Inspired Montessori and Arts at Dundee Montessori

Cast Off Treasures

2012-02-12T20:05:00.000-06:00

My Saturday newspaper connects me with estate sales around town. I love them.

This week I found very unique objects.

Cultural objects were overflowing at these sales, but I did not need more of those.

I was looking for something I had never seen before and I found them!

Here is what I did bring back to the school!

I found a tiny anvil and metal headed hammer for $5 each. It makes a lovely tinging sound when hit!

I added objects like our horseshoes and flat metal objects to tap and pretend to be a blacksmith!

Then I put the blacksmith work in a farm fence box to corral it.

Then I wanted to make the work operational so I thought of cracking peanuts open

with the hammer on the anvil! I think kids will love this!

I also bought this taped together box for $8. I saw a tiny colander that intrigued me.

I think many of the contents will be usable.

Immediately I had this toothpick exercise from the box contents.

My goal was to get this tiny stainless steel colander set that I added toothpick sized

plastic vegetables to for a miniature washing exercise. I love it!

Other objects from the box will fit in nicely!

Lastly, a $2 basket will hold a $5 large sponge for a "Who Am I?" game.

"I am an animal without a face! Who Am I?"

I always think of and thank the unknown family that these objects came from.

They are treasures to my school and will have a happy new life!

Fossil Unit

2012-02-06T21:10:00.000-06:00

Yes, I collect everything!

Here is my collection of fossils.

The first two images are of real brachiopods from the Paleozoic Era 500 million years ago.

They are bivalve creatures that lived under the ocean and include clams.

http://www.fossilicious.com/Brachiopods-c-317.html

The two while cards are cepholopods mollusks.

http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/FosCephs.php

The next three images are of my favorite of all fossils

- the trilobite. They are very handsome crab like creatures that lived 500 million years ago. I tell the children they are handling creatures older than the dinosaurs!

http://www.nature-watch.com/trilobite-fossil-p-82.html?cPath=142_157&gclid=CJac8-Hriq4CFeJeTAodeVfNzQ

These are amongst the oldest arthropods. They were abundant during the Paleozoic era, but died out at the end of it. They are easy identified with their three part bodies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilobite

Now for the fossil coral. I lived near Coralville, Iowa

where these fossils were everywhere just laying around

near stream beds and in gravel since Iowa was the bottom of an ancient ocean.

Now for the plant fossils.

Crinoids lived at the bottom of the ocean and are common fossils.

http://www.fossils-facts-and-finds.com/crinoid_fossils.html

The fern fossils I must have bought at a rock and mineral show.

How could you start a fossil collection? Well, they have gotten a little expensive now, but never miss those traveling rock and mineral shows that come to town. I paid almost nothing for mine because I am such a scavenger.

This ancient history unit goes:

My rock collection (posted here)

This fossil unit

and then volcanoes.

Dinosaurs would go next.

Art Rubbings

2012-01-26T22:47:00.000-06:00

A favorite art project is to lay out collected items that have a good texture that can be covered with paper and rubbed with a crayon.

I draw free hand designs to be rubbed onto to give the project more structure.

This computer created design also adds interest and focal points.

These 6 circles become a study of texture.

Kids will do this over and over with gusto using all the patterns and textures.

As a final note, I always give young artists masters to look at, be inspired by and just plain copy.

Kids do not know how to create art until you show them. My clown drawing is done in a childlike manner so this 4 year old can have success of his own. He can now draw clowns with great relish.

As you can imagine, his mother is delighted!

Practical Life on a Budget

2012-01-08T16:22:00.002-06:00

My small school, Dundee Montessori, is operated in my parent's original home that I inherited. I have no big board of directors or big school budget. I make every decision on every detail by myself or with the help of Miss Shirley, who has been a teacher with the school for 14 years.

As a creative person, as most Montessori teachers are, my goal has been to present unique and original works for my students to do each day. I often tell them that this school will be the only place they will ever handle cow bones, or hold a horseshoe crab, or do the cool, fun practical life works I cobble together from cast offs.

I love putting practical life works together. We call them "table works" at my school and I continue to put new exercises together even though my store room is filled. I adore estate sales and Goodwill and so I continue to buy very cheap objects and I continue to love finding a way to use them. For me it is like a puzzle I must figure out. I bought these napkins rings but what do I use them for?

