Helena Reid MINW Elementary Course 1 2012 2013

History Exploring Human History History Question Charts

History Question Charts

Notes for the Guide
Dr. Montessori gave some guidelines for presenting history. In the early years she worked with a Dutch historian Prinz-Werker to develop materials around which we can build our history lessons. The Montessori approach to history is very broad. We encompass history in the traditional sense as a chronology of people and events. We are also talking about other areas of human study and knowledge: cultural and social anthropology, including sociology, economics and even some geography. History like all topics is offered in an open-ended inter-disciplinary and integrated way. In support of what we have come to know as the childrens special powers at this age: imagination and reason. The great lesson of the coming of humans sets the stage for human history. The unique gifts of human beings: the hand and the mind. Materials like the History Q&A charts help to guide the children in their exploration of the rest of human history. These History Charts have several different uses. They are used by the Montessori adult and by the children as a framework. The answers to the questions on the charts form a basis for what we offer to the children and guide and structure their exploration. Early work in History can be launched with the Fundamental Human Needs charts. Both of these charts (Fundamental Human Needs and History Question Charts) are tools to help structure their work. The blank spots on each chart are an invitation to the children to place their own questions on the chart. They are also a way of showing the children that not only do we not have all the answers we dont even have all the questions we could ask.

Materials
4 charts in successive heights with questions listed in columns:

Each chart includes a blank spot for children to insert their own questions.

Helena Reid MINW Elementary Course 1 2012 2013

History Exploring Human History History Question Charts

Questions on the History Question Charts: 1. What was the Nature of the Country? (Green) 1.1. What was the terrain like? 1.2. What type of climate was there? 1.3. What kinds of flora and fauna were there? 1.4. How and why did people come to live there? 1.5. blank 2. What was the Relationship Within and Between Groups?( Brown) 2.1. How did this group interact with other groups? 2.2. Did they trade among themselves? With others? Did they barter? 2.3. How did they posses money, goods & property? Individually or in common? Was their poverty? 2.4. Did they engage in wars or conquests? Did they have slaves? 2.5. What was the social structure of the group? What were their living arrangements? 2.6. What were marriages or family life like? What kinds of kinship and friendship mattered? 2.7. How did they govern themselves? 2.8. Did these people travel, explore or migrate? 2.9. What care did they give their children? 2.10. blank 3. What was the Spiritual and Intellectual Culture? (Yellow) 3.1. What was their spoken or written language like? Their stories and literature? 3.2. What number system did they use? 3.3. What was their art and music like? 3.4. What sciences interested them? 3.5. How did they educate their children? 3.6. What were their ideas of life or death? 3.7. What were their beliefs? Did they have gods or goddesses? 3.8. What was their concept of justice? How were laws enforced? 3.9. What were their holidays, rituals and ceremonies? 3.10. blank 4. What were the Human Activities? (Blue) 4.1. What types of work and occupation did they have? What tools or techniques did they use? 4.2. How did they meet their needs for clothing and shelter? 4.3. How did they get their food? Did they have agriculture? What did they produce? 4.4. How did they make use of nature? 4.5. blank

Helena Reid MINW Elementary Course 1 2012 2013

History Exploring Human History History Question Charts

A Guide to Stories Purpose

To guide the adult in research and preparation of history stories to be given to the children.

Notes for the Guide

Storytelling is our time tested special method for sowing seeds and awakening interest and imagination in Elementary children. A well crafted history story will inspire the children. It will inspire them to independent activity. There is a fine line between inspiring and entertaining. Independent activity can look like mere conversation. Independent activity can include reading, research, drama, art, music or some other response. Children enjoy re-enacting critical moments in history. Its our responsibility to craft history stories that inspire rather than entertain. Its also our responsibility to craft history stories that inspire rather than teach. Its not the childrens job to memorize or learn all the information in the story we present. Instead we can think about our history stories as an invitation to the children to become interested. Its hard for them to become interested in something they have never heard about. Once they are interested they can engage in the self-directed, self-constructive act of finding out more. You can use these charts to create your own stories about any culture or any time period. Here are some Guidelines for creating your own stories: What are the children interested in. What are they talking about? What time period or culture do they already know something about? A story might have particular relevance for particular children in your community. You can also choose to emphasize something from your public school district, state or national standards. Children want to know more about their country. These history question charts enable a more efficient history telling process for the adult. You might choose to focus on just one chart or just one question from several charts. Keep in mind the Montessori principles: Limitation the stories do not contain all the information. Their needs to be more for the child to find out. Older children like to contradict what your story stated; younger children like to verify what you have told them.

