Science in Primary

Science in Primary Montessori

Maria Montessori called her sensorial materials “keys to the world” – with these keys, the child can classify his world. He should have real-life experiences, with key presentations presentations to help him order, classify, identify and organize the world around him.

At primary, we focus more on zoology and botany (life science) and on physical geography (continents, countries, own state). This lays the foundation for the elementary level work, but is significant in itself. These are truly the keys for a primary age child.

Listed below are the Tables of Contents from the AMI primary albums with the presentations that are explicitly scientific in nature. Truly, science permeates all areas to some degree, so even those items I have chosen not list may still include review of scientific concepts.

Exercises of Practical Life

Table of Contents

	Care of the Environment
	How to Dust Leaves
	How to Care for Plants
	How to Arrange Flowers
	How to Make Lemon Water
	How to Wash Fruits and Vegetables
	How to Peel & Cut Fruits and Vegetables
	How to Bake   (CHEMISTRY)
	Grace and Courtesy
	Grace and Courtesy regarding the Outdoors; animals, plants
	Visual Art – Use art skills to illustrate science experiences
	Rubbings (Exploration of Texture)
	Contour Drawing with Crayon (Exploration of Line)

Practical life: GET the children OUTSIDE. 

Language

Table of Contents

Spoken: Vocabulary Enrichment

Orientation Game

Naming Objects in the Environment

Collecting Classified Objects

Practical Life Objects

Parts of an Object

Language of the Sensorial Materials

Three Period Lesson

Classified Cards - Social

Related Objects Game - Presentations A & B

Description/Definition Game

Stories – Biological Classifications

The Story of Living and Non-Living Matter

The Story of Plants and Animals

The Story of the Five Classes of Vertebrates

Sorting Game – Biology Classifications

Nomenclature Cards – Scientific

Life Cycles

Oral Language Games

Spoken: Language Development – unlisted components contain science concepts

Cultural Folders

Extension: fictional story telling

Land and Water Form Folders

Land and Water Form Outline Maps

Biome Folders

My State

Writing – unlisted components can still use science concepts

Map Making (GEOGRAPHY)

Writing - Art of Handwriting

Book Making – creting books of own accord

Reading Classification – all stages bring in scientific concepts

Presentation I – Classifying the Environment

Presentation II – Cards with Labels

A. Social

B. Scientific

C1. Biology Classifications: Living and Non-Living

C2: Biology Classifications: Plant and Animal

C3: Biology Classifications: Five Classes of Vertebrates

Extension: Mix and sort - work up to 5 sets

Presentation III – Definition Stages

Reading: Function of Words – phrases used contain scientific concepts, particularly zoology

Word Study – unlisted aspects bring in life science concepts for review

Animal Collectives

Animals and Their Young

Animal Sounds

Animal Homes

Animal Families

Reading Analysis – could use sentences related to to scientific concepts.

Language Extension

Who Am I?

Introduction to Biology

Introducing Animals

Plant Study and Experiments

Sensorial

Table of Contents

The ENTIRE sensorial album sets a child up to properly classify his world around him; giving him the world’s characteristics in concretized abstraction. See the introduction to the sensorial album for more details.

		Prologue
		Education as an Aid to Life
		Introduction to Sensorial
		Three Period Lesson
		Visual
Dimension		Cylinder Blocks
Dimension		Pink Tower
Dimension		Brown Stair
Dimension		Red Rods
Color		Color Tablets Box I
Color		Color Tablets Box II
Color		Color Tablets Box III
Shape		Geometry Cabinet
Shape		Geometry Cards
Shape		Leaf Cabinet
Shape		Leaf Cards
		Constructive Triangles
Combined		Rectangular Box A
Combined		Rectangular Box B
Combined		Triangular Box
Combined		Large Hexagonal Box
Combined		Small Hexagonal Box
Combined		12 Blue Triangles
Combined		Binomial Cube
Combined		Trinomial Cube
Combined		Graded Geometric Figures
Combined		Decanomial Square
Dimension		Knobless Cylinders
		Tactile
		Sensitizing Fingers
		Touch Boards
		Touch Tablets
		Blindfold
		Fabrics
		Baric
		Baric Tablets
		Thermic
		Thermic Bottles
		Thermic Tablets
		Gustatory
		Tasting Bottles
		Olfactory
		Smelling Bottles
		Auditory
		Sound Cylinders
		Bells
		Stereognostic
		Geometry Solids
		Stereognostic Bags
		Mystery Bag
		Sensorial Aspects of the World
		Introduction to the Sensorial Aspects of the World
		Sandpaper Globe
		Continents Globe
		World Puzzle Map
		Continent Puzzle Map
		Own Country Puzzle Map
		Land and Water Forms
		Oceans Globe
		Flags
		Climatic Zones
		Appendices
		Scope and Sequence
		Materials List
		Language of the Sensorial Materials