Here's our Montessori unit overview, based upon the Montessori standards from Montessori Compass and our state's pre-school standards. For those familiar with various curriculum planning methods, I'm using the Understanding by Design method here. From this unit plan, I developed specific lesson plans that follow the same format. If any are a smashing success or maybe a dismal failure, I'll share as well!
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| Our first sensory box! |
Established Goals:
From Montessori Compass
- Holds crayon as
demonstrated
- Holds paintbrush as
demonstrated
- Demonstrates understanding
of item’s position: top, bottom, high, low, etc.
- Is able to understand
basic ideas of day and night
- Conversation pictures:
answers specific questions about pictures
- Works to complete a
picture with pattern blocks with assistance
- Independently works sorts
items by size puzzle by size
- One-to-one association
activities
From State Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum Standards
- Child takes care of and manages classroom materials.
- Child uses category labels
to understand how the words/objects relate to each
other.
- Child engages in pre‐reading and reading‐
related activities.
- Child retells or re‐
enacts a story after it is read aloud.
- Child uses
information learned from books by
describing, relating, categorizing, or
comparing and contrasting
- Child counts 1‐10 items, with one count per item.
- Child identifies and
describes the characteristics of organisms.
- Child describes life cycles of organisms.
- Child demonstrates an understanding that
others have perspectives and feelings that are
different from her own
Understandings:
- All
living organisms have a life cycle.
- Books can
describe both real-life experiences and make-believe stories.
- We can
re-enact events in books.
- We can
re-create images.
- A
single number is associated with a single quantity.
- Every
object has characteristics that distinguish it from another object.
- Some
objects share similarities.
- Individuals
are responsible for maintaining their own tools and space.
- There
is a proper way to use writing utensils.
- Objects
or symbols can represent holidays or a time of year.
- Day and night have
different purposes and characteristics.
Essential Questions:
- How
does a pumpkin develop?
- How
can pumpkins be the same? How can
they be different?
- How
can you determine quantity?
- How can
you tell it’s Halloween time?
- How
can you tell it’s nighttime?
- How
can you tell it’s daytime?
- How
can you determine if a story in a book can happen in real-life or if it is
make-believe?
- How
can you take care of your own materials and space?
Learning Objectives:
Knowledge:
- Define
the parts of a pumpkin.
- Identify
the elements of a pumpkin’s lifecycle.
- Identify
colors, sizes, shapes.
- Define
location words.
- Count
from one to five.
- Identify
features of Halloween.
- Identify
features of night time.
- Identify
features of day time.
- Uses a
crayon or pencil to trace a line and color a picture.
- Uses a
paintbrush to decorate a pumpkin.
- Completes
a pattern puzzle with assistance.
- Describe
various pumpkins.
- Describes
a pumpkin’s lifecycle.
- Sort
items by size.
- Retell
a story.
- Re-enact
events in a story.
- Compare
and contrast items.
- Use
one-to-one association when counting from one to five.
- Describe
the events that take place on Halloween.
- Cleans
up materials when project is complete.
- Demonstrates
care when reading books.
- Demonstrate
concepts of print.
- Student
uses visual cues to identify feelings.
Performance Tasks:
Summative Assessment:
Part 1:
We will visit a pumpkin patch to
select our Halloween pumpkins. While
there, you will do the following:- When possible, identify
elements of the pumpkin life cycle.
- Describe the pumpkins you
see, to include location.
- Compare and contrast
pumpkins.
- Place pumpkins in order
according to size.
- Describe why you selected
the pumpkin you did.
Part 2:
We will decorate our pumpkins. During this process, you will complete the following tasks:
We will decorate our pumpkins. During this process, you will complete the following tasks:
- Re-create actions from
the book How Many Seeds in a
Pumpkin?
- Count pumpkin seeds using
the one-to-one association method.
- Use a paintbrush to
decorate your pumpkin.
Part 3:
We will go trick-or-treating. During and after this event, you will do the following:
We will go trick-or-treating. During and after this event, you will do the following:
- Identify Halloween items.
- Describe our activities.
Conclusion:
Describe our pumpkin activities. Explain what you liked and what you did not
like. Describe what you would like to do again in the future, and if you would
do anything differently.
Key Criteria:
- Accuracy
of information.
- Participation.
Other Evidence:
- Completion
of pattern puzzle
- Completion
of Connect the dot activities
- Read-aloud
involvement
- Ability
to follow directions
- Ability
to maintain workspace
Learning Plan-
1. Day
1- Read Pick a Perfect Pumpkin and How
Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? Introduce final assessment, which mirrors
activities in both books.
2. Day
1- Trip to grocery store to see and feel pumpkins.
3. Day
2- Complete connect the dots activities.
4. Day
3- Complete pattern puzzle.
5.
Day 4- Re-read books for more involved student
input based upon current experiences. Elaborate on plans/wish for final
assessment activity.
6.
Day 5- Complete one-to-one association activity.
7.
Day 6- Read Halloween books. Go on a walk to
identify Halloween related terms at decorated houses. E
8.
Day 7- Introduce pumpkin lifecycle cards.
9.
Day 8- Free play with all materials presented. Extra materials like coloring sheets and
gourds are available for exploration.
10. Day
9-10 Final assessment.
11. Day
11- Verbal retelling of assessment events.
