| Fine arts generalist, Kathleen Poole, Montessori trained in elementary,
worked with her troop of girl scouts to begin clearing… |
| A grant has provided some funds and time to undertake this project. The
immediate realization was that the scope of the work… |
| Steps of the process have closely united the staff of Hershey Montessori
School in this outdoor work. Adults who work with… |
| t
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ij… |
| HERSHEY MONTESSORI SCHOOL'S
OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENT
by Pat Doyle Proctor
Hershey Montessori School is located in a semi-… |
| Behind the building approximately two acres of mowed grass features a
large wooden play structure with swings, slide, ramps,… |
| The trails, only about four feet wide, are intimate, with many slight
curves and bends that add to the mystery of the woods.… |
| grassy area. It is here that many discoveries take place: a water snake,
Canada geese, and frogs live or visit here; hundreds… |
| will know the pleasure of watching, petting, or providing for the needs of
animals. They will learn how animals live and how… |
| 24
The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 17, No. 3 • Sumn,er /992 |
| ,_
__ ....._ _______________ ,__ ____
FACULTY NOTEBOOK
• Observation
• Plannine: and Develooment
• Maintenance and… |
| OBSERVATION
The child is initia1ed illlo observalion of /he phenom-
ena of life. He swnds wilh respect 10 1he p/a111s and… |
| 28
The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 17, No. 3 • Summer 1992 |
| Nature Alphabet
(Lower Elementary)
by Jeanne Catalano
Creative use of the land lab provides a natural extension of the class… |
| Andy spotted a chickadee and quickly turned to the "c" page in his
bookJet. He was puzzled about how to… |
| Psychological Implications
Most people who return to school in the fall experience a sadness over
the loss of freedom enjoyed… |
| children about the provision of oxygen in ponds and oceans. We looked at
demonstrations in bowls of freshwater algae, water… |
| out-of-doors. Easy access to a collection of materials such as hand lenses or
magnifying glasses. glass containers of all… |
| Snow Tracks
(Primary)
by Pat Doyle Proctor
Two forays into neivly-fallen snow lo look for animal tracks, one with
four- and… |
| kinds of tracks. We went back on a different trail, and when we came back to
the lead-in trail I exclaimed with puzzlement,… |
| Curriculum Extensions
Very apparent between the two groups was the difference in movement.
The younger group was at a… |
| their directions. They had built up their skills, knowledge, confidence and
independence. The woods had become a comfortable… |
| The children were fascinated by the small frogs in the pond. I taught
them to walk carefully and quietly around the entire… |
| Psychological Implications
It is typical for us to refer lo our outdoor environment as "our" land lab,
yet… |
| not tell. We did not find out what had happened for several days, and the
event required the establishment of clearer… |
| In many ways this experience dramatized a problem we had been
theorizing about for some time: To what extent do we allow… |
| Tree Walk
(Lower Elementary)
by Jeanne Catalano
A free ide111ifica1ion walk wilh a naturalist al 1he Arboretum builds skills… |
| Curriculum Extensions
This was great excitement
and fun-the joy of discovery
rather than instruction about
the kinds of… |
| nat petioles. These kinds of sensorial experiences encourage children to use
many of their senses for scientific exploration,… |
| that they had been too loud. I told them that they had done a very good job
and I thought they were very quiet. I explained… |
| done something wrong usually tends to deny his involvement in negative
situations. Therefore I was very pleased to be able to… |
| another two-week period they were allowed to open the cage and feed her by
filling her bowl; they could also bring special… |
| PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
The child is initiated info .foresight; when he knows
that the life of the planrs that have been… |
| 50
The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 17, No. 3 • Summer 1992 |
| Introducing Water Plants
(Upper Elementary)
by Michael Bagiackas
When over three hundred native wildlife plants to be… |
| Four boys volunteered to help. They had met the basic criterion of
having a spare set of clothes to change into upon their… |
| see that I have a responsibility to the students to help them to be prepared for
various weather forms particularly with a… |
| the face of adverse conditions. Certainly they wanted to leave, and when one
of them announced his intention to do so, the… |
| day by deciding which projects need to be accomplished, overseeing the
gathering of tools, and purchasing of materials,… |
| And moments later: "Laurie?"
''l'm here!"
"OK."
I still hear the… |
| And Lhe school community becomes a small example of the larger world
community in action, helping and sharing, planning and… |
| It was a delight to help the children measure and establish their angles
with stakes, string, and measuring sticks. They… |
| twelve, there is the joy in applying mathematics to a tangible, meaningful
project, of seeing how and why a mathematical… |
| my class and I were gathered around a tangle of grapevines and we envi-
sioned this primitive shelter. In a flurry of activity… |
| Clearly, the construction of a primitive hut evokes a myriad of curricu-
lum opportunities in the study of shelter, the study… |
| Creative Pollution Control
(Lower Elementary)
by Jeanne Catalano
Charles. who is an avid conserv(lfionist. develops a… |
| Curriculum Extensions
The importance of impres-
sionistic storie and charts for
botany study is illu trated here.
