HISTORY

Montessori Theory Foundation

There are two ways to define history. History can restrict itself to important past events and significant developments; or history can be considered a record of everything that has happened to human beings in the past. Maria Montessori elected to use the later definition. History was divided into Natural History (before human beings) and then Human History (everything that has involved human beings). We present history in a chronological order. This perspective makes it possible for history to become a link to all other subjects of all areas of knowledge. In all disciplines, we begin with the story of how human beings have acquired this body of knowledge and how we can help to continue it.
Subsequently, history is linked to everything in the Montessori classroom. The children encounter the universe’s history in the initial presentation in Geography where we tell the story of the Big Bang and the Laws of Matter that have formed all that we can observe today. This can also be defined as the abiotic history of the universe. We also present the story of life as it formed in water, the biotic history of our planet. We also give the story of human beings, the origins of our humanity, the history of language, mathematics, art, music, and all other areas of knowledge.

History is the Record of What People Have Done

History invites children to make links between different areas of knowledge. For example, the ancient Egyptians’ history contains the story of Pythagorean, which is a link to Geometry. Maria Montessori saw children as the hope for a better, more peaceful world. She believed that human history should be presented as a story of humanity where all humans share the same needs, have the same tendencies, where human activity and diversity are celebrated. Maria Montessori believed that this would lead to respect for other cultures, because all cultures can be viewed as the source of the many gifts of knowledge that we have now. We teach gratitude for the many inventions of previous civilizations and cultures.
History taught in this manner encourages children to step away from events like wars and intrigues and to step toward people’s ongoing evolution of greater humanity. The intention is for the children to develop a sense of history that is based upon the community of human beings. The objective is for the children to orient themselves to the history of human beings and their own role in our collective future.
History is not taught as a long list of dates and events to be memorized; it should be a living picture of the works and adventures of human beings. We want to keep the story in history alive.

Human Beings Have Built on Knowledge from Past Generations

The Bradley commission studied why we benefit from a study of history and found that it provides a sense of shared humanity. It encourages us to question our own stereotypes of others. We study history, because ignorance of the past may make us prisoners of the past. Maria Montessori presented history from the perspective of what people, including ordinary people, have done. We look at what people have done to improve the conditions of themselves and their people. Many times the valiant efforts of mankind that have made the greatest impact have been done by nameless people who pursued knowledge on behalf of their community.
We also present to children that history is the collaboration of human beings to invent things. For example, the Wright Brothers had many people’s collected information before they invented the first flying machines, for example, da Vinci’s sketch book. Maria Montessori believed that we should spread the credit for all of the inventions that lead up to the creation of the something extraordinary. These inventions can also be quite ordinary. For example, the seedless grape is enjoyed only because several people over many years cultivating grapes with smaller and smaller seeds.
We look at all of the accomplishments to determine where human beings have came from and to encourage in the child a sense of appreciation for previous cultures. Maria Montessori history looks at known and unknown people of the past and their value of their work. We seek to instill appreciation for the efforts of all our human ancestors.
Our sense of history changes how we think about the past as a series of accomplishments rather than a series of political struggles. What qualities did it take in these people? Social changes have required the power of reason, perseverance, and the courage to turn against the flow of one’s culture and to improve the conditions of life for others.
We look at the successes and failures of human beings. There is opportunity for the children to develop a desire to become as effective as their ancestors as they become members of their own country in order to improve the lives of others. Children during their elementary years are drawn to the idea of the extraordinary. Maria Montessori wants us to bring to them the idea that everyone’s life is extraordinary. Everyone can do extraordinary things.
Maria Montessori describes the absorbent mind's ability to absorb all of the advancements of their culture in the first plane of development. Children view all of our most incredible technology as just a normal part of their life. Similarly, the young child has absorbed the progress of history. Therefore, we present the story of human beings’ interdependence through time. The past affects us now and what we do now will affect what future generations will do later.
Hegel suggested that in order to create a better future, the moral man must always act in such a way that he could will all others in a similar situation to act in the same way. He proposed that this is how we participate in the creation of an evolved society.
As the children realize that history is a construction of the world by many generations, it was Maria Montessori’s hope that the children may start to think that if all of those people have helped me, then they also have a responsibility to help the generations that will follow them. We encourage them to see that there is a place where they can take up someone else’s work and take it further. They are led to conclude that they should also make a contribution to the evolution of mankind. Second conclusion, every human being past, present and future is my partner in the creation of what the world is. You don’t normally attack one’s partners. It is more important to cooperate with one’s partners. You will both get further along if you do.
We appeal to the reasoning, imaginative mind of the elementary child. It is important that they be allowed to ask why? It is important to encourage them to ask why, even if the answers are not readily available.
There is opportunity to engage the psychological characteristics of the elementary child. They work in groups upon a time line of a specific civilization or time. History inspires great work. History is of great importance in the classroom. It is what ties everything together. It is the key. We offer them a framework for their knowledge. We offer them a story of how we have come to the place that we are. We also give them a set of tools for their independent work. We give them an understanding of time: how to tell time and how to know the flow of time across ages of human development. We give them the progression of history in the materials of the fundamental needs chart. How did this group and in this time meet their fundamental needs?

