Discover the 'PA of the Day' system—a time-saving freebie for efficient class jobs and valued students.
My quest this year was to create a more organised environment in my classroom. A space that allowed for natural expression through various forms of play as well as a space that was organised and wa…
Continent Folders? You're thinking, "You mean Continent Boxes, right?" Nope. I mean Continent Folders. They actually also go by "Montessori cultural folders" as well. Either name is accurate and neither name fully describes them! These were originally going to be our Montessori Continent Boxes. Now they are toy boxes. I like the idea of the continent boxes (cultural boxes) - and I had even bought a set of stackable drawers to use for just such purpose, before I went to AMI Primary Montessori training. We could still use them as continent/cultural boxes, but I never really found the need for them in my household. Instead I re-purposed them to hold Legoboy's small toys: small animals, train tracks, cars, small scenery pieces, etc. He still uses them, but now has them reorganized according to his own (internalized, elementary-level, crazy-from-the-outside) organization. Ultimately, I went with what I received in Montessori training. Folders. The continent/cultural folders spark discussion, they promote interest... and then we can pull out the objects we have around the environment which the child is surrounded by for further discussion and experiences: books in the reading area, artifacts used as decoration around the environment (also used for polishing, dusting, flower-arranging, etc.), games to play with friends and family, etc. The objects and experiences are throughout life, rather than kept together in one box. The child is surrounded by cultural objects rather than having them boxed up. The child can go into the environment and gather appropriate objects for this study. LATER UPDATE (just this paragraph) - these materials seem so SIMPLISTIC and many people have told me "no, the cultural/continent boxes are a much better idea because it is all 3-d; some pictures can be added there too." That is your choice. Here are some points to consider to ensure a full Montessori balance/experience: are you providing keys? so that your child can explore and have something to discover for his own self? do you still have some cultural objects around the environment that your child can discover and say, "Oh! this is the Eiffel Tower from France! We have a picture of this in our Europe culture folder!" And it is something they can polish, clean, draw, etc. thus part of the environment around the child. the continent/cultural folders are also intended to incite conversation and story-telling (these are extensions on the album page) I personally decided that this one material, the Montessori cultural folders, allowed me to provide ALL of the above, with fewer actual objects from the get-go --- we could explore culture and continents and countries without spending hours/days/weeks/months/years collecting objects before even getting started. We could get started with the images, then discover all the cultural items already around our home! For me, my time is precious and I chose not to spend it on deciding which continent box to place a polar bear in (polar bears are present in Asia, Europe and North America by the way - and I have photos of each kind of polar bear in their proper continent - so much easier to find pictures than objects - and cheaper ;) -- then we have a few polar bears around and we discuss what all continents they belong on). At the time I created these cultural folders, I was just coming off a $5/month Montessori materials budget (I upped the budget a bit for during the training course - I spent what was needed, but also strove to minimize expenses - I think with lamination (paid at the training center), folders, colors, pencils, colored paper (most of which I had on hand already but a few things I purchased), donated magazines, I MAYBE spent $4 on the entire set - if that. I also pooled resources with other trainees, which helped. Time: 4 hours, plus 1/2 hour gathering items, 1/2 hour cleaning up ----- 5 hours. (END UPDATE) Image traced on with a print-out of the continent or with the world puzzle map pieces Colored in. Displayed in an elevated rack The images inside the cultural continent folders contain a variety of images from that continent - mounted on appropriate colored paper or cardstock, with a brief description on the back. They are intended to spark conversation and questions - leading to further studies as the children get older. This work can start at age 3 after they have worked with the world puzzle map and we want to share information on each continent. There are animals represented, people from various cultures on that continent, photos of food and national dress, etc. Our images all came from National Geographic magazines, but cut-up books could be used, images printed from the internet, etc. The continent folders then sub-divide into a variety of topics (not photographed here) - these can be smaller packets or pouches, or even a book on the topic (that's what we did - just read books, watched videos, or had real-life experiences with the sub-topics). This work is found in the Spoken Language section of the AMI Language album. The continent folders photographed here I had made for training and then used them at home with Legoboy. I was marked down for them because I didn't use all lowercase letters (since these are for such young children - younger Montessori children will write in all lower-case to start, then move to capitals at age 5 and 6, without the use of sandpaper letters). Technically I could have left them unlabeled altogether and not been marked down at all. Disclaimer though: My son has a hard time "caring" about capital letters anymore (despite starting to write with capital block letters) - so I do not regret having this material available to him with proper capitalization. At least he KNOWS where the capital letters go. How was this particular set of cultural folders made? It is a set of file folders - 1 file folder for each continent (in this set) - I chose to keep the tabs all in one place, but could have alternated them (the original plan was that the sub-sets would have tabs in different locations, so the children re-sort them easily based on the tab location). I used packing tape to close up the sides; then