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JoJo
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| Posted: June 26 2007 at 7:35am | IP Logged
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Katie wrote:
The so-called "Great Lessons" are a fabulous way of introducing some of these hard to explain ideas to younger children in a way that makes sense, and often manipulatives are used (the black strip for life on earth etc.)
I wonder if anyone has used these with their 6-9 yo, or older? I have four kids, including a 6yo who attended Montessori preschool for 3yrs, and is now being homeschooled.
I understand that the Great Lessons form the starting point for children's learning and exploration in the Montessori elementary classroom, but I am not sure if they are appropriate for use at home. Personally, they seem a bit daunting to me. But from what I have read in the past, they aim to present a 'big picture' for the children - instead of just teaching them bits and pieces of different subjects.
This site has lots of info on Great Lessons: http://missbarbara.net/greatlessons.html?. Haven't used any of it yet though.
Would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks
Jo
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AndreaG
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| Posted: June 26 2007 at 8:52am | IP Logged
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Well, I have done the first Great Lesson, but am planning to do some version of them this year. I used the info from Miss Barbara's and the God Without Hands story.
My oldest was just 6 and I think he was really too young for it. Now at 8 he seems very interested in those kind of big picture/where everything came from stories. He is loving Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories about how the alphabet came to be etc etc. So I am going to give the Great Lessons another shot I think. I am really interested in how the other presentations are organized around them, ie volcanos and earth science after the first great lesson, animals after great lesson 2, human history after great lesson 3. I am currently following a Well-trained Mind 4 year cycle for science and history so I'm not sure if I will change that with the Great lessons or do the Great lessons in addition.
The info at Miss Barbara's is secular, and of course for a classroom, so I'd love to hear if anyone else is doing or has done the Great Lessons and how they did it!
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Andrea
GrayFamilyCircus
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Katie
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| Posted: June 26 2007 at 9:09am | IP Logged
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I don't have much time, but I wanted to mention that we substituted chalk and our driveway for the black strip. Much cheaper than a $50 black strip from a Montessori catalog. Before studying volcanoes, we did the chalk line again showing where volcanoes started and we did a baking soda/vinegar volcano right there on the driveway. Fun day!
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Mother of 5 in South America. No 6 due in April.
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Meredith
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| Posted: June 26 2007 at 9:09am | IP Logged
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Welcome JoJo, so glad to have you here!! I have been perusing the missbarbara's site too and will probably incorporate the first Great Lesson with my 8yo ds this year. My feeling is that we are living our faith and incorporating God's Plan for our family (and the world) into our daily lives already with CGOS and our family devotions/liturgical year activities, so the Great Lesson is really just a springboard for more discussion point IMHO. Your 6yo might be too young, but you'll be the best one to decide what he's ready for!
Enjoy persuing all our great discussions and so glad you popped in on us!
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Meredith
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Mackfam
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| Posted: June 26 2007 at 10:34am | IP Logged
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Hi Jo - I have looked a little at the Great Lessons, and I do like the general idea. I like the perspective they provide - that of a big picture. And I like the way the lessons progress chronologically "from the beginning." You are right in disliking the secular feel of the Great Lesson, but that is easily remedied by emphasizing the awesome and mysterious work of the Creator in His magnificent work of Creation.
We do not use them formally...yet...but I really think they have much potential as a guide. I may come back to them at some point in the future. Living the liturgical year, bringing the Creator into everything we do provides a God-centered perspective for my dc that I think is key in rightly ordering any subject.
Right now, my 6yo is not really ready for anything more than God is the Creator, He made me, He made the earth, He gives us His beautiful creation, and we enjoy it and try to take care of it - to do that let's try to understand it a bit more. At a later age, when the mystery of God's gift of "time" begins to open up for them, we go back to the beginning with a timeline, and start weaving more "Great Lessons" if you will, onto that timeline. . At that point I think the Great Lessons are a very good "springboard for discussion" as Meredith says.
Glad you're with us and jumping in! 
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Jen Mackintosh
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JoJo
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| Posted: June 27 2007 at 8:13am | IP Logged
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Hello everyone
Thank you for your replies.
I agree that outside a classroom environment, the Great Lessons should have a much more relaxed approach. I have read those on Miss Barbara's site, and although they are very inspiring I don't think I have the time to prepare the materials and the presentation so elaborately.
I also wholeheartedly agree with Jennifer about the simple approach at this age. My dd who has just turned 6 is very accepting of the fact the "God made everything" - it seems to make sense and be very comforting to her.
It makes more sense to me to leave the Great Lessons for a little while longer.
Thanks again everyone.
Jo
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: Elementary - Great Lessons