Here are the works on my shelf now that have all come from estate sales or Goodwill.

Every tray, dish or spoon has been a bargain!

Sparkly pom poms drop into color coordinated napkin rings.

Those goofy ceramic kitchen animals with a spoon for a tail becomes one of our favorite works.

Many different pieces from all different places comes together perfectly.

Metal tins fit the star basket to make an attractive spooning work

How to make good use of a toothbrush holder:

1. Get plastic swizzle sticks.

2. Place them in that brass fireplace matchstick holder you have been waiting to use for years.

3. Create a color matching work perfect for a younger child.

Indian brass incense burners become a lid and top matching work with a pink pom pom to add inside.

What to do with a unique tree shaped bottle and hair bands.

Almost every estate sale has these silk lined cosmetic trays.

1960's hair roller sticks fit perfectly into that old metal salt shaker.

Fuzzy pipe cleaners poke into this salt shaker.

Q-tips down the hole!

A bubble wand gets beads placed into it by tweezers.

Sparkly pom poms drop into color coordinated napkin rings.

A metal sieve catches beads poured with water.

So, all that is old is new again and finds a new and useful life!

The unwanted cast offs are very much needed in my life as a Montessori teacher.

Rock Unit

2012-01-08T14:12:00.003-06:00

I rotate science units monthly and this is the start to our rock, fossils, and volcano unit

which will take a couple months to go through.

If you have seen my other science units you know I am a huge collector of all things natural.

A tray of crystals with a page from some workbook to sort them by size.

I try to add a paper work to most things because my kids love to do a paper element to take home.

Petrified wood to handle.

Naming different rocks.

Feeling the wide differences in weight and structure of rocks and minerals

I collected the geodes with the red dots and rubber bands to hold them shut in a stream in Iowa - a fossil meca. When I taught Montessori in Iowa City, fossils were at every stream and mixed in the gravel in neighborhood driveways. I could actually walk down the street and collect fossils in people's drive.

Polished rocks become a matching exercise.

Rocks and fossils to add to a worksheet of opposites like shiny/ dull, rough/smooth.

I will post my fossil unit later on. Watch for it.

http://www.rocksforkids.com/

http://geology.com/rocks/

Liebster Award to Little Ole Me!

2012-01-08T13:48:00.001-06:00

http://tothelesson.blogspot.com/2011/12/liebster-blog-award.html?showComment=1326051468236#c1146395679218300699

Sasha, at tothelesson.blogspot, has awarded this to blogs of interest.

She was nice enough to give my blog one of the awards!

Please see her really wonderful blog!

And thank you, Sasha, for the honor!

Clay Xmas Ornaments

2011-12-10T20:15:00.000-06:00

Do you have the free Montessori eBook yet?

2011-12-08T18:23:00.000-06:00

Deb Chitwood, the Madonna of online Montessori, has published the coolest free eBook on Montessori curriculum! Go to her to get your copy, pronto!
By the way, some of my science curriculum on this blog was chosen for the book! Thank you endlessly, Deb!

http://livingmontessorinow.com/2011/12/08/free-ebook-mom-bloggers-talk-montessori-favorite-ideas-and-activities/

Dinosaur Coil Pots

2011-11-25T11:55:00.000-06:00

The Best Montessori Articles and Studies

2011-10-09T21:21:00.001-05:00

http://waterfrontmontessori.com/Montessori_LINKS.html

Want articles to read and circulate? This school put it all together!

Is Montessori the Origin of Google and Amazon? from Forbes

2011-10-09T21:17:00.000-05:00

A good read for Montessorians.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2011/08/02/is-montessori-the-origin-of-google-amazon/

Fall Harvest Basket

2011-10-05T20:49:00.000-05:00

Parts of the Body Paper Works

2011-10-02T18:37:00.001-05:00

After using the Parts of the Hands cards, the students can look at this more advanced master and trace their own hands and label in a list form.

To make a more advanced Parts of the Body booklet to color in I made masters of all the organs for the kids to copy

They also like this Parts of the Head master to draw and make a list from.

