Montessori Botany - Seeds

MONTESSORI EARLY CHILDHOOD BOTANY - SEEDS STUDY PART I

Children simply adore the study of seeds.  Nothing speaks to energy and new growth quite like a seed and the potential life inside.  Sequoias Class has begun learning all about seeds even if it is long distance.  This post will take you through the sequence of seed presentations and works for the Early Childhood classroom.  Look forward to the second installment as our studies continue.

#1 SOAKING & DISSECTING BEANS
In the Montessori environment we always first introduce the real thing and then move to further abstraction of study.  In order to study seeds we will soak many large bean seeds in a bowl of water so we can explore them later.  It takes several hours, or even overnight for the beans to be ready.  When we are teaching in a classroom we don't want to soak too many or they will go to waste or start to really stink.  We try to soak only as many as we think will be used in a day.  Typically a child who takes this work from the shelf after a presentation will dissect 4-5 seeds on their own.

soaking beans in a sunny window

Once the outside (testa) of the seeds are supple and the seed is swollen they are ready to be dissected and explored.  The guide (teacher) will invite a student, or small group of children (no more than 3) to observe this presentation.

For this presentation you will need -A paper towel folded, tweezers, beans that have been soaking in a  small bowl until supple a tray to hold all the items, and a paper with parts of the beans glued as in the example photo:

Dissecting Seeds Presentation Tray

Dissecting Seeds Presentation
*Lay a vinyl mat or hand towel down on the table.
*Go to the shelf and retrieve the bowl of beans which have been soaking for several hours or overnight.
*Place the bowl of soaking beans at the top left corner of the table.
*Remove one seed and place on the mat.
*Say, "This is a seed.  This seed has been soaking in water for several hours.  I can see that this seed has gotten plump with water.  See how much bigger it is?"
*Point to the hilum of the seed and say, "This is the hilum of the seed.  It is where the bean was attached to the seed pod."
*Point to the micropyle of the seed and say, "This is the micropyle.  It is a small opening in the seed."

*Without speaking remove the testa (seed coat) very carefully from the bean.  Trying to keep it as intact as possible.
*Point to the testa and say, "This is the testa of the seed.  It is like a coat for the seed.  It helps to protect what is inside."
*Peel apart the two cotyledons of the bean seed being careful of the embryo inside.
*Point to the cotyledons and say, "These are called the cotyledons.  They will give the new plant the food it needs to grow."
* Point to the embryo still attached to the cotyledon and say, "This is the embryo of the seed.  It is the baby plant." (sometimes it is really helpful to have a red water soluble marker to mark the embryo with so the child can discern it from the rest of the plant)
*Carefully break off the radicle and say, "This is the radicle.  It will grow into the root of the plant."
* Carefully take off the epicotyl and say, "This is the epicotyl.  It will grow into the stems and leaves of the plant."
*For older and more advanced students who can write: Demonstrate creating a sheet with the parts of the seed glued and labeled.  It will take at least two seeds to create this work.
*Place the unused been seed parts into the compost.  Demonstrate how to clean up all of the pieces and return to the tray.  Then place the tray back on the shelf.
*Let the child(ren) know they may use this work whenever they choose now.  Ask if they would like to work with this work.

PARTS OF THE SEED PUZZLE

After the introduction to the actual seed and its parts the child can be introduced to the Parts of the Seed Puzzle.  I definitely have strong opinions about this work.  In many Early Childhood classrooms there is not a puzzle of the seed parts but it is ever so helpful and highly engaging for students.  There are many puzzle out there that seem like they would be more confusing than helpful to the student.  

I love this set of puzzles that details the entire growth process from seed to young plant.

Growing Process Parts of Puzzles

When a puzzle is not available there are other options such as this one made of felt.

PARTS OF THE SEED NOMENCLATURE CARDS

After the child has had some experience working with the puzzle (or if they choose not to use the puzzle but have experienced dissecting the seed) they are ready for the Nomenclature Cards for the Parts of the Seed.