Charles… |
| Plant Sale
(Upper Elementary)
by Laurie Ewert-Kroeker
A venture into the business of growing and selling annuals and veg•… |
| Unfortunately, we received orders for less than half of what we grew,
which was an interesting lesson in supply and demand,… |
| program. But "going-out" into the community and working on projects that
have tangible outcomes recognized… |
| Curriculum Extensions
Clearly students need to
be challenged and encouraged
in the first place and later per-
milled to… |
| Suddenly We Have a Nursery
(Upper Elemetltary)
by Michael Bagiackas
An unexpected gift of 50 three-year-old plants just… |
| Fortunately we had learned from our experience and had decided that
instead of trying to introduce our next batch of young… |
| Jan, true to her word, was at school early. She was delighted to see how
quickly we had mobilized in response to her call. The… |
| in the case of putting in the nursery, we find that the presentation itself
has stretched on for six hours. The children have… |
| I witnessed through the course of the day working attitudes of a number
of children. Two boys stayed with me for almost the… |
| MAINTENANCE AND PRACTICAL LIFE
The child adapts chee,fully to the simplest doings,
such as to have an immediate end in view,… |
| 74
The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 17, No. 3 • Summer 1992 |
| Joys of Gardening
(Upper Elementary)
by Laurie Ewert-Kroeker
Even at age thirteen, the co11.temment of working in the soil… |
| strong, and working wilh the hands and body is still joyful. Although these
children are capable of high levels of abstraction… |
| C., nine years old, worked conscientiously to finish his assignments and
projects-but not without struggling, often requiring… |
| Psychological Implications
The use of a machine like a rototiller is, first and foremost, a physical,
hands-on experience-… |
| The children were instructed to put food items such as carrot, banana,
orange, or cucumber peels, nut shells, and so on from… |
| site while exploring the lunches the children bring. On the one hand it is a
nice experience to learn how to coexist with the… |
| Pat, the other children's house guide, and I both had student teachers at
the same time. We were having some beautiful… |
| the ability to nurture and see the long-range benefits of returning babies to
their original home as well as carrying out a… |
| A Pondsite Adventure
(Primary)
by Pat Doyle Proctor
A walk to observe the newly cleared and excavated pondsite becomes an… |
| principal." And I kept saying, "No, we'll get out." Emrys got a stick to dig
the mud off my… |
| almost a shallow wetland, dug to specification with varying depths to
promote inhabitation by wildlife.
However, nature… |
| As suggestions were made, creative instincts, imagination, and abstrac-
tion were evident. The solution of the stick platform… |
| ARTS AND ENACTMENT
Human co11scio11s11ess comes i1110 the world as a flam-
ing ball of imagination. Everything invented by… |
| Celebrating the Spring Equinox
88
The NAMTA Journal • Vol. 17, No. 3 • Summer 1992 |
| Tuning in to Our Animal Nature
(Upper Elementary)
by Michael Bagiackas
The land lab provides a location for physical… |
| "We should
not pretend to
understand
the world only
by the intel-
lect; we
apprehend it
just as much
by… |
| Stalking in the Meadow
(Upper Elementary)
by Michael Bagiackas
An extemporaneous predator-prey game in the ,neadow… |
| Webbing
"Here is a game that makes very clear
the essential interrelationships among all the
members of nature… |
| Curriculum Extensions
The historical basis for understanding the hunter psyche and how that
played in the development of… |
| The Fall Equinox
(Upper Elementary)
by Laurie Ewert-Kroeker
A school-wide celebration of the fall equinox combined native… |
| We have since developed community celebrations for the winter solstice
and the spring equinox. These celebrations have… |
| Celebrating such changes as a community can help our children become
aware of such cycles as natural and beautiful. The… |
| he had also been identified as learning disabled. He resented being taken out
of the classroom for tutoring sessions several… |
| can provide the motivation to improve in reading, writing, and spelling.
Focusing on a child's strengths, rather than… |
| APPENDIX I
THE CHILDREN'S GARDEN
The following article provides 011 urban counterpoint
lo a rural outdoor education… |
| THE CHILDREN'S GARDEN
by Carrie Driver-Johnson, Mark Johnson, and Lori Butler
The idea for the MacDowell Montessori… |
| Master Garden
Acclimation Garden
The Children's Garden
The current dimensions of rhe proposed MacDowell School garden… |
| The Montessori environment is a perfect one in which to facilitate a
cosmic gardening experience. Children need a safe place… |
| sensory exploration-smell,
feel, taste. However, the key is to keep the
children's garden a place of wonder and beauty… |
| analyses and take samples to be sent to laboratories for more extensive
analysis such as for heavy metals common in city soil… |
| The adolescents may choose to design the garden for community ser-
vice: to beautify the city; to provide flowers to nursing… |
| POSITIONS
CALIFORNIA
San Francisco Bay Area: MONTESSORI
SCHOOL OF LOS ALTOS. beginning i1s 21''
year wilh an… |
| BS and AML/AMS cerlification, ideally with
adminisIra1ivc and financial experience and
strong interpersonal skills. Dedicated… |
| riculum includes CnrecltesisofrheGood Shep-
herd. SETON ACADEMY MONTESSORI.
PO Box 5192, River Forest, IL 60305.
MARYLAND… |
| school situated 30 miles from the Pocono Mts.
and 30 miles from New York City in north-
western New Jersey. Staff and… |
| AM I trained elementary and primary teachers
wanted for a growing school with strong par-
ent support located in beautiful… |
| 1992-1993 NAMTA CONFERENCES
October 1-3
October 15-17
November 6-7
December 4-5
February 5-7
March 19-20
April 30-May I… |
| tbtauhee ~oniessori
4717 Chesapeake Street NW, Washington, DC 20016 (202) 362-1172
Traditional, internationally approved… |
| --· en
Nienhuis Montessori ...
on the cutting edge of Educational Reform.
Educational reform? No easy task! Innovative… |