Science & Nature Songs!

Wendy Duvall, UMA student from Oxford, OH, sends us this amazing and fun link!

"While I was hunting around for physics songs (for a UMA Science Theme Project) I stumbled upon this great series of LPs from the 50's. They have such great songs that match up fantastically with much of the Montessori material. I thought I'd pass it along..." 

(Click here for YouTube video) 

Thanks Wendy! Check out more Nature Songs, sung by Marais & Miranda, on this YouTube site. This is just one part of a 6 LP set called Singing Science. This set came out in the late 50's/early 60's and exposed children to different science topics through fun and catchy little songs. 

Enjoy!!

(Photo courtesy of Daphnea Solomon, UMA graduate and owner/director of Tupelo Children's House - Montessori School)

Natural Playgrounds

Continuing our Earth Day theme....Natural Playgrounds Company has the right idea: A lower carbon footprint, safe and more sustainable, plus they have a higher play value (discovery oriented). Check it out the video and be inspired!

Natural Playgrounds Company

 

Leaf Poem

Children love to act out this poem. Don't be surprised if you hear, "Let's do it again!"

FALLING LEAVES...

LEAVES ARE FALLING TO THE GROUND (wiggle fingers, sway arms, moving them downwards)

YELLOW, BROWN, AND RED.

SOFTLY FALLING, LIKE THE RAIN, (repeat movement)

       (pause...gently taping the top of your head)) OH! 

      ONE FELL ON MY HEAD!

Decorating for Autumn

Happy Autumn...to all in the Northern Hemisphere!

‘Tis the season for blustery weather, brilliant colors, falling leaves, carved pumpkins, spiced cider…  Winter will be upon us soon enough. In the meantime, here is just one of a few ways to celebrate Autumn in your classroom or home. Make sure the children are fully involved in making the decorations from beginning to end, even if the cut version looks like anything but a leafy hand…after all, leaves come in all shapes and sizes!

Directions: 

Trace a hand on fall-colored construction paper.  Cut out. Punch a hole. Thread through hole. Hang from ceiling. Create a seasonal feel of falling leaves right in your classroom! No need to write names on each hand...it's a community effort and fun to wonder, "Who's leafy hand is that?" 

Just a glimpse of Sunriver 2010

Sunriver 2010 from United Montessori Association on Vimeo.

End of Summer Series: Some things UMA does on Summer Break !

Okay, this first one in our End of Summer series is what we do all year with our dog Kavi.  As a Montessori dog, notice his supreme concentration, self-discipline and overall joy of learning ( well, he's not exactly learning something new here)!!!  Now, if we could only get the instructor to practice silence during the activity.

The Spider Web

Aaack - It's an arachnid!
The direct aim of this exercise is to introduce children to the different types of webs as enrichment to the spider unit. The indirect aim is to pique an interest in zoology, habitats of living things, and ecology.

Types of Webs: Funnel, Sheet, and Orb.
Notice the two-step cards in the photo below on the right (click to enlarge). The child can connect the dots and make their own spider web.

Template for the connect-the-dots spider web.

(As shown above)

Sorting cards with pictures of the three different kinds of webs and title labels.

Suggestion: have 2-5 clear pictures of each kind of web and mount each picture on a different color paper to provide a control of error.

A spider web peg board with a transparent string attached to create webs.

From the 2010 PNMA Sharing Fair in Seattle, Washington USA, by Ms. Riddhi

Getting Children (and us) Out There!

Why Be Out There?

Today's kids spend only four to seven minutes outside per day. They log more than seven hours per day in front of electronic media.

Make a difference in the health and well-being of our children--and feel the difference that it makes in you.

Join the Be Out There™ movement and spend more time outdoors. 

Visit www.beoutthere.org to learn more!

UMA Photo Contest Winner !

Congratulations to Martha Huester, from Surabaya, Indonesia, living in Nairobi, Kenya. Martha is the winner of the UMA Photo Contest with her photo entry entitled:

“Exploring Nature” 
 

This is a photo of her son, Florian at age 1 year 7 months. The photo has excellent clarity and the angle helps capture Florian’s intense focus. This is clearly a “Montessori Moment.” It includes nature, beauty, reality, exploration, discovery, concentration, curiosity, independence, joy, and more.

Martha will be receiving a $50 gift certificate to access beautiful educational downloads at the Montessori for Everyone store (donated by Lori Bourne). She will also receive the 2010 Book of the Year by Creative Child Magazine “Go Green With Me” from The Little Environmentalist (donated by Rebecca Matanno, author). 

Thanks to everyone who turned in entries.  It was a difficult choice.  And many thanks to our special donors for their participation, support, and generosity. And thank you, Martha Huester, for sharing your “Montessori Moment” with us all.

Spring Beckons Us

Spring beckons us outdoors; tempts us with warmer weather and fragrant scents.  The world comes alive in color and activity.  Animals, birds, bees and insects hum into action transforming the quiet cold of winter into the blossoming and buzzing growth of spring.  Dr. Montessori shared that the child can first normalize in Nature, the outdoor environment.  Here a child finds themselves surrounded by the natural world, in cooperation with the natural laws and rhythms of life.  They are inspired to explore and interact with all they encounter.

One such experience for my classroom took place early one spring when a mother deer gave birth to twin fawns outside our classroom and in our outdoor environment.  The children were respectful and enchanted by the tender scenes of the mother caring for the babies.  They waited and watched as the babies’ fur dried and they stood and took their first steps.  The composting leaves we piled together in the fall were the perfect bedding for this small family.  The children were wondering and discussing if the babies would eat the blossoming flowers they had planted.  They were curious and thoughtful of the needs of the babies and wanted to get water from the rain barrel to give to them.  Our morning was abuzz with ideas, discussions and reflecting on the needs of all creatures.

Providing opportunities for children to be outside, from reading or working at a table, to gardening and exploring offers the child a chance to express their own creative inspirations from Nature.  It also gives them an opportunity to explore their place in the natural world and how they are connected to the environment.

This time of year renews my creative energies and I would encourage everyone to find ways to get outside. 

Here are two links for activities and information about offering such opportunities to children.

Outdoor Activity Suggestions:  http://www.takeachildoutside.org/activities/gettingstarted.html
Gardening with Children:  http://www.kidsgardening.com

Laveeta Sweeney,
UMA Lead Evaluator

Photo contributed by Gardenview Montessori School