When presenting this work begin by laying out the control cards only (picture and word card) and do a naming lesson.  This again goes over the vocabulary first introduced in the Dissecting the Seed presentation.  Once all the parts have been named you may take the Movable Alphabet to build the words.  Young children really do love to build the words.  You can find a printable Movable Alphabet here.

Once this presentation has been given you may, at a different time, formally present the Three-Part Card Lesson.  This video is a great explanation into how to give a Three-Part Card Lesson.

Seed Nomenclature Cards Laid Out with Booklet

Early Childhood Parts of the Seed Nomenclature Cards
click on image for link to file

PARTS OF THE SEED BOOKLETS

Booklets just might be THE absolute favorite paper work in the classrooms I have directed.  The children love to color them in and take them home.  Sometimes children want to skip the nomenclature card set and move straight into making the booklets.  I am careful to let them know they may do this work once they have worked with the nomenclature cards at least a few times.  After a while it becomes an understood boundary the children are happy to work with.

Early Childhood Parts of the Seed Booklet Blackline Master
click on image for link to file

GERMINATING A SEED

Children love to watch a seed germinate outside of the soil so they can really understand what is going on.  In this little experiment the child has the opportunity to set up their own seed germinating factory.  Use dicot seed if possible, such as a bean or pea for this work. 

All you need is a tray with plastic baggies, paper towels pre-cut to half size, bean or pea seeds, and tape. Children should get help to write their names on the baggie with a permanent marker.

Germinating a Seed Tray

Demonstrate WITHOUT SPEAKING how to create this work and put it on the window including writing the name.  After the presentation is finished you may say, "When you need to have your name put on your baggie please come and find me or the tonekeeper."  Once the seed(s) are in the baggie the child can tape them up on a sunny window and watch their seed germinate over the next several days.

DOCUMENTING SEED GERMINATION AND GROWTH

This work is especially helpful for more advanced students who can draw something that approximates reality.  That is often a second or third year student in the class.  There is no need to draw the picture every day, unless the child is self-directed in this.  Every few days is just fine.  The children are usually keen to keep track but often need a bit of a reminder of it as an option.

My Seed Growth Diary
Click on image for link to file

With Love,

Cath

Continent Studies - Africa Part 1

AFRICA ACTIVITIES 1ST INSTALLMENT

It has been all hands on deck these past two weeks since we have had our school suspended for COVID-19.  Since that time I have been working with many other Montessorians across the globe to get things into the hands of educators and parents.  I have been wanting to get back to blogging with regularity for some time now but have had other very pressing and difficult circumstances in my family's life to take care of first.  I am so glad things had gotten to a good place before all this happened.  I am also so grateful I have this platform already in place to make an impact for my own students as well as for so many others.  I wish to thank my readers for the outpouring of love and kindness at this time and in the past.  I want to be one of the helpers.  Thank you also for being one of the helpers.

We are gearing up for our Africa studies in Sequoias Class and I've been knee deep in creating new materials that are friendly to not only the classroom but for home as well.  In this post I will endeavor to share what I have made and a few other things I absolutely love.

Continent Globe

Continent Puzzle Map

Setting the Stage

Whenever we are introducing a new continent for study I will always take the Continent Globe and Continent Puzzle Map together during a Line Time.  We will sing the Continent Song together while pointing to the continents on the Continent Globe first and then again using the Continent Puzzle Map.  The WHY behind doing this is simply - the younger the child the more often they need to see that these things mean the same thing.  With the continued one-to-one correspondence practice more children will pick it up.

Every time we begin a new continent of study the children in our class renew their interest in coloring, cutting and pasting, and painting the continents.  

More advanced Early Childhood students will appreciate making their own Continent Globe.  This is also very beneficial for adults to create when a Continent Globe is not available.  If the child is really interested you can have them do the coloring with a little support.  The cuts make it difficult for Early Childhood students to know what color belongs where but it is such fun work.  I take whatever color they should be using and make a small mark in the spot to color.  This way they can be as independent as possible with the least amount of interference from adults.  Once colored they will need plenty of support in taping it together so it forms a globe.  