Easy Hammering Work

2011-10-02T18:26:00.000-05:00

Buy a big single block of oil clay at a craft store, drop it into any container, use golf tees for nails

and find a hammer. A winner and not so noisy!

Classic Halloween Song with Clay

2011-10-02T11:07:00.006-05:00

Mary Had a Little Lamb in Japanese

2011-10-02T10:55:00.002-05:00

Geometric Solids Objects

2011-09-25T10:50:00.000-05:00

Geometric Solids

We have a basket of small objects to match to the geometric solids.

It helps the children visualize these shapes in things of daily life.

Sensorial Shape Box to Design With

2011-09-25T10:43:00.000-05:00

A beautiful shape, color, design and sorting work is this three layered box of cut out shapes.

It can be as easy or as advanced in structure as you wish.

I bought mine here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MONTESSORI-CIRCLES-SQUARES-and-TRIANGLES-NEW-/120584620267?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item1c136748eb#ht_528wt_1051

Sensorial Extention Color Gradation Work

2011-09-25T10:26:00.000-05:00

Our class enjoys this newer Montessori friendly color gradation work.

It is a good addition for any class!

You can buy it here:

http://www.amazon.com/Montessori-Color-Resemblance-Sorting-Task/dp/B00495UJQ2/ref=sr_1_23?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1316964003&sr=1-23

Superwoman Was Already Here and it Was Maria Montessori

2011-09-25T10:01:00.003-05:00

http://un-schooled.net/?p=488

http://montessoribuddy.com/blog/2011/08/maria-montessori-superwoman-was-already-here/

Nice addition to your Montessori reading!

Miss Theresa's Montessori Music Class

2011-09-24T19:23:00.002-05:00

This music class was presented by a Montessori teacher who linked geography materials and cultural awareness to music of the world and continents. Beautiful to see and interesting for the children!

Miss Theresa is at:
http://misstmontessori.blogspot.com

Insets Art Project

2011-09-22T06:48:00.000-05:00

Here is a simple project using the Montessori Insets. Older kids can trace and cut their shapes themselves.
This works well for younger children because the pre-cut version only requires one snip of the scissors to cut the paper strips into "sparkles" that they then wipe on a glue stick. My two year olds loved doing that!

Huge Unit on Insects

2011-09-20T21:19:00.004-05:00

This long visual post highlights my unit on insects.

Here is how you can do it for your class:

1. Collect dead specimens and put them in tiny boxes. They keep for many years. Look under rocks, under bushes, in the eaves of the garage and keep the porch light on to attract them.

2. Cut up insect books and magazines to make matching cards and corresponding pictures.

3. Draw like a child so your students can copy your master images.

4. Find workbook black line drawings to use as "parts of" masters. Image Google black line spider, for example.

5. Write little descriptions of the bugs for " Who Am I? " cards.

6. Be obsessed with making this unit. Teachers go through "sensitive periods" of learning, also!

7. When it is done you will have this loved unit for many years to make your science area shine!
Parents love doing these works as much as the kids!

Here goes! Remember, I have been teaching for a very long time. This unit evolved over years.

Scorpions / Tarantulas / Spiders

Bees

Butterflies

Cicadas and Cicada Killer Wasps

Ants

Beetles

Grasshoppers

Praying Mantis

Flies

Cricket and Mosquito

Start with one bug that is laying on your porch now.

This tiny, hidden world of insects is all around you.

Observe, collect, and create!

That is a Montessori teacher.

And have fun! And love bugs!!

Teach your children to observe and love insects, not step on them and scream.

They will remember these lessons for life.

I will do a curriculum search for the dead ladybug under your bush :

Pictures: http://duncraft.atom5.com/butterflies-bees-lad-3213.html

Black line for Parts of Cards: http://www.openclipart.org/detail/79471/ladybug-line-art-by-gammillian

Craft: http://villagefamilymag.org/2011/06/08/craft-ladybug-toss/

Cooking: http://www.parenting.com/article/how-to-make-a-ladybugs-cake

Why We Love Montessori

2011-09-18T10:39:00.003-05:00

Click on the youtube logo to go to my channel where I have posted many other classroom in action videos!

Egypt Unit in Three Parts

2011-09-18T10:28:00.002-05:00