MADEEHA MAJEED ROLL# D13896 MODULE 8

ASSIGNMENT 8
QUESTION 1

Discuss the significance of Montessori cultural exercises?

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
 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 6years.
 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.
 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.
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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.

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.
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
o Number Rod Addition.
o Short Bead Stair Addition.
o Addition Snake Game.
o Addition Strip Board.
o Subtraction Snake Game.
o Subtraction Strip Board.
o Short Bead Stair Multiplication.
o Multiplication Board.

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 can oeand navigate the Seas without chart or compass.
3. Culture determines what we want to be– lawyer; dairy farmer; computer
programmer; doctor; shaman; pearl diver
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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.
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 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 themat.
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 lesson.

Age: 3.5 years onwards

MADEEHA MAJEED ROLL# D13896 MODULE 8

Pacific Ocean: It separates Asia and Atlantic Ocean: It separates the Americas from
Australia from the Americas. Europe and Africa.

Indian Ocean: It washes upon Arctic Ocean: It covers much of the Arctic and
southern Asia and separates Africa washes upon northern North America and
and Australia. 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.
 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.
 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.
MADEEHA MAJEED ROLL# D13896 MODULE 8

 Take out four of the pieces and have the child replace them correctly.
 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.”
 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.

Control of Error

 Fitting the pieces together.

Age
3 1/2 – 4 years
MADEEHA MAJEED ROLL# D13896 MODULE 8

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 A LAKE is a body of water surrounded

surrounded by water. by land.

A BAY is an inlet of the sea A CAPE is a piece of land jutting into

surrounded mostly by land. body of water beyond the rest of the coast
line.
A PENNINSULA is a piece of land A GULF is an arm of the sea extending
jutting out into the water and is almost far into the land.
surrounded by water.
An ISTHMUS is a narrow strip of land A STRAIT is a narrow waterway
which joins larger portions of land. connecting two larger portions of land.

An ARCHIPELAGO is a group of A SYSTEM OF LAKES is a

islands. 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 form having its exact opposite.
 Island and lake
 Cape and bay
 Peninsula and gulf Archipelago and system of lakes
2. Pictures of real examples of land and water forms
3. A small tray
4. A jug
5. A small bucket with water
MADEEHA MAJEED ROLL# D13896 MODULE 8

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.

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 its opposite the lake and shift 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”.
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
Material:

 A set of ten cards representing major geo graphical 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.
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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.
 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? 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 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’ –
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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
 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.
 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.