The Five Great Lessons of Montessori
Maria Montessori believed that children learn best when their imaginations are nurtured. Because children are naturally questioning and curious about their place in the universe, it is critical to open the doors to the universe for them to explore.
In Lower Elementary, this begins with the introduction of the five Great Lessons. Students learn how the universe was formed in a way that excites their minds and initiates interest in how everything we know today came to be.
The five Great Lessons are:
The Coming of the Universe – Explains how galaxies, solar systems, and planets formed from nothing.
The Coming of Life – Traces the timeline of biological life on Earth, from simple microorganisms to the modern era.
The Coming of Humans – Demonstrates how the Earth evolved to support increasingly complex life forms, including humans.
The Story of Language – Explores early written languages and signs and their cultural impact.
The Story of Math – Outlines the origins and evolution of numerical systems.
These lessons provide the foundation for students to study various subjects, including history, geography, math, chemistry, physics, astronomy, zoology, botany, reading, and writing. They begin the school year by observing these Great Lessons, which help them appreciate the interconnectedness of different fields of study.
“Since it has been seen to be necessary to give so much to the child, let us give him a vision of the whole universe. The universe is an imposing reality, and an answer to all questions.” -Dr. Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential
Dr. Montessori was a scientist with a background in pediatrics and psychiatry. Using this mindset, she carefully observed the activity of children in her classrooms. She noted that the children in the second plane of development (between ages six and twelve) embraced big ideas and were beginning to turn outward to the wider world. They cherished using their imaginations and wanted to be inspired.
During this stage, children are also highly attuned to the concepts of fairness and justice, as they are in the midst of a sensitive period for moral development. This sensitivity often leads them to voice grievances and seek clarity on right and wrong. Consequently, this is the perfect age to provide a universal framework to develop a perspective of gratitude and empathy. This foundation is integral for Montessori students to become global citizens.
Maria Montessori wanted elementary-aged children to recognize their place in the world and embrace their opportunity to contribute. She wanted them to appreciate every being and object’s “cosmic task” – their opportunity to serve the wider universe. A great example of how she hoped to illustrate this was through what she called The Story of the Ocean. In this story, early lifeforms lament how the oceans contain too much calcium to support more complex organisms. As they evolved, the radiolarians and the corals consumed the calcium to form their exoskeletons. This removes excess calcium from the oceans and prepares the waters to welcome new, more advanced lifeforms. Cleaning the oceans is portrayed as the “cosmic task” of these organisms.
“We want to help the child to realize the part that humanity has played and still has to play… History must be alive and dynamic, awakening enthusiasm, destructive of intellectual egoism… But history of human achievements is real, a living witness to the greatness of man, and the children can easily be brought to thrill by the knowledge that there are millions of people like themselves, striving mentally and physically to solve the problems of life, and that all contribute to a solution though one may find it.” – Dr. Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential.