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Assignment Module 8
TOPIC: Culture 1 (geography & history)

Submitted To: MS. Roshni Naz

MS. Humaira

Submitted By: Jannat Qamar

Roll No: D 14015

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QUESTION 1: Discuss the significance of Montessori

cultural exercises?
In a Montessori classroom, experiences in life sciences
(Botany and Zoology), physical sciences history,
geography, dance and music are given to the child under
the header of cultural exercises. The Montessori cultural
studies curriculum provides children with an opportunity
to explore the whole world including the continents,
countries, people, cultures, terrain, natural phenomena,
science and arts. The Montessori aims for cultural studies
are to help the child.
 Develop his personality
 Adapt to his own culture
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 Become an independent, useful member of his

society.
Significance of Cultural Exercises:
 During early years the child is quick to grasp culture.
He absorbs most of the culture around him during 0
to 6 years.
 The child’s natural ability to absorb the cultural
understanding and norms of life prevalent around him
are universal regardless of the fact that the child is
born in America or a primitive tribe of Africa.
 The sensitive period for culture, according to most of
the psychologists, also sustains through 2 to 5 years of
age. It is, crucial to expose child to direct cultural
experiences, including ways of living, history, sciences,
geography and arts, during the absorbent period to
maximize development in this area.
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 Cultural subjects are character forming and they

cultivates the spirit of the child. 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.
 There are strong reasons to support the point that it
should be the culture of the land which should be
incorporated in the Montessori curriculum and not
some foreign culture.
How Montessori classrooms engages children in
cultural experiences:
In Montessori classrooms the cultural activities are
very intelligently incorporated in the environment.
Along with familiarizing children with the culture,
these meaningful and interesting activities fulfill the
developmental needs of the children.
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Exercises of practical life (EPL): Practical: means basic,

useful, purposeful Life: means the way of living. Practical
life Exercises are just that, they are Exercises so the child
can learn how to do living activities in a purposeful way.
Sensorial Exercises: The Sensorial Materials help the child
become aware of details. At first children are exposed to
materials with strong contrasts such as tall/short,
rough/smooth, loud/soft. Then the child is exposed to
more materials where the contrasts are more subtle.
They work on organizing 10 objects from tallest to
shortest, or lightest to darkest. Each of the Sensorial
Materials define one quality such as length, height,
width, color, weight, shape, texture, sound, or smell. The
Montessori Sensorial Materials help the child to
distinguish, categorize, and relate the information to
objects they already know.
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Language Exercises: The exercises include a variety of

gross and fine motor skill activities that help the child
develop hand and eye coordination. Montessori modules
may be taken in any order. Emphasizing the
fundamentals of the phonics approach to reading.
Develop child s vocabulary, writing and reading skills.
Mathematical Exercises: Montessori Math –
Memorization
 Number Rod Addition.
 Short Bead Stair Addition.
 Addition Snake Game.
 Addition Strip Board.
 Subtraction Snake Game.
 Subtraction Strip Board.
 Short Bead Stair Multiplication.
 Multiplication Board.
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Conclusion:
1. Culture determines what we know– the sum of all
the angles in a triangle; what a screw driver is used
for; how to use a computer to find out where
Peloponnesians are.
2. Culture determines what we don’t know– how to
catch a fish by hand; how to build a dugout canoe and
navigate the Seas without chart or compass.
3. Culture determines what we want to be– lawyer;
dairy farmer; computer programmer; doctor; shaman;
pearl diver
4. It demonstrates that all people have the same
fundamental needs and places an emphasis on the
similarities among the human race.
5. Children are taught to respect people from other
races, countries, and religions.
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6. The geographical factors influence how people live

as they adjust to their environment.
7. At this point, the teacher involves the class in a
study of life and culture on earth.
8. The curriculum then branches into different
directions, such as: (a) geography, (b) culture
(mannerism of life), and (c) history.
9. Children are taught history parallel to the concept
of time.
Question 2: Prepare the following material and send to
your tutor along with the assignment.
 Four part nomenclature material for the layers of the
earth.
 Two parts classified cards of the flags of Asia.

Four part nomenclature material for the layers of the

earth.
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Two parts classified cards of the flags of Asia.