THE MONTESSORI SYLLABUS FOR HISTORY

Exploring History
- The Time Line of Life
  - The Great Story
  - Major Points in the Story
  - How to Tell a Story
  - When to Tell a Story
  - The Blank Timeline
  - Further Details
- The Black Strip
- The Clock of Eras
- The Great Story of “The Story of Human Beings”
- The Fundamental Needs of Human Beings
  - Chart I - Material and Spiritual
  - Chart II - Food
  - Chart I and Cards - Variety of Ways to Satisfy Needs
- The Time Lines of Human Beings
  - First Time Line of Human Beings
  - Second Time Line of Human Beings
- The Hand Time Line
FURTHER HISTORY CONCEPTS
- Three Phases in History
  - Stories of the Phases
    - The Nomadic Phase
    - The Agricultural Phase
    - The Urban Phase
      - Bronze Age, Iron Age, Feudalism, Colonization
      - Industrial Revolution, Information Age
- Civilizations
  - Introduction to Civilizations
  - Stories of Civilizations
    - River Civilizations
      - (Summer, Egypt, Nubia, Indus Valley, Hwang-Ho)
    - American Civilizations
      - (Meso-American, Aztec, South American, Incan)
    - Classical Civilizations
      - (Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome)
  - The End of Isolated Civilizations
FURTHER MATERIALS AND ACTIVITIES FOR EXPLORING HUMAN HISTORY
- Child’s Independent Work
- History Question Charts
- Description of Charts
  - The Nature of the Country
  - The Practical Activities of the People
  - Relationships within the Group and With Other Groups
  - The Intellectual And Spiritual Aspects Of The Culture
- Sample Of Questions/Answers
- Migration Charts
  - The Various Movements
  - Billiard Ball; Nomad Horde, Infiltration & Fusion Charts (H4)
  - Clearing The Forest (H5)
  - Breaking The Wall (H6)
  - Pictures (The Hunt, The Glacier, The Desert)
- Making A Time Line
  - Guidelines for Making a Time Line
  - Notes on the Making of a Time Line
- United States History Time Line
  - Notes on Study of Child’s Own Country
  - Presentations of the United States History Time Line
  - American History Blank Strip
  - The Native Americans
  - Period of Exploration
  - The Colonial Period
  - The New Nation Reform and Reconstruction
  - A World Power
- The Blank US History Time Line and Card Material
THE EXERCISES FOR TIME
- Introduction and Stories
- The Year
  - BC/AD
  - Time Line The Cards of Fundamental Human Needs
- The Calendar
  - Days of the Week
  - Origin of the Names of the Days of the Week
  - Months of the Year
  - Names of the Months of the Year
- Children’s Exploration of Time
  - Telling Time to the Hour
  - My Day
  - Telling Time
  - My Family Time Line