Land, Air, and Water

The young child meets the Earth first as sensory impression during the sensitive period for the natural world. Three jars on a tray make the abstract elements of geography concrete: land you can crumble, water you can pour, air you can feel. A bird placed in water looks wrong; the child's natural knowledge guides self-correction.

• Framework: Montessori
• Unit: Cultural Studies
• Learning area: Geography
• Level: Ages 3-4

Objectives

• Distinguish land, air, and water as the three great elements of Earth
• Associate each element with color, texture, and smell
• Acquire the names land, air, water
• Prepare for the sandpaper globe and map work

Materials

• Three small jars: one with dry earth, one empty (air), one with water
• Small tray
• Labels: 'land', 'air', 'water'
• Basket of miniatures or pictures belonging to each element (fish, bird, tree, boat, cloud, stone, butterfly, whale, grass)

Instructions

1. Bring the tray and sit with the child. 2. Unscrew the first jar, touch the earth, smell it, and say: 'This is land.' 3. Unscrew the second jar, wave your hand through it, feel the cool air: 'This is air.' 4. Unscrew the third jar, dip a finger, feel the water: 'This is water.' 5. Use a three-period lesson with the labels if the child is ready. 6. Introduce the basket: take one object (a fish), name it, and ask, 'Where does the fish live?' 7. Place the fish beside the water jar. 8. Continue with each object. 9. Close by returning the tray to the shelf together.

Educator tip

Refresh the water and dry the earth regularly. Sensory vibrancy is the whole lesson — a stale jar teaches nothing.

Assessment

Observe whether the child sorts living things accurately and uses the vocabulary in daily talk.

More from Cultural Studies

• Sandpaper Globe
• Puzzle Map of the Continents
• Parts of the Flower
• Parts of the Fish
• First Great Lesson: God With No Hands (The Coming of the Universe)
• Time Line of Life
• Fundamental Needs of Humans
• Third Great Lesson: The Coming of Humans