After the presentation of Montessori’s Second Great Lesson, The Coming of Life, and studying the Timeline of Life, children enjoyed various lessons on fossils.
These lessons included:
- fossil types,
- fossil identification and matching,
- a fossil hunt with pictures of fossils from millions of years ago hidden all throughout the classroom.
Last week, children had the opportunity to make their own fossil, by layering an assortment of univalve and bivalve shells within plaster of Paris. This week, after the fossils solidified, children got to imagine they were paleontologists, equipped with chisels (aka butter knives), and worked to excavate their fossils. This was no easy feat! Many children chiseled and scraped away at their fossils for days before the prized shells were excavated.
Next week, the children will prepare a miniature exhibit by thoroughly cleaning and polishing their shells, painting cardboard to mount their shell to, and creating a plaque with the shell’s identification and date of excavation. This learning experience was enjoyed by all and some children have even said they want to be a paleontologist when they grow up!
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