International Montessori Preschool Teachers Training Program

Module 9

Submitted by: Laila Anum

Roll No D15577

ASSIGNMENT # 9

Submitted to: MS Aysha Saddiqa

Program Montessori Early Childhood

Culture 2 (Zoology, Botany &Science Experiments)

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Question 1: Write a note on how to setup indoor and outdoor environment for introducing zoology
and botany.

Presentation - Preparing the Outdoor Environment for Zoology

Materials:

• Bird Feeder

• Bird Bath

• Bird House

Exercise:

This exercise helps to attract wildlife and study it in the outdoor environment, especially for
children aged 3+ years. Children can find great joy in observing birds, which can be attracted by
establishing a variety of feeders. A bird bath also offers an interesting opportunity to watch birds,
however, care must be taken to keep it clean as well as to change the water daily. The directress
may wish to set up some bird houses, preferably with the children’s assistance. Depending on the
environment, salt licks in the water, and a variety of feed otherwise may be put out to attract
other forms of wildlife. On outdoor trips and nature walks, the teacher should look of tracks so
that on the stroll, the children may have the opportunity to study insects, habitats of different
lifeforms; under rocks, leaves, in the barks of trees etc. Most importantly, the children should be
shown how to behave in an outdoor setting, i.e. with respect and care for the environment.

Presentation - Preparing the Indoor Environment for Zoology

Material:

• Pet cages

• Tanks

• Terrarium

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Exercise:

This exercise helps to encourage the children (ideally aged 2+ year) to establish respect for other
living creatures, as well as to develop a caring attitude towards animals, birds and fish etc. while
observing them and attending to their needs. Animals can be brought into the classroom
permanently or temporarily, however, it must be ensured that no child is allergic to any of the
animals being brought in. A proper living environment for the animals must be provided.
Feeding and caring for animals provide attractive practical life exercises. Observing what and
how the animals eat can also be very interesting, especially when the children are directly
engaged in said activities. The children should be encouraged to observe how the animal(s)
move. It is important to establish appropriate ways to handle the animals and any other routines
which ensure the safety of the animals, as well as the children. It is very exciting to watch a life
cycle develop, i.e. a frog or a mealworm. It is recommended that resources easily available be
used in these exercises. Many people will be willing to bring animals to the school. In addition,
trips to the zoo can be very informative. If a teacher chooses to keep animals within the
classroom, suitable arrangements must be made for their care on weekends and during holidays.

Presentation - Preparing the Outdoor Environment for Botany

Materials:

• Tools for digging

• Tools for Hoeing

• Tools for Planting

• Tools for Raking

• Tools for Weeding

• Tools for Watering

• Tools for Harvesting

• Tools for Composting

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Exercise:

This exercise helps introduce activities which direct the child's attention toward plant life, and
raises their awareness of plants, their needs and their importance to the earth and to us. If
possible a teacher should establish a garden in the outdoor environment. This garden should be
aesthetically pleasing as well as functional, whereby children can subsequently enjoy eating their
produce. Children can help prepare the ground by digging, hoeing, and then planting. They can
also maintain the garden by weeding, watering and eventually harvesting any crops. Plants may
be started inside and then later replanted outside. In the fall, raking is a good activity.
Maintaining a compost helps to promote the idea of not wasting. In addition, planting can help
attract animals and birds as well, allowing the children an opportunity to observe the animals
feeding. Nature walks may also be arranged which emphasise a sensorial experience for the
children. The children should be encouraged to find their specimens from the ground so as not to
harm a living sample. Ample time should be taken to explore and share with the children the
living world around them which will help instil respect and interest in plant life.

Presentation - Preparing the Indoor Environment for Botany

Material:

• Choice of plants

• Tools for the care and maintenance of plants and flowers

• Equipment for making products with plants and flowers

Exercise 1 - Everyday Life Activities; Watering, Misting, Removing Dead Leaves/Flowers,

Washing Leaves: The choice of plants is important; consider the amount of light the classroom
receives. Start with a few plants and expand the number with success. Choose plants which are
interesting for different reasons, i.e., flowering, non-flowering, different leaf shapes, edible, non-
edible etc. Early in the year, give a lesson on how to care for each plant. Removing dead leaves
and washing leaves are interesting exercises. You may also make up a card for each plant which
includes the following information: its name, where it was originally grown/came from, its
watering and care needs and any interesting facts concerning the plant.