Continent Flat Map Work

The Colored Globe Cut Out

The assembled Globe

This following Coloring sheet is so helpful for this.  Whenever there is work that has a specific way to be done you should create a Control of Error.  That is one which is colored in the correct colors as an EXAMPLE. I always write EXAMPLE on the paper or else it may grow legs and go home with some little one.  Even then it may happen, but much less often. 

Continents of the World Coloring Sheet

This can also be used when a Continent Puzzle is not available.  You can print off two sets, color one set in the continent colors and the other with the blue ocean.  Then you can cut out the 

continent set and use them in place of the Continent Puzzle Map.

Assembling the Continent World Coloring Sheet to be used in place of a Puzzle Map

Continents Coloring Sheet Assembled as replacement for Puzzle Map

Introduction to Africa

Once we sing the Continent Song I will point to Africa and ask which continent this is.  Once that has been answered I will tell the children we will now begin our study of Africa.  There are two very good ways to introduce a continent.  The first is with ARTIFACTS and the second is through PICTURES.

ARTIFACTS

In Montessori Classrooms we sequence our work from most concrete to most abstract.  Artifacts are the most concrete representation of a continent.  I find artifacts from friends who have visited and brought things back for me, by visiting my local second hand shops, and sometimes online.  I try to get as many things second hand as possible.  Carvings, textiles, jewelry, money, art etc. all make great artifacts for students to explore.

Add in photo of artifacts

PHOTOS

Line Time Photos of a continent are large enough for everyone at the circle to see.  We want to give an overview of the continent in a short enough time to keep the interest of the entire group while whetting their interest for more.  That is easy to do with all the continents, but Africa is fabulous!

Introduction to Africa Line Time Cards

Once I have introduced our Continent it is time to give small group lessons for these very cool works.

AFRICA PLAY DOUGH MAP

This work is so lovely for the youngest students to use and they love it.  All works on a Montessori shelf should have an indirect purpose.  This work with play dough and the fitting into the small spaces of the map develop both the gross and fine motor control of the child.

Africa Play Dough Map

AFRICA TEAR MAP

This work helps the child with the fine motor control as they tear green paper strips into pieces small enough to be glued onto the paper.  The older the child the better they will be with the fineness of their tears.  It is a great thing to challenge your older and more advanced students to stay as much in the lines as possible.  This also develops hand-eye coordination.  I have included a page of green in case there is not access to a green sheet of paper.  It works best to cut the papers the child will use into a 1/4th of a sheet or even into strips 2 inches wide.

Africa Tear Map

AFRICAN MASKS ART

When presenting this work I will show a small group of children the African Mask cards and then invite them to color, watercolor, paint, or use oil pastels to create a beautiful mask with the African Masks Coloring/Painting Pages. They are meant to be cut in half.  We keep a smattering of the masks on a tray for the children to choose from.

African Masks

African Masks Coloring/Art Pages

AFRICAN TEXTILES CARDS

Something the children seem to enjoy a lot is the bold patterns of many African textiles.  These cards could to be printed twice to make a matching set.

African Textile Cards

  They could also be traced to make clothing like you see here using the Clothing Cut Out Patterns

Clothing Cut Out Patterns

ANIMALS OF THE SAVANNAH DIORAMA
This new work has been fun to create.  It is best suited for more advanced students to do independently.  Younger students will love doing this with a little support.  Follow their needs and help only as much as they need.

African Savannah Diorama Animals

African Savannah Animals Diorama Completed

Keep a look out for Installment 2 of Africa Activities!

Stay Safe!  Stay Healthy!

Loves,

Cath

Lakes, Waterfalls & Islands Photo Cards Sets for Early Learning

Here are three more Photo Card Sets that we have been using in our classroom along with all our learning about Land and Water Forms.

There are 18 photos in each set of both large and small islands, waterfalls and lakes.

I hope you enjoy them.