Helena Reid MINW Elementary Course 1 2012 2013

History Exploring Human History History Question Charts

Introduction to the Material for the Child

Notes for the Guide: You dont do this once and check it off. Different children need different experiences. We introduce the history question charts to the child with a story. We are helping them connect what is happening in spoken language to the structure that underlies human society. We know that written language develops out of spoken language. Children are better able to write what they have been able to experience in spoken language. Introduce the materials with a story and the children will develop stories of their own. Accompany your story with a picture or an artifact or a map or even a song. After you tell your story you can leave your accompanying material out on the history shelf for a few days. Seeing those objects might inspire the children to do follow up work. Rotate it frequently. In your repertoire have a story about 1) local culture 2) ancient culture 3) underrepresented culture. The child's potential for independent work with this material is unlimited. Children take a special interest in expressing what they have discovered about human beings. History is a kind of self expression. How do children express their discoveries? Factual writing, historical fiction, reading, biographies. Children are fascinated by the handwork tools and technologies of other cultures. This includes the clothing, decoration, cooking, textiles, handwork. Mario Montessori said you might let them know ahead of time that you are going to tell a story. Give the child a chance to anticipate in and to prepare for it, if they wish.

Purpose: Introduce the children to the History Question Charts. Materials: Charts, Prepared story using 1 or more of the history question charts. Presentation:
I am going to use this material with my story. These are called the History Question Charts. They have many questions on them. My story doesn't have the answers to all these questions but we will find some of the answers in the story I am going to tell. My story is called insert title of story. At the end of the story: Here is one of our history question charts. Let's read the questions and see if my story answered any of these questions. Read questions and elicit responses from the children. Write the answers on index cards. Summarize the story based on the cards you wrote. These charts are very important to create and understand history stories. Maybe you want to ask and answer another story about the x people or use the charts to tell a story about a different person.

Helena Reid MINW Elementary Course 1 2012 2013

History Exploring Human History History Question Charts

Extensions: 1) Using the charts to take notes. Lets write a few facts to help us tell the story. 2) Introducing the idea of comparing cultures. Take 1 question and 2 cultures. Prepare 2 very brief stories that address that one question. Tell your 1st story, read the question, write out the answers on a card. Tell your 2nd story, read the question, write out the answers on a card. Compare, contrast and discuss the cards. 3) Use prepared cards but keep in mind the limitation of materials principle. There is another material in our room that will help you. Each of these cards answers a question on a chart. Instead of telling a story, you can take out these cards and find the questions that the card answers. This extension makes it possible to cover required material on a public school curriculum.

Helena Reid MINW Elementary Course 1 2012 2013

History Exploring Human History History Question Charts

Facilitating Children's Own Study Purpose: Independent research using the History Question Charts. Materials: 1 or more of the history question charts depending on the topic of research. Presentation:
It's important to do this work after the child has done some independent research. You can even suggest a day or two in advance that they: Collect up all the books you have been looking at that are about x topic. Let's choose one of these charts and use the books that you have collected to answer the questions on this chart (or these charts). What was the Nature of Their Country? What were the relationships within & between groups? What was the spiritual & intellectual culture? What were the human activities?

How are you going to answer that? Where in the book did you read about that? Can you read that out loud? Did anybody else find something in a different book about this topic? Come back and help them make the translation into a report, booklet or timeline. How do you want to show what you know? What do you want to do with this information? How do you want to share this? What are you going to do next? UL Extensions: Develop other research techniques such as recording the source, etc.