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QUESTION 3: Name and briefly explain all the

exercises that can be carried out using the Jigsaw
Puzzle Maps of the continent?
Naming the Continents on the Jigsaw Puzzle Map:
Material:
Jigsaw puzzle map of the hemispheres.
Purpose:
 To teach the names of the seven continents Asia,
Africa, Europe, Australia, North America, South
America and Antarctica.
 To teach the names of the oceans; Arctic Ocean,
Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Antarctic
Ocean.
Presentation:
Note: complete work cycle is to be observed.
1. Invite a child and have him lay out a mat and shift
the continent puzzle map to the mat.
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2. Select and take out three continents which are

contrasting in color as well as in shape. Also include
the child’s own continent.
3. Give a three-period lesson, and continue on the
following days until the child becomes well familiar
with the name of each continent.
4. When the child has learnt the names of the first
three continents, add more continents and continue
the three period lessons, while reviewing previously
learned names as well.
5. When the child has learnt the names of all the
seven continents, give names of the oceans in the
same way through three period lessons.
Age: 3.5 years onwards
Pacific Ocean: It separates Asia and Australia from the
Americas.
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Atlantic Ocean: It separates the Americas from

Europe and Africa.
Indian Ocean: It washes upon southern Asia and
separates Africa and Australia.
Arctic Ocean: It covers much of the Arctic and washes
upon northern North America and Eurasia.
Antarctic Southern Ocean: It encircles Antarctica.
Puzzle Maps - The Continents
Materials
 A set of six wooden maps, one for each continent
except Antarctica.
 Each continent is divided into puzzle pieces
according to the countries.
 The wooden knob is approximately in the position
of the capital city of each country.
 The Puzzle Map of the World Presentation
 Invite the child to come and work with you.
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 Tell him that we are going to need a mat.

 Have him take out and unroll a mat. Bring him
over to the puzzle maps and tell him that today we
will be working with the puzzle map of one of the
continents.
 (Begin with your home continent.) Have him bring
it over to the mat. Have him place it on the right
side of the mat.
 Then have the child bring over the puzzle map of
the world and have him place it to the left of the
continent map.
 Have the child sit to your left.
Procedure
 Point to the continent you have chosen (for
example Europe) on the world map.
 Ask the child for this continent’s name.
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 Show the child that the Europe on the world map

is the Europe that is in large (on the continent
map).
 You can point out the outline of the continent on
the continent puzzle.
 Tell the child that now (on the Europe map) we
see the countries.
 Ask the child to put the Map of the World back.
 Slowly, by using the knobs, take out three of the
puzzle pieces (three different countries, not
touching, and preferably, not the same color.)
 Place each one on the mat to the left of the
puzzle.
 Take out another three pieces and have the child
replace them in their correct spot.
 Take out four of the pieces and have the child
replace them correctly.
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 Take out another four pieces and again have the

child replace them correctly.
 Have the child take out all the pieces and then
replace them.
 Allow the child to work with the pieces of the
country map.
 You take out three of the pieces.
 Give the names of the three pieces, i.e. France,
Poland, and Norway.
 Repeat the names.
 Then ask the child to replace them, using their
name. For example: “Please put back France.”
 Repeat until all of the pieces have been put back.
 Then ask the child to take out the same three
pieces, one by one, and by name. For example,
“Please take out France.”
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 Once all three are out, ask the child, “What

country would you like to put back?” (The child
should respond with the name of one of the
countries.)
 Repeat this Three-Period lesson for the other
countries until the child knows all of the countries
by name. (This may be over a period of time.)
 Once the child knows his home continent, he can
choose to work with another continent map and
the presentation is as above.
Language
Names of the various countries.
Purpose
 Visual recognition of the forms of the political
divisions of the continents.
 To help the child acquire the names of the countries.
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Control of Error
Fitting the pieces together.
Age
3 1/2 – 4 years
QUESTION 4: Explain how land and water forms are
introduced to the child?
Definitions of Land and Water Forms:
An ISLAND is a piece of land surrounded by water.
A LAKE is a body of water surrounded by land.
A BAY is an inlet of the sea surrounded mostly by land.
A CAPE is a piece of land jutting into body of water
beyond the rest of the coast line.
A PENNINSULA is a piece of land jutting out into the
water and is almost surrounded by water.
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A GULF is an arm of the sea extending far into the land.

An ISTHMUS is a narrow strip of land which joins larger
portions of land.
A STRAIT is a narrow waterway connecting two larger
portions of land.
An ARCHIPELAGO is a group of islands.
A SYSTEM OF LAKES is a formation of several lakes
grouped together.
Exercise 1
Land and Water Form Trays:
Material:
1. Following ten models of land and water forms
prepared in trays, with each land and water from
having its exact opposite.
 Island and lake
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 Cape and bay

 Peninsula and gulf
 Archipelago and system of lake
2. Pictures of real examples of land and water forms
3. A small tray
4. A jug
5. A small bucket with water
6. A sponge or towel to dry out the trays, and clean up
spills.
7. Box of objects, tray and towel
Purpose:
To provide concrete sensorial impressions and names of
major land and water forms.
Presentation: Note: complete work cycle is to be
observed.
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1. Invite a small group of children to work with you.

