Renate Hiller "On Handwork"

This amazing video should be viewed by all Montessorians -

Click here to view: Renate Hiller --- "On Handwork"

Holiday Geometry and Math II

After watching two of my students methodically divide a triangular tree and a bowed, gift box into individual triangles on the bulletin board, I had one of my assistants prepare an art project that basically duplicated the triangular tree work.

I stated that the triangles had been cut by hand rather than a machine so some were slightly larger or smaller than others and would need to be trimmed to fit exactly. I watched as the elders did in fact do that. It was amazing to see how at times they trimmed only the tiniest sliver of paper so that the triangles fit perfectly together.

The student that did the chalk work in the picture at the beginning of this post re-created it almost exactly in her art piece, including numbering the triangles - her own idea and decision to do so, none of the other students did.

It was a very successful project. Note that the students did not decorate their trees with drawn ornaments or in fact any illustrations. They used pieces of ribbon, but nothing else. This is a sign that they are maturing as they did not need to add more to their pieces. They were satisfied with them without the embellishments.

Fourth World Living

A parent of one of my students, who makes the recyclable snack bags, has a new blog. Check out Lisa's "Fourth World Living Blog" and support this Alaskan artist.

Click here: Fourth World Living

Holiday Geometry and Math

I drew a triangular tree on the top left side of the chalkboard and divided the image into triangles. Too, I assigned each triangle a number as I counted how many triangles there were in total.

Then I drew a second triangular tree and asked if any of my students wanted to repeat the work I had just completed with this singular image. I had a child volunteer instantly.

After she worked for almost thirty minutes, a second elder approached me and asked I they could also do the work. As there was room on the chalkboard, I agreed but drew a bowed gift box instead. She looked at it, got a ruler and went to work.

Here are a dozen or more photographs of their work. Note that the children wrote all but a few of the numbers written on the triangles. When the chalk broke a few times, I assisted. It was simply amazing watching them work.

(Note : The board was washed by a younger student just prior to my initial work. I am repainting the chalkboard over the holidays. )

Declamation Poem for December - Winter Solstice Chant

(Above: My chalkboard sketch to help visualize the poem during our first reading of it in class today.)

This is the December poem for Elders to recite for declamation in my class. If you click "December poem" you may hear it read out loud.

There is a large solstice celebration here in Juneau, Alaska on Sa

ndy Beach which I am excited to attend for the first time this year. Sandy Beach is just behind my school, so this poem is perfect for my students.

Winter Solstice Chant

by Annie Finch

Vines, leaves, roots of darkness, growing,

now you are uncurled and cover our eyes

with the edge of winter sky

leaning over us in icy stars.

Vines, leaves, roots of darkness, growing,

come with your seasons, your fullness, your end -

come with your seasons, your fullness, your end.

Poetry is interpretive. I talk about metaphor in poetry and creative writing often with my students. I want to give them poems to recite that invite them to think about the coupling of imagery and language. This is a creative writing / language lesson.

(After reading and explaining the poem - I added the sun's return in the right corner. I also explained that the sun is in fact always shining.)

Who Has Seen The Wind

My elders have memorized their first poem. It is such a wonderful thing to listen to them recite it. Just before lunch, every day, we have a moment of silence which is then followed by our pre-lunch song - "The Earth is good to me and so I thank the Earth for giving me the things I need - the sun and the rain and the apple seed. The Earth is good to me."

Two or three times a week now, after the moment of silence and before the song, I say "Declamation." I then call a child's name and then another's until all of the elders who wish to recite their poems have. It is not a demand but an opportunity. Therefore, a child may say, "I decline," or some other similar and brief statement. The younger students are simply captivated when listening to the elders recite. Too, one of my elders has a Broadway stage-like presence. When she does her declamation, she includes a lot of hand gestures. I love it.

Each month, beginning with the month of November, the elders (third / fourth year students) are given a poem to recite. At the end of the school year they are presented their first anthology of poetry - the poems they have memorized collected into a bound, illustrated book. The illustrations are done by them. The small chapbook of poems is a wonderful gift to conclude their year and their time in the primary classroom.

Here is the first poem. Note that they also state the name of the author at the conclusion of their declamation.

Who has Seen the Wind?

Who has seen the wind?

Neither I nor you:

But when the leaves hang trembling

The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?

Neither you nor I:

But when the trees bow down their heads,

The wind is passing by.

---

by Christina Rossetti

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Since creating the Moveable Alphabet, I have received emails from readers who wanted to follow my blog but didn't have a Google account and didn't want to get one. Years later, I have a solution. Notice on the right sidebar that I have added a "follow by email" box. I hope this new option is a good fix for those of you looking for a second option to follow my posts.