Lower Level Classroom News

It’s an exciting time here in the Lower Elementary of Cowles.  Now is the time of year that we break out the Timeline of Life on Earth.  The Timeline, which is available from many different Montessori retailers and measures 20+ feet long, is used in conjunction not only with the Montessori history manuals, but also with nonfiction texts and real fossils that students place on the timeline in the correct eon/era/period/epoch.  Although students’ attention is mostly given to dinosaurs, life forms from all 5 kingdoms are presented.

Besides the obvious topical research knowledge of the work, the Timeline is also used to teach the students how to do good research.  They learn how to organize information, how to paraphrase, and how to find/use their own writing voice.  By the end of the unit, students walk away with multiple research papers, a deeper appreciation for life,  and hopefully more questions than answers!