Resources Montessori, Maria, To Education the Human Potential (Adyar, Madras: Kalakshetra Publications, 1st edition, 1948) Grazzini, Camillo. Maria Montessori’s Cosmic Vision, Cosmic Plan, and Cosmic Education (NAMTE Journal, Vol 38, No 1 2013) Duffy, Michael. Children of the Universe. (Parent Child Press, 3 rd edition 2016) COASTAL MONTESSORI CHARTER SCHOOL 111 Old Plantation Drive • Pawleys Island, SC 29585 Cosmic Education COASTAL MONTESSORI CHARTER SCHOOL Lower Elementary Lead, Jennifer Smoak, MEd
Transcript
Resources
Montessori, Maria, To Education the Human Potential (Adyar, Madras: Kalakshetra Publications, 1st edition, 1948)
Grazzini, Camillo. Maria Montessori’s Cosmic Vision, Cosmic Plan, and Cosmic Education (NAMTE Journal, Vol 38, No 1 2013)
Duffy, Michael. Children of the Universe. (Parent Child Press, 3rd edition 2016)
COASTAL MONTESSORI CHARTER SCHOOL111 Old Plantation Drive • Pawleys Island, SC 29585
Cosmic Education
COASTAL MONTESSORI CHARTER SCHOOLLower Elementary Lead, Jennifer Smoak, MEd
What is Cosmic Education?Dr. Maria Montessori devoted her life to studying child development and creating an educational philosophy that “followed the child.” Her years of observation lead to her practice that is known as Cosmic Education. Cosmic comes from the Greek word “kosmos” meaning world and order. Cosmic Education is for children who are in their “second plane of development” or approximately 6-12 years of age. The purpose of Cosmic Education is to give the child a perspective and a connection to the universe around them. As we study history, culture, and science, the child begins to see that we are all interconnected. Our interdependence with nature secures our place of belonging in and responsibility to the rest of the world.
“Education between the ages of six and twelve is not a direct continuation of that which has gone before, though it is built upon that basis. Psychologically there is a decided change in personality, and we recognize that nature has made this a period for the acquisition of culture, just as the former was for the absorption of environment. Knowledge can best be given where there is eagerness to learn, so this is the period when the seed of everything can be sown, the child’s mind being like a fertile field, ready to receive what will germinate into culture.… Interest will no longer be there if the seed be sown too late, but at six years of age all items of culture are received enthusiastically, and later these seeds will expand and grow.” Maria Montessori, from To Educate the Human Potential
In Action…
In Science
Students delve into botany and zoology, caring for plants and
animals in the classroom community.
Students learn the interconnectedness to
nature, timelines of how life came to be, how organisms have evolved and what we
can do to preserve our environment.
In Cultural Studies
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Students research and discover cultures from all over the world. We study all things that make up a people; geographical and economical environments, traditions, arts, food, clothing, history and music.
Why is it Important?Children in the second plane of development are keen observers developing mental reasoning. They have a strong sense of intrinsic justice and are in a stage of great inquisitiveness. These children love their peers and are learning how to establish relationships in a diverse community. This is a sensitive period in which children are drawn to stimuli in their environment and can attend to a stimulus, exclusive of anything else.
Children come to an understanding of the world in terms of its creation and its ecology.
Perfect Timing
Children ages 6-12 are “…becoming aware of the different kinds of cosmic work carried out by the various agents and of the interdependencies and interrelationships involved, and thereby developing one’s own cosmic vision; becoming conscious active participants [themselves] and thereby participating more fully in the cosmic plan or cosmic organization of work,” stated Camillo Grazzini. Children will understand the connectedness of the Earth with all that is in it, that the Earth is constantly changing and our choices have impact.
In Maria’s work…When Maria and her son Mario were working in India, the children in the school realized the burden of adult illiteracy in their village. Of their own accord, they began to plan and utilize resources, borrowing texts from the school and other places in the community and set out to solve the problem. Under the tutelage of the children, many adults in the village learned to read and write.
In Montessori education, we carry on Maria’s philosophy by promoting conservation, ecology, and by creating an environment that promotes peace, appreciation of diversity, and a life of service.
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"Cosmic Education teaches children to recognize the fundamental needs we all share and to respect the cultural differences by which we meet those fundamental needs. Such an education can lead us to a future of true peace such as that sought by Maria Montessori." – Michael Duffy
What Can You Do at Home?
Teach Thoughtfulness
Begin with each other. Teach love, respect and kindness in the home. Help your neighbors. Volunteer in your community. Show kindness to animals and the natural world around us. Teach tolerance and appreciation of diversity.
http://ageofmontessori.org/significance-kindness/
Feed the Mind
Encourage learning in all its forms. Learn through play. Learn through research. Learn through exploration and discovery. Learn from those around you. Learn alone. Learn together. Learn what you love to learn. Enjoy reading Cosmic Education: The Heart Of the Montessori Classroom by Michale and D’Neil Duffy.
“If the idea of the universe be presented to the child in the right way, it will do more for him than just arouse his interest, for it will create in him admiration and wonder, a feeling loftier than any interest and more satisfying. The child’s mind then will no longer wander, but becomes fixed and can work. The knowledge he then acquires is organized and systematic; his intelligence becomes whole and complete because of the vision of the whole that has been presented to him, and his interest spreads to all, for all are linked and have their place in the universe on which his mind is centered.… A great curiosity arises, which can never be satiated; so will last through a lifetime.” Maria Montessori, from To Educate the Human Potential
Find Out More! http://montessoritraining.blogspot.com/2013/02/purpose-of-