covered it in color construction paper (wish I'd used cardstock because construction paper fades) just over the folds. Laminated the whole thing (had to slit the lamination to re-open the pouch). If I were to do it again, I think I would prefer to use contact paper - only because the contact paper could wrap around the sides more securely. Or use colored pocket folders (now that pink and white are more easily found than when I was in primary training) and laminate those for sturdiness. I always thought Legoboy would add to these picture sets in elementary - that was/is his typical thing. For some reason, he didn't; instead he delved into cultural studies, loves reading books and watching videos - he can talk to you about different things when he is interested - and he loves to learn about other cultures. But he has never sought to add to the images. Just when I think I have him pegged ;) Continent folders can be an alternate to the bulkier continent boxes - or can be an addition to them. I highly recommend having multi-cultural items around your home - not just in the boxes. Alternate what is out at various times so that items can rotate into the box and out to the environment. I personally prefer to have an image of someone using the chop-sticks, with a quick description on the back, have a conversation with my child - then he "discovers" we have chopsticks in the kitchen where they would actually be used (instead of as an artifact in the box) - perhaps because I conveniently left them where he would find them (hehe - that's called strewing - homeschool moms get good at that) - and then we pull up a YouTube video to show us how to USE them. It just feels more real to me. In the end, I see the benefit of both continent boxes and continent folders, and lean towards the cultural/continent folders as my "core" with the boxes as peripheral. Your mileage will vary ;) Links for additional information on continent/cultural folders: This continent folder set doesn't quite match what is in my own AMI albums: http://www.montessoriprintshop.com/Montessori_Extension_Lesson.html Downloadables of animal images - though still not quite the same description: http://www.montessorimaterials.org/geo.htm One sample of using pocket folders - hers gets to it but my training dictated colored background on the cards (could be an optional feature if you have coding somewhere else so the photos can be re-sorted to their proper folders): http://bellachampion.blogspot.com/2011/10/real-montessori-continent-folders.html This continent folder set looks really neat actually: http://montessori123.com/products/complete-set-of-images-for-all-continents And these cultural folders sound about right too: http://www.absorbentminds.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss000001.pl?page=search&SS=continents+folders&search.x=-328&search.y=-149&search=ACTION&PR=-1&TB=A
I have put together a few craft, sporting and backyard fun activities to inspire you and your family to get involved and have some fun together while the countdown is on to the Commonwealth Games that is coming to the Gold Coast this April.
Exciting ideas for your new class during transition days. From icebreakers to teamwork challenges, make it a memorable experience.
Guided Reading 101 in kindergarten and 1st grade! Lesson ideas, planning, organization, grouping students and more for print and teach lessons.
This set of Agriculture worksheets based on "Animal Production" have been designed to be used as short activities when a cover lesson needs to be quickly organised or could be used when students cannot complete practical activities with the remainder of the class.It consists of 3 matching word activities and three find-a-word activities for Animal Production unit or for Technology Mandatory Food and Agriculture lessons.
Matchbook chapter summaries super simple and fun project that you can have your students complete during your next novel study.
Each year I like to do a different novel study with my students. I’m always on the lookout for novel study activities for any novel. This year I chose the book, “The City of Ember” because it fit in nicely with my science and social studies units (Light and Sound for science and Ancient Civilizations […]
Collaborative art is easy, right!? Put a beret on, give some kids some paint brushes, let them have at it, voilà! Wrong! Dead, wrong! Organising a group of adults or children to create a cohesive a…
What’s on your mind? Is a terrific way to get to know your students + these make an easy and awesome bulletin board too! Great activity for the first week of school and a nice ice breaker for students to get to know their new classmates. What’s On Your Mind Activity From: TeachWithMe.com Would you ... Read More about What’s On Your Mind?
Discover the 'PA of the Day' system—a time-saving freebie for efficient class jobs and valued students.
Inspirées du concept de l’hambourgeois tout garni, nous avons adopté cette idée parmi nos classes francophones. Voici comment nous le présentons dans notre ressource. À la fin de son primaire, l’élève rédigera des textes cohérents et bien organisés. Afin d’atteindre cet objectif, il devra développer sa capacité à: 1.choisir des idées pertinentes 2.regrouper les idées […]
Wherever you do your tracking, mixing, and mastering – be it a garden shed, on top of a mountain, or in your home music studio – these 21 creative music studios around the world are sure to inspire.
Pet rocks are a fun and easy kids craft activity. Get creative making, bugs rocks with googly eyes, and more.
This post suggests five simple ways to celebrate Roald Dahl with minimal prep, aiming to encourage and nurture lifelong readers in your classroom.
In class we have been learning all about how our learning journey works and how learning is not always easy. We have been trying to push ourselves with all of the tasks we are given. We read a book…
Check out our academic student calendar template! This student-focused calendar helps students to stay organized and manage their time effectively. Students can track class schedules, and weekly school assignments, in that way, students can prioritize tasks, set goals, and achieve academic success with less stress. This calendar template is an essential resource for students at any level of education.
Discover how a front door transformation can elevate your home's curb appeal and create a lasting first impression.
