Extension Activities
Extension activities allow children to take a known idea, concept or material and explore it in a new way. The extension activities highlighted allow children to make connections with lessons they have been presented in a Montessori classroom (6-9 years) and make new discoveries outdoors. Extension activities can be presented to small groups during a three hour work period or to a large group for a targeted lesson.
The learning prompts promote exploration using your senses while exploring the environment freely, observing, discovering, reflecting and connecting with nature.
Extension activities can be found on the resources page and have been categorized to reflect each area of the Montessori Curriculum, Practical Life, Language, Math, Cultural Arts and Sensorial.
Botany Task Cards
Task cards are a set of sequential activities that can be explored independently in the outdoor prepared learning environment.
“The Montessori method is a fairly simple structure. Follow the child. Prepare the environment. Simple to complex. Concrete to abstract. Logical, simple and unsophisticated.”
~ Cathrine McTamaney
Reading these words the first thing that comes to mind is the Botany curriculum. In Montessori Botany refers to the study of nature, how logical, simple and unsophisticated an idea to study nature outdoors.
Wouldn’t it be much simpler to learn about the parts of a plant, or sort types of leaves in nature? Nature provides the most concrete environment.
I’m excited to share the first series of Botany Task cards that follow the scope and sequence of the Lower Elementary (6-9 years) curriculum.
Click here to see samples of Botany Task Cards
https://montessorioutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Montessori-Outside-Botany-Task-Cards.pdf
Grammar Command Cards
Grammar commands cards are an introduction to the grammar boxes and a parallel exercise to parts of speech work. Children can perform simple commands to solidify their understanding of the highlighted part of speech.
The North American Montessori Center (2014) teacher training blog spot NAMC describes command cards as a means to take the place of worksheets and workbooks and allow children to explore, internalize and apply their knowledge by constructing and demonstrating their learning in meaningful ways. Task cards can be created to relate high interest and real world situations (para. 8-9).
I have adapted our classroom set of Grammar Command cards to be used as task cards in the outdoor prepared environment. By simply changing the materials I am excited to share command cards that can be used as a part of the three-hour work cycle outside that highlight adjectives and verbs.
Click here to see samples of Adjective Grammar Command Cards
https://montessorioutside.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Montessori-Outside-Grammar-Command-Cards.pdf
