tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post658246946201860871..comments2024-03-26T02:11:37.643-07:00Comments on NAMC Montessori Teacher Training Blog: Montessori Elementary Curriculum: Cosmic Education and the Five Great LessonsNorth American Montessori Centerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03192846885830826722noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-53253440428784100872018-03-24T14:09:03.247-07:002018-03-24T14:09:03.247-07:00The Five Great Lessons are important because they ...The Five Great Lessons are important because they connect a students' curiosity with the world around them with their love of imagination and storytelling at this stage of development. It captures their attention on both an imaginative and a scientific level, allowing students to want to further research the science behind these stories. Sydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07335998852626761269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-475567246067175402017-12-17T10:23:49.104-08:002017-12-17T10:23:49.104-08:00I am also a parent, as are some of the commenters....I am also a parent, as are some of the commenters. It has occurred to me, after reading the Five Great Lessons curriculum, that I, as a parent want to expose or teach all these concepts to my own children. The Montessori teacher, like a good parent, looks for opportunities to engage children in the bigger questions of life. The challenge is to offer adequate resources and time to all students so they can explore and create. As a first year teacher, this seems overwhelming to me. We could spend all our time exploring these great questions/concepts, and forget that we also need to get these kiddos fluent in Math, Reading and Writing skills. And, don't forget, we also need to teach Peace and its myriad components. Like parenting, it is not done in one year, but gradually over many years. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-74765470650289929932017-11-11T12:20:37.806-08:002017-11-11T12:20:37.806-08:00The five great lessons are truly a unique way to i...The five great lessons are truly a unique way to inspire the children. The teacher has a responsibility to practice these lessons so she performs them with enthusiasm. I like how the Montessori curriculum builds off of the five lessons.kylenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18373382881368031157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-82070393804122663052017-07-22T07:48:47.839-07:002017-07-22T07:48:47.839-07:00I have a deep appreciation for this aspect of Mont...I have a deep appreciation for this aspect of Montessori. Also, in my experience, it is something completely unique to Montessori. Has anybody seen anything similar to this in a more traditional setting?Erin Zemaitisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-9493954415616203322017-06-22T12:53:37.640-07:002017-06-22T12:53:37.640-07:00Beginning the year with the Five Great Lessons bri...Beginning the year with the Five Great Lessons brings education back to its roots, to the very innate desires that the first people had to wonder about things in their world. Before there were schools and structured programs to teach this innate desire to figure things out and wonder is where all learning happened. I love the idea of opening our children minds up to this experience once again. We live in an amazingly intricate an complex world that requires understanding and care on all levels. The Five Great Lessons and Cosmic Education provide an integrated learning experience that builds upon innate learning desires to guide our children to discover, appreciate and care for the beautiful place we call home.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12066099491825011334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-64511996486485161462017-05-21T17:29:19.185-07:002017-05-21T17:29:19.185-07:00The more I read about the five great lessons, the ...The more I read about the five great lessons, the more I am in awe! Imagine a child in the class receiving all these from the teacher!! I strongly believe that it is up to the teacher to make the lessons more exciting and interesting and inviting to share thoughts, questions, and feedbacks. Kids are great at that. They always ask questions and as a teacher we should expect those questions and answer them promptly. Selva Nnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-85308102902403765632017-01-22T14:24:02.730-08:002017-01-22T14:24:02.730-08:00I just love how Maria Montessori supported the nat...I just love how Maria Montessori supported the natural desire to understand our universe and being into lessons of great imaginative stories that entice the child to explore more!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-66924430610515327992016-12-21T17:30:20.018-08:002016-12-21T17:30:20.018-08:00Five Great Lessons provides a "Big Picture&qu...Five Great Lessons provides a "Big Picture" to demonstrate how the sciences, art, history, language, geography are interrelated. Through the Five Great Lessons, children become aware that the universe evolved over billions of years, and that it is based on the law and order through which all the plants, animals, and the rest of creation is maintained. Providing the children the history or part of what us now, makes them feel complete. It connects them and helps them understand the present and future situations. In this way, they learn to discover themselves and seek more answers to their questions that makes them more knowledgeable of a particular lesson. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02779514951843952618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-60500467588731258932016-12-20T05:37:43.888-08:002016-12-20T05:37:43.888-08:00I like that from the study of the Five Great Lesso...I like that from the study of the Five Great Lessons so many learning opportunities arise. It is true that The Five Great Lessons are the heart of Montessori education. Stimulating wonder and exploration in a child is the best education they can have and adding to that grace, courtesy and respect is a recipe for success.Sharinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-48323456859198907382016-12-14T20:14:17.261-08:002016-12-14T20:14:17.261-08:00I absolutely loved learning about the Five Great L...I absolutely loved learning about the Five Great Lessons, and the Cosmic Education. I wish I had these lessons when I was growing up. The Five Great Lessons connect our students from the beginning, and help them tie to future lessons they will encounter throughout their lives. The Cosmic Lessons help them find their own voice, their place, and connection to the world. We are helping our students, our future citizens, pave their way to being role models, to discover themselves, seek more knowledge and understanding about themselves and the world. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09939081922446142371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-56792785484221530842016-11-28T18:04:41.283-08:002016-11-28T18:04:41.283-08:00 I realized through reading this article that th... I realized through reading this article that the Five Great Lessons entice children’s curiosity and inspire them to peruse further information through other subjects in the Montessori curriculum. The fact that these lessons are told in a story format is genius because they become more than just a history lesson. Through them children are inspired to delve deeper and amass more knowledge. I also see the connection between cosmic education and the Five Great Lessons. It is important that children explore their purpose in life as well as develop an awareness to those around them and how interconnected we all are. The Five Great Lessons are no doubt one of the most important parts of the Montessori curriculum. This blog post is very helpful because it outlines the foundations of the Montessori curriculum; “If the Five Great Lessons can be said to be the heart of Montessori elementary education, then cosmic education can be described as the soul.” Elshima Hassannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-69993642562058814642016-10-11T17:41:41.733-07:002016-10-11T17:41:41.733-07:00Cosmic Education opens the mind in a way that supp...Cosmic Education opens the mind in a way that supports the child's natural path of development. It peaks their interests in a way that expands the amount of knowledge they want to gain in a non intrusive way. It is very creatively planned and it serves the purpose of connecting the child to a greater awareness beyond themselves. Shawna-Joy O.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-30405756648114097282016-10-02T16:01:53.948-07:002016-10-02T16:01:53.948-07:00The article states, "The Great Lessons are de...The article states, "The Great Lessons are designed to draw Montessori students into exploring the subjects of the curriculum, such as language arts, geography, the sciences, history, and mathematics.". An example of this is the First great lesson and how it tackles all the subjects of curriculum through story telling and demonstrations. The story gives the students the big picture first and background knowledge that they can apply to everyday learning. How the universe came to be and how we are all interrelated is a powerful first lesson that encourages students to explore their world gracefully and peacefully. Sharinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-20228947325630041482016-09-28T18:36:45.956-07:002016-09-28T18:36:45.956-07:00Being a parent of two growing children, I have com...Being a parent of two growing children, I have come to observe their growing need for individual space. I have sometimes wondered that should this outlook overpower all the other aspects of their individuality, could that lead them to be more self-centered. I found the perfect answer to this when I took up NAMC Lower Elementary Course, and read about Cosmic Education. The beautiful vision of interrelatedness and interdependence is very gripping. This has given me insight on how to balance the need for ‘space’ at the same time, imbibe truth and each one is a part of the grand whole. The mainstream schools focus on science and math, leaving aside the humanities and end up compartmentalizing knowledge that children lose a holistic view. As a parent and as an educator, Cosmic Education has inspired me deeply. I have decided to make a conscious effort in pointing out the interrelatedness in academics, and also to stress on the interdependence to preserve harmony.<br /> <br /> <br />Deepthi Unnikrishnanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00264465096522804525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-42381174329817105322016-09-11T14:13:24.602-07:002016-09-11T14:13:24.602-07:00I agree with many of the points that were brought ...I agree with many of the points that were brought up throughout the previous comments. The Five Great Lessons are an excellent way to start the school year. The students are extremely engaged and enjoy listening to the stories about the Universe, its creation, life and the many other concepts covered. Having recently presented the first two Great Lesson, I find the demonstrations to be an imperative and extremely important aspect of the presentations. The students love the demonstrations and I found they drastically enhanced the students' understanding and engagement.<br /><br />Before starting my Montessori training, I have to admit that I probably would have thought that these concepts were far too difficult or complex for students in early elementary to understand or connect with. My opinion however, has drastically changed. Being able to observe my students fully engaging in the stories and enjoying the thought provoking and interesting concepts that are covered in the Great Lessons, has changed my opinion. <br /><br />Teaching students to understand and respect all life and how it is interconnected will benefit the children and many areas of their life. The lasting impact their lives have on this earth and the other people they interact with on a daily basis will only benefit because of Cosmic Education and Five Great Lessons. I feel that this is one area that really set Montessori apart from other forms of education. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-12815002716399830102016-08-06T12:19:26.831-07:002016-08-06T12:19:26.831-07:00I find it very interesting that Montessori teacher...I find it very interesting that Montessori teachers are being trained to expose their students to all the wonders of nature whenever they can. I appreciate that they intertwine nature whenever possible into every subject, so that students can become well rounded and appreciate the interconnections of the world around us. I believe it helps them understand nature as a whole, and the role they play also. HKWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06354344540162111946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-92069455530008351182016-08-02T20:50:17.270-07:002016-08-02T20:50:17.270-07:00I am very nervous to teach the Five Great Lessons....I am very nervous to teach the Five Great Lessons. I have read the stories and have begun to prepare, but my worry is that I will not be as smooth or as great of a "story-teller" as I would like because I will be nervous. I'll continue to read and hope they go well. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15878675542404886623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-89970753460833320372016-07-31T06:15:06.887-07:002016-07-31T06:15:06.887-07:00When first starting to study education I asked mys...When first starting to study education I asked myself what is most important for us to teach students, is it to drill students on where to put commas and how to skip count at the expense of everything else as mainstream education in Australia seems to be doing? I noticed how disengaged students were with this process and the lack of interest, wonder and intrinsic motivation which is a result of this approach. Sensitive periods are poorly utilized in mainstream education and subjects are timetabled into different times of the day as if they are all separate and unconnected. When I came across the Montessori method of teaching and learned about Cosmic Education and the Five Great Lessons I knew I had found a philosophy that fits with what I believe! The Universe is clearly interconnected, as are the subjects in schools and in my experience it is only alternative forms of education that truly base their education on this principle. We know that war and conflict only result in pain and suffering, and many of us recognize the importance of raising children who understand the value of peace and can apply peaceful practices in their lives, however how many schools can say they successful incorporate peaceful practice in their classrooms? In my opinion therefore I believe that Cosmic Education, Peace and the Five Great Lessons are amongst the most important inclusions in any educational program which is where I feel Montessori has the best philosophy and method. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12974037713770661278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-52530188149684359182016-07-25T18:51:30.607-07:002016-07-25T18:51:30.607-07:00There are so many astounding components to a Monte...There are so many astounding components to a Montessori education from the Math materials to its History (instead of biased textbook memorization of wars) but the Great Five Lessons and Cosmic Education and Peace are what makes Montessori even more extra special. Especially in todays world. I think it is these lessons in particular that are missing from other schools curriculums. These lessons are the seeds planted for the hope for raising our awareness levels towards a more peaceful world. Giving children the knowledge of how we truly are all connected and how we can each contribute to make a better whole (even just a bitty piece) will hopefully help them understand and trust their personal journey in life. The 5 Great Lessons are enriching lessons for people of any age. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-70558282752680259022016-07-13T18:10:10.773-07:002016-07-13T18:10:10.773-07:00The Five Great Lessons are an amazing tool. They a...The Five Great Lessons are an amazing tool. They are there to enthrall the children and inspire them to want to learn more. While I was reading them I was already inspired to learn more and come up with ways to help my students explore the ideas in each. I hope I'll be able to tell these stories, when the time comes, with the right amount of drama to inspire the awe they are meant to portray. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08283474661362702110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-13544138701211780422016-06-14T06:27:37.047-07:002016-06-14T06:27:37.047-07:00I believe that all children should learn the Five ...I believe that all children should learn the Five Great Lessons and Cosmic education. Children are our future and will one day take our places in the world. The earlier we teach them about their responsibility to the Earth and each other, the better off our world will be. The idea that everything and everyone is connected creates a more accountable life for our students. This thinking and teaching will create future generations who are willing to help and see the value in bettering the community and saving our planet from pollution and poverty. The younger a child begins thinking about these big ideas, the more time they will have to do something amazing. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05146591951065254111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-89701857105454012112016-06-10T18:29:42.732-07:002016-06-10T18:29:42.732-07:0055- Before starting to read the manual on the 5 Gr...55- Before starting to read the manual on the 5 Great Lessons, I did not take the importance of saying these 5 lessons at the beginning of the year and repeat them year after year. I found them too much and not enough detailed at the same time.<br />After reading the manual and the blogs and other testimonies, I finally grasped the importance of these lessons. They are not made to learn but mainly to stimulate the imagination based on real facts, want to know more, want to look for more information, want to ask questions. <br />I find this approach extremely interesting. Children are asking themselves questions and then go looking for answers. Their memory, their learning, and their memory will be so much more effective because they are involved in this research.<br />I was a teacher (for 11 years) in “ordinary" schools in another country and I have often struggled for teaching subjects such as history, geography, science. Just a part of my students seemed interested and it was very hard for me to interest the other part... Today, I say to myself that if I had started my years by these 5 great lessons, these learnings and discoveries would have been so much easier and interesting for these children. <br />Audreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17748901732449764121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-21353434368236530062016-06-08T13:14:51.803-07:002016-06-08T13:14:51.803-07:00I have been rehearsing the speech of the Five Grea...I have been rehearsing the speech of the Five Great Lessons for the next school year and the more I do it the more excited I am to be the first day of school. The Five Great Lessons are very passionate and give matter to students to work with. They stir the curiosity of the students and make work their imagination. The speech of the Five Great Lessons is a good way to begin the school year to make it interesting and productive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-51590570558448408782016-05-31T19:48:05.530-07:002016-05-31T19:48:05.530-07:00I love how the Five Great Lessons are so interconn...I love how the Five Great Lessons are so interconnected with the rest of the Montessori curriculum. It gives the students a giant preview of sorts of the amazing assortment of learning opportunities that lays before them in the years to come! The child can take off with any idea in particular that excites them, and the curriculum is ready to support them in their research.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-501824432676733753.post-6523967825921262382016-04-19T19:01:50.930-07:002016-04-19T19:01:50.930-07:0055. As I began this section of the course I was he...55. As I began this section of the course I was hesitant about the direction these "stories" would take and my ability to share these with my students without contradicting my personal convictions or teaching something I didn't believe. What I found was that the 5 great lessons are very respectful of the individuals ideas and doesn't force a specific theory on the teacher or the child. I like the fact that the stories only introduce the child to the idea but does not create the idea for the child. A. Danieckinoreply@blogger.com