2. Introduce them to the place where the land and water
form trays are kept.
3. Firstly, select the island and it’s opposite the lake and
shifts the material to the workplace with the help of the
children.
4. Also ask the children to bring the other material
required for the presentation.
5. Say, “I am going to pour water in these trays carefully
to make geographical land and water forms”.
6. Slowly pour enough water in a land and water form
tray and place the jug aside.
7. pointing to the tray, tell its name to the children. Also
give a brief definition of the land and water form e.g. “A
lake is a body of water which is surrounded completely by
land”.
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8. Also show the pictures of real lakes.

9. Then, put the first tray aside and ask a child to pour
water into the other tray.
10. In the same way, give the name of the form and its
brief definition. Also show pictures of some real
examples.
11. Then, put both the trays side by side and complete
the three period lessons.
12. Pour the water back into the bucket and ask the
children to wipe all the trays.
13. Familiarize the children with the names and
definitions of other geographical forms in the same way.
Age:
3.5 Years and onwards
Exercise 2
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Material:
 A set of ten cards representing major geographical
land and water forms.
 Land and water form trays.
Purpose:
 To associate three dimensional models with two
dimensional forms on the card.
 To indirectly prepare the children to identify land and
water forms on flat maps.
Presentation:
 Invite a small group of children who have worked with
land and water form trays to work with you.
 Ask them to bring land and water form trays.
 Introduce them to the place where the land and water
form cards are kept, and ask a child to shift the
material.
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 Ask the children to tell you the names and give a brief
definition of each model in order to review previous
learning.
 Take out the cards from the box and make a pile with
them.
 Select a card and place it front of the child.
 Ask a child to place the card beside the appropriate
land and water form tray.
 Continue in the same way and match the remaining
cards with the corresponding trays.
 Remove the trays and complete a three period lesson
with the cards, taking three at a time.
 At the end ask the children to return the material
back to the shelf.
Age: 4 years.
QUESTION 5: How are children trained to tell time in a
Montessori house?
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Introduction:
What humans call ‘time’ is an experience grounded in the
concrete sensorial world of nature, in observable
patterns of natural phenomena. These patterns are
perceived through the body-based senses (sight, touch,
hearing, smell and taste), then organized through reason
and the imagination into a mathematical system.
Different groups of humans create different systems for
accommodating the patterns called time. These systems
are managed and transmitted as patterns of culture.
Time, then, is an aspect of human history and like other
cultural subjects has an important place in a Montessori
Children’s House – the same place as botany, zoology,
geography, music, art and any other knowledge
organized in the supra-nature.
Our goal is to provide a guide for cultural transmission
and establish an accurate and reliable foundation for
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aware, deliberate exploration in the Second Plane. As

with those other ‘subjects’, we do this best through
concrete, sensorial experience connected with spoken
language.
Through true stories, conversation, books, poetry, songs
and question games, we can use, introduce and clarify
time-based vocabulary for even the youngest children. In
the Mathematics area, an older child learns the
mathematical language needed for ‘telling time’ – such as
the counting numbers, their numeric symbols, skip
counting, fractions, and possibly roman numerals. A
special material for ‘teaching’ the clock is not necessary –
Three Period Lessons with a working analog clock can
introduce hour, minute and second hands, other parts of
the clock, and the mental techniques for translating hand
movements, hatch marks and numerals into an accurate
reading of time. This clock can also be a focus for silence
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activities through which children experience a minute,

two minutes, etc. The preparations which create
necessary readiness will determine the appropriate age
for introducing activities related to time. From this
perspective, other ideas for exploring a culture’s system
for organizing time will present themselves, and similar
explorations can occur around a culture’s calendar.
Exercise:
Material:
 A model clock with moveable arms and changeable
numerals in a box.
 A series of cards, set of corresponding labels and
stand.
Purpose:
To enable the child to know and tell time.
Presentation 1:
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1. Invite a small group of children who can count and

identify numerals.
2. Familiarize the children with the place where the
material is kept, and shift it to workplace with the help of
the children.
3. Point to the empty slot for numbers on the clock face
and show how to put the numbers in order one by one
starting with 1.
4. Tell the children that these numbers on the clock face
represent hours.
Presentation 2:
1. Ask the child to arrange numerals on the clock.
2. When the children can comfortably arrange number on
the clock face from 1 to 12, demonstrate how the clock
arms can move around.
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3. Pointing to the short arm say, “This is the short arm. It

shows what hours it is.”
4. Move the short arm onto number 1 and say, “one
o’clock”.
5. Then ask the child to make different times for you. E.g.
saying, “Can you please make 6 o’clock for me”?
Extension:
1. Ask the child to draw various clock faces and label
them.
2. When the child has learnt the concept of fraction,
introduce half past, quarter past, quarter to, etc.
Age: 4.5 years onwards
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