2. Visual Arts: Areas of Study
■Critique
● How to observe, synthesize, and
speak respectfully about art pieces,
using precise language, asking
effective questions
■Aesthetics
● Philosophy dealing with Art, Music, Beauty.
● What is Art, Why Make Art, Who decides
what is considered beautiful?
■Art History
● Introduction to Art Movements, Artists and their historical context
● Art-making and Art careers today
■Technique
● Building confidence in technical skills
● Learning to draw, paint, compose, sculpt, print, and experiment with
new media
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
3. Visual Arts in Kindergarten
and Lower Elementary
■Safety and independence
● Using scissors, paintbrushes, and clay tools
with minimal to no support
● Learning where to find materials and knowing
how to choose the next appropriate step in a
lesson
■Foundation in Techniques and Styles
● Practice in many mediums, with both
experimentation and guided steps
● Repetition for important skills highlighting
art vocabulary
■Talking about Artwork
● Taken Response System
● Reciprocal respect
● Critique as a model for student interactions and self-editing
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
4. Performing Arts
■Program Goals
● To foster a love and appreciation
of the arts of all cultures
● To promote creative and critical
thinking processes, both individually
and collaboratively
● To provide and practice tools and techniques for positive self-
expression and communication
■Implementation
● Child-centered and developmentally appropriate lessons within a
spiraling curriculum
● Studies of performing arts history on a global scale
● Emphasis on student interpretation and synthesis of ideas through
original compositions
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
5. Performing Arts:
Main Areas of Study
■Vocal Exploration
● Students can sing independently and in group settings, on pitch and in
rhythm, with attention paid to utilizing the proper technique and
expression.
■Instrumental Studies
● Students are introduced to progressively more difficult instruments,
culminating with the recorder in the third year and a formal study of
treble clef notation.
■Dramatic Storytelling
● Students perform improvisational activities, multicultural folktales, and
classic children’s stories to experience storytelling from around the
world, create an understanding of the human voice and to foster
personal confidence.
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
6. Health and Physical Education
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
7. Technology
■3rdgraders
● Skills: typing, word processing, file structure, menu
structure, shortcuts
● Understandings: learning new programs/web tools,
communicating ideas to audience
■Classroom
● Supplementary resources
● Class projects
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
9. Spanish
■Please see handout.
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
10.
11. The Kingsley Montessori
Elementary Curriculum
The Kingsley approach to cultural studies, language, and mathematics.
1 November 2012
12. Elements of the Cultural Curriculum
■The Cultural Curriculum is the foundation of the Montessori Elementary
Curriculum. It covers both Social and Natural Sciences and highlight the
interconnectivity of all subject areas. Children are at the stage of
development where they are curious about the world around them. Cultural
studies are designed to spark children’s imagination and encourage them to
answer their own questions of “Why?”
■In the classroom, we use a variety of materials to encourage cultural
exploration. Materials include:
■ Timelines
■ 3 part matching cards
■ Hands-on objects and experiments
■ Reference tools (materials, books, magazines, internet, etc.)
■Whenever possible students are given the opportunity to see things as they
actually are. Field trips, demonstrations and cultural enrichment
presentations help make cultural studies “real”.
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
13. The Great Lessons
■The Creation of the Universe
■The Timeline of Life
■The Timeline of Early Humans
■The History of Numbers
■The History of Writing
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
14. History
■Long Black Strip
■Clock of Eras
■Time
■Fundamental Needs
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
15. Geography
■Land and Water Forms
■Globes and the Compass Rose
■Puzzle Maps
■Pin Maps
■Outline Maps
■Flag and Country Studies
■Economic Geography
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
16. Science
■Kingdoms of Life
■ Classification and Taxonomy
■ Biological Studies
■Solar System and the Universe
■ Astronomy
■ Studies of Matter and Energy
■Study of the Earth
■ Geology and the Layers of the Earth
■ Water Cycle
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
17. Elements of the Language Curriculum
■Oral Language
■Handwriting
■Reading
■Writing
■Grammar
■Word Study
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
18. First Year Language Curriculum
■Oral Language - speaking in a group, sounds, complete sentences
■Handwriting - perfecting print handwriting
■Reading
■ Oral - decoding accurately (phonetic reading), phrasing, expression
■ Comprehension - predicting, retelling with beginning, middle, and end,
elements of fiction
■Writing - complete sentence (capital and end mark), expression
■Grammar - learning the Montessori grammar symbols for the parts of
speech
■Word Study - compound words, synonyms, antonyms (sensorial approach)
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
19. Writing in the First Grade
Early Writing Sample Late Writing Sample
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
20. Second Year Language Curriculum
■Oral Language - speaking in a group, expressing feelings and thoughts
■Handwriting - perfecting print handwriting and transition into cursive
■Reading
■ Oral - decoding fluently, phrasing, expression
■ Comprehension - predicting, summarizing and including important
details, elements of fiction
■Writing - detailed sentences, expand knowledge of punctuation, expanding
genres, beginning paragraph work
■Grammar - applying the Montessori grammar symbols for the parts of
speech in an isolated context
■Word Study - synonyms, antonyms (abstract approach), suffix,
homophones, dictionary skills
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
21. Writing in the Second Grade
Early Writing Sample Late Writing Sample
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
22. Third Year Language Curriculum
■Oral Language - oral presentation
■Handwriting - transition into cursive
■Reading
■ Oral - expression, intonation, fluency
■ Comprehension - summarizing and including important details
(independently), elements of fiction, inferring, relating to the real world
■Writing - detailed sentences, further expand knowledge of punctuation,
expanding genres, types of paragraph work, multiple paragraphs
■Grammar - subject, predicate, direct object (sentence analysis)
■Word Study - prefixes, analogies, research skills, vocabulary building, fine
tuning the rules of punctuation and writing mechanics
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
23. Writing in the Third Grade
Early Writing Sample Late Writing Sample
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
24. Mathematics
■Place Value, Operations, and Memorization
■Number Sense
■Geometry
■Data Collection
■Measurement
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
25. Place Value, Operations, & Memorization
■Place value to the millions
■Operations with whole numbers, fractions and
decimals
■ Addition
■ Subtraction
■ Multiplication
■ Division
■Concrete to abstract
■Material based learning
■Memorization with materials
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
26. Number Sense
■Patterns
■Estimation
■Rounding
■Comparing numbers
■Problem solving
1 November 2012 Lower Elementary Curriculum Overview *
