Between the Snow Storms

Montessori has been learning many things in, around, and after snow storms this winter!

The Lunchers traveled to The National Gallery of Art to be "art investigators."

They loved finding Picasso's Le Gourmet since they had learned about his "blue period" in the classrooms and also made their own cubist portraits in the art room.

Sometimes they used picture clues...

...and sometimes they used objects to look for details about the "when, where or what" in the landscapes.

Using the laser pointer helped everyone see better!

Which person are you in Picasso's Family of Saltimbanques? Guess!

Use your sketch book to draw what you see.

Don't forget to look closely at color, line and shape!

On March 4th Bill Jenkins brought many kinds of Native American musical instruments for Montessori music. 

Today Native American children dress, go to school, and play soccer just like us, but long, long ago their ancestors lived in an America that was mostly forest, prairie, and desert. They made musical instruments for their celebrations from natural materials. Many families still make and use these instruments for their powwows.

Shakers were made from "found" materials like gourds and turtle shells.

Montessori II learned to hold the shakers in one hand and keep the beat.

Drums were held or placed on stands so they could vibrate deeply. They come in many shapes-- cylinders, octagons, and even squares!

The drum stick is pinched in your fingers just like a pencil.

We learned to keep the beat...

...whether standing up or

sitting down.

When we sing and play together, the rhythm feels like a heart beat! 

The Owls had an interesting adventure this week! They put on their boots and warm coats to take a

"field trip" around campus to look for plant and animal life cycles.

Our Audubon naturalist taught us about metamorphosis--big change!

Plants have a life cycle too. The Owls did "plant aerobics" to learn the life cycle of an apple tree from seed to fruit. They wiggled their roots(toes),grew stems, then branches(arms), leaves (fingers), flowers and apples!

Outside they found a squirrel nest and wondered if there were baby squirrels waiting for spring tucked inside all those leaves.

Can you work together to make a life cycle?

Here's the butterfly!

Here's the frog!

Here's the bird!

The Owls blew milkweed seeds to start a new life cycle. The fluffy seeds flew away on the wind! They will check back later this spring to look for milkweed plants. Maybe a Monarch Butterfly will use these plants to lay her eggs next year? Monarchs love milkweed leaves!

Montessori will be watching and waiting for spring to happen--and we can't wait!

"Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn."--B Franklin