Thursday, June 17, 2010

Summer Solstice – More Montessori Activity Ideas for the Classroom

June 21 is the Summer Solstice, and a great time to celebrate the season with creative Montessori activities encompassing history, geography, astronomy, and the arts. Last year, we gave you some information and ideas in Summer Solstice the Montessori Way.
NAMC montessori activity ideas classroom summer solstice earth orbit
Here are some further ideas to spark the imagination of your Montessori students!


Summer Solstice – More Montessori Activity Ideas for the Classroom

NAMC montessori activity ideas classroom summer solstice globe lightbulb
  • As a class, write a play that explains the summer solstice. You could personify the sun and earth to create characters or create a metaphorical tale. Perform the play for parents and other Montessori classrooms.
  • Start an annual tradition of a summer solstice festival (or attend one as a class that already exists in your area). You could include nearly any of the other listed activities as part of your festival.
  • Working in pairs or small groups, challenge your Montessori students to create a model and demonstration (using only supplies in the Montessori classroom and/or available on campus) to explain the science behind the solstice. Discuss the similarities and differences behind each other’s presentations.
  • Create a “quiz show” game with questions about the summer solstice. With older students, ask them to create the game.
  • Help your students research what summer solstice has meant to different groups of humans in different parts of the world at different times in history. How did these humans celebrate the summer solstice? Are any of their activities something you would like to do as a Montessori class?
Books
  • The Summer Solstice, by Ellen Jackson and Jan Davey Ellis
  • Under Alaska's Midnight Sun, by Deb Vanasse and Jeremiah Trammell
  • Celebrating the Great Mother: A Handbook of Earth-Honoring Activities for Parents and Children, by Cait Johnson and Maura D. Shaw
  • In Nature's Honor: Myths and Rituals Celebrating the Earth, by Patricia Montley
Resources
More Montessori curriculum resources: NAMC's 6-9 manuals - Matter and Astronomy: Supernovas, stars, asteroids, meteors, satellites and galaxies! Students discover the wonder and power of a tiny atom, and all its potential. This comprehensive curriculum provides plenty of activities to explore the mysteries of the universe, to discover many answers to why and how things exist and behave, and to seek further answers to questions that inevitably arise - see sample pages from manual.
As much as possible, NAMC’s web blog reflects the Montessori curriculum as provided in its teacher training programs. We realize and respect that Montessori schools are unique and may vary their schedules and offerings in accordance with the needs of their individual communities. We hope that our readers will find our articles useful and inspiring as a contribution to the global Montessori community.
© North American Montessori Center - originally posted in its entirety at Montessori Teacher Training on Thursday, June 17, 2010.

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Have questions or comments? Let us know what you thought about this article!

We appreciate feedback and love to discuss with our readers further.

NAMC Blog Inquiries Contact Form

Name

Email *

Message *

Search the NAMC Montessori Teacher Training Blog

Are you interested in reading back through NAMC's blog articles from years gone by, or for more information on a specific topic?

Browse a select list of our most popular categories below; by clicking on one, you will see every article posted under that topic since 2007. You may also use the lower archive menu to select a year and month, displaying all blog posts in the chosen time frame.

If you are seeking a range of information on a certain topic or idea, try this search box for site-wide keyword results.

Choose From a List of Popular Article Topics

NAMC Montessori Series

Montessori Philosophy and Methodology

Montessori Classroom Management

The School Year

Montessori Materials

Montessori Curriculum

Montessori Infant/Toddler (0–3) Program

Montessori Early Childhood (3–6) Program

Montessori Elementary (6–12) Programs

What is Montessori?

Search Archives for Montessori Blog Posts by Date


Thank you to the NAMC Montessori community!

NAMC has been providing quality Montessori distance training and curriculum development to Montessorians around the globe for more than 25 years. Since beginning in 1996, we have grown to build a fantastic community of students, graduates, and schools in over 160 countries. We are grateful for your continued support and dedication to furthering the reach and success of the Montessori method.