ELEMENTARY SNEAK PEEK! Embracing the Cosmic Education Journey
“Not only can imagination travel through infinite space, but also through infinite time; we can go backwards through the epochs, and have the vision of the earth as it was, with the creatures that inhabited it.” -Dr. Maria Montessori
Every year, our elementary classrooms witness the dramatic narration of the “Five Great Lessons,” stories that delve into the origins of both humanity and everything that surrounds us. The stories, which are an integral part of what Dr. Montessori terms “Cosmic Education” for children between 6-12 years, initiates students into thinking about themselves as individuals and their place in the world, fostering a deep sense of interconnectedness.
In both Lower and Upper Elementary, the students are introduced to the grand narrative of the universe, life on Earth, and the tapestry of human history through five captivating stories:
1️⃣ The Coming of the Universe and the Earth
2️⃣ The Coming of Life
3️⃣ The Coming of Human Beings
4️⃣ Communication in Signs
5️⃣ The Story of Number
The stories seek to instill values of global awareness, peaceful communication, and ethical cooperation, nurturing responsible citizens – even as they offer a holistic understanding of the origin of science, math, and biology.
As Maria Montessori puts it, “Our experience with children in elementary schools has shown us that the age between six and twelve years is a period of life during which the elements of all sciences should be given. It is a period that, psychologically, is especially sensitive and might be called the “sensitive period of culture” during which the abstract plane of the human mind is organized.”