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Exercise 2 - Rooting, Potting and Repotting, Plant Propagation: Repotting a plant can be a
very nice small group activity. Plant propagation can be very interesting, i.e., start with seeds or
a sprouting bulb. The more ways of propagation shown to the children, the better it is for their
understanding. Books on plants provide further information for the children. Encourage children
to make a booklet for themselves; drawing a picture of what they did at each step.

Exercise 3 - Flower Arranging, Pressing and Mounting Specimens, Making Sachets:

Flower arrangement is a further way to boost interest in plants. A plant press can be made of
layers of cardboard and newspaper. The children could make their own press or you may have a
commercial one they can all share. The children can identify the various leaf shapes and create
booklets. In addition, children can make cards from mounted pressed flowers and greenery. They
can also enjoy making sachets of potpourri with dried flowers.

Exercise 4 - Food Preparation: Introduce plants on a sensorial level with an emphasis on taste.
Include fruits and vegetables as part of the snack table. Fresh juice squeezed by hand is always
popular. Discuss what part of the plant is edible, i.e., leaf, root, etc. Nutmeg or cinnamon can be
grated and used in cooking, or taken home. Planting a fruit or vegetable and then eating the
produce is a great project. An herb garden can provide many activities. Sprouts are also fun to
grow, and also tasty. In addition, you may wish to explore the importance of smell to taste.
Remember, what you are trying to give the children is a total experience with plants.

These exercises help introduce the children to the care of living plants. On an informal level,
they introduce to the use of plants, our dependence on plants for food, as well as aesthetic
reasons. Summarily, they stimulate interest in plant life among children.

Question 2: Explain how the children are introduced to the vertebrates and invertebrates,
five classes of vertebrates and then the body parts of a typical animal of each class.

Presentation - Vertebrate and Invertebrate

Material:

• Vertebral Column Model

• Set of pictures of Vertebrates and Invertebrates

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• Box for sorting with two compartments, labeled vertebrate and Invertebrate

Exercise: This exercise preferably carried out for children aged 4 years and up, helps children
identify animals with, as well as without vertebral columns. The directress introduces the spinal
cord to a small group of children, noting that the back bone is made up of many little bones
called vertebrae. In the centre of the bones is what is called the spinal cord. The soft discs are
between the bones so that they do not rub together. The children are shown where their backbone
is and they are made to feel it. They are also shown the movement of the column and encouraged
to move in different ways. They can be told, "You have a backbone, you are a vertebrate.
Animals without a backbone are called invertebrates". They are also introduced to the set of
cards and made to identify the animals. They may be helped in sorting out the pictures into the
appropriate categories by prompting their observations. It should also be emphasised how the
tails of the vertebrate animals are an extension of their backbone. When finished, the children
can check their work by the coding on the back. The children may also be shown skeletal models
which they enjoy looking at, in addition to cards with skeleton overlays for a variety of animal
exposure.

Five Classes of Vertebrates:

1. Birds: Birds are animals that have feathers and that are born out of hard-shelled eggs. All birds
have feathers and birds are the only animals that do. The feathers on a bird’s wings and tail
overlap. Because they overlap, the feathers catch and hold the air. This helps the bird to fly, steer
itself and land.

2. Fish: Fish are vertebrates that live in water and have gills, scales and fins on their body. There
are a lot of different fish and many of them look very odd indeed. There are blind fish, fish with
noses like elephants, fish that shoot down passing bugs with a stream of water and even fish that
crawl onto land and hop about!

3. Reptiles: Reptiles are a class of animal with scaly skin. They are cold blooded and are born on
land. Snakes, lizards, crocodiles, alligators and turtles all belong to the reptile class.

4. Amphibians: Amphibians are born in the water. When they are born, they breathe with gills
like a fish. But when they grow up, they develop lungs and can live on land.

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5. Arthropods: Any animals that have more than four jointed legs are arthropods. Insects, spiders
and crustaceans all belong to this class of animals.

Question 3: Prepare the following material and send to your tutor along with the
assignment;

Four part nomenclature material for the part of a flower.

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 Two part classified cards of the common fruits in Pakistan.

Question 4: Carry out any five science experiments mentioned in this book. Take pictures
while working, and send them to your tutors.

Siphon

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Making a Rain Gauge

Making an Egg Go Soft

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Rising Coin

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Growing plant experiment

Magnetic and non Magnetic Experiment

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Making Bubbles Experiment

Exploding a Volcano Experiment

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Rocket Balloon Experiment

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