of the parts of the body, both internal and external. They also start to learn ways of taking care of one's body, through nutrition and exercise. In the elementary years, students learn about the different body systems.
Geology
Geology is the study of the earth. Children learn to identify different rocks and minerals, as well as the parts of the earth. They study basic land formations, which crosses over into geographical studies. Study of the earth also correlates to further study of the universe and astronomy.
Physics and Physical Science
Physical science Montessori activities allow for fun experimentation with sink/float, simple machines, magnets, and more. Also, children learn about weather and states of matter.
Chemistry
Early childhood studies of chemistry in Montessori may introduce basic elements found on earth. Later studies in the elementary years work on the entire periodic table and some experiments.
Tags: animal kingdom, different parts, elementary years, Children learn, different parts animal
