Something creative and beautiful has come out of our study of geography.
Some of the children in my Montessori 3 to 6-year-old class are not quite ready to pin-punch all 7 continents of the world, but they are interested in making a world map.
My good friend and fellow Montessorian, Angie, came up with a new idea to help them. We would help the children trace the continent puzzle pieces onto circles of white watercolor paper. After tracing them, the children go over this outline with a blue crayon. Then they use watercolors to paint each continent the same color as the puzzle map. The crayon lines keep the colors from bleeding into each other.
After the continents are dry, the children paint the oceans.
Sometimes Montessori maps of the world are placed on large blue paper, but we thought it was important to show the earth as it really is, a colorful sphere set in the blackness of space. The finished watercolored hemispheres are glued to extra-large black construction paper.
The children write The World at the top. Some of the children write the continent names on labels then stick them over the appropriate landform. We help the ones who are not yet writing.
When a child finishes any of the maps, we have a celebration at the end of the day.
For the world map, we sing two songs: "The Continent Song" and "He's (She's) Got the Whole World in His (Her) Hands."
The Continent Song - to the tune of Do You Know the Muffin Man?
"Do you know the continents, the continents, the continents?
Do you know the continents? Sing them now with me.
There's North America, South America, Antarctica.
There's Europe, Asia, Africa - Australia.
Now we know the continents, the continents, the continents.
Now we know the continents, next time sing with me!"
and
She's got the whole world in her hands.
She's got the whole world in her hands.
She's got the whole, wide world in her hands.
Erin's got the whole world in her hands.