Islands Photo Cards Set
click on picture to link to file

Waterfall Photo Cards Set
click on picture to link to file

Lake Photo Cards Set
click on picture to link to file

 

Volcano Photo Cards Set For Early Learning

Our classroom has been learning about volcanoes.  In my experience, little children who are not yet reading are always wanting more to see (they have not usually had a lot of exposure to these great things).  They enjoy the books about volcanoes, but they are really excited to see and talk about pictures of volcanoes.  These are big forces that are awesome and a little scary to them.  This year I created this Volcano Picture Set Cards for them.  The reception by everyone in the class has been warm.  I cut them out and laminated them, then I put a hole in the top left corner so they could be on a ring.  One of the children in my class has been struggling with dry and itchy skin and how bad it gets sometimes.  She will take these cards, sit in a reading chair, and rub her itchy tummy while she peruses.  It helps her somehow.  These things are always so interesting and thought provoking for me.

Volcano Photo Cards Set
click on picture to link to file

 

Montessori Amphibians of the World Cards

This newest set of cards for the montessori classroom and homeschool is a great addition to an Amphibians Folder, or as a stand alone set.

Children are not usually exposed to the different kinds of amphibians that live on this earth, and as a result these cards are very interesting for them.  Even most adults do not know much about caecilians which is the 3rd order of Amphibians.  The 1st being frogs and toads, the 2nd being salamanders and newts.

These cards contain 5 amphibians from 6 different continents.  There are no amphibians found on the continent of Antarctica, which is an interesting part of the conversation when using these cards with a group.  The 6 continents are symbolized on the cards to facilitate the children in locating them on the puzzle maps or continents globe.  Each card also contains a fairly easy sentence for early readers that gives a little bit of information about each amphibian.  There is also a header card for sorting by continent.

*Note that Australia has 5 frogs since no other amphibians are found there.

Amphibians of the World Cards
click on picture to link to file

Picture and Object Sets for Early Learning

Over the years I've had my own and other children asking me if they could see more pictures of sea slugs or kinds of houses, volcanoes or octopus - you name it, they really want a chance to see more pictures of things (especially things they don't get to see very often).  Just two weeks ago I had a child ask me if I could make a set of more pictures of sea horses for our classroom.  Other children chimed in that they would like it too, especially of daddy seahorses with babies being born.  So, I of course wanted to make them.  We had just finished reading a great book called Seahorses that showed a father seahorse with the babies popping out of his pouch.

I tend to put these picture sets out in a basket with some items, if possible, on the subject that they can explore as well.  I print, cut out and laminate the cards and then put them on a large ring.  After that I put them in the basket with the other items and set them out on the shelf to explore.  I find that this is a great way to ignite the curiosity of the youngest children that do not have reading skills.  They begin to wonder all about things that they never knew existed before.  Not only this, but a sense of awe and wonder begins to develop about the beauty of our earth.  Many times a little child will bring me the Globe of the World Parts (also called the Continents Globe), and ask me where these "things" are on the earth, and then we get to have a child initiated conversation about Great And Important Things.

This first set that I am showing you is called: Shells, Starfish and Sand Dollars.  It is the first set I  put out in the year.  This basket has a HUGE sand dollar (about 5 inches across) I found at a thrift shop, a nice sized starfish and a large hermit crab figurine along with a magnifying glass for exploration.  It also has the Photo Set which has several pictures each of shells, starfish and sand dollars.

Shells, Starfish and Sand Dollars Photo Card Set
click on photo to link to file

What frequently happens with new children in the beginning is they are just interested in the objects in the basket, but after they have worked with them a few times they will begin to look through the photos.  After a short time, a child will look at a photo and begin to make comparisons with the physical object.  I just feel tickled the first time I see them using the magnifying glass and to look at the object and then turning to a picture and using the magnifying glass to look closely at a photo card.

This is one of those baskets at the beginning of the year where the children come away feeling calmer, refreshed and happier after using.  I think it is also one of my favorite tools to begin to instill care of the items on the shelves and in the classroom.  They are really awed by the size of the sand dollar and yet, it IS breakable as well as the starfish.  When presenting to a child, I speak about these beautiful and incredible gifts that I have brought to the classroom for them.  I also speak about how these are the outsides of an animal that used to be alive.  I ask them if they would like to take VERY special care of this sand dollar and all the other things in this basket?  This sets them off in the right direction to care for them correctly.

Shells, Starfish and Sand Dollars Basket with Photo Cards

I am excited to unveil future sets for the enjoyment and learning of the little people in your lives.