Montessori Upper Elementary Curriculum

Our Upper Elementary class curriculum includes Language Arts, Math, Science, and History objectives. Extra-curricular offerings including P.E., Spanish, art, computer technology, and music are also incorporated for all students.

Upper Elementary history follows a three-year rotational curriculum. During the three year cycle, all students cover the scope of the history sequence.

Specific Objectives for Upper Elementary History

Fundamental Needs of Man

1.00 Review of the material needs of man
2.00 Review of the spiritual needs of man

Natural History

1.00 Review Timeline of Life
1.10 Paleozoic
1.20 Mesozoic
1.30 Cenozoic
1.40 Neozoic

Cultural History: Prehistory

1.00 Lower Paleolithic Period
     1.10 First Interglacial Period
          1.10.1 Most of earth covered with ice
          1.10.2 Man is relative weak animal: no claws, tusks, or horns
          1.10.3 Man possessed intelligence, imagination, and reflection
          1.10.4 Man found fire, couldn’t make it
     1.20 Second Interglacial Period
          1.20.1 Man hunted and fished
          1.20.2 Simple tool: flint stone
          1.20.3 Mammals: rhino, elephants, hippopotamus, and saber tooth tiger 2.00 Middle Paleolithic Period
     2.10 Nomadic existence as hunters
     2.20 Preference for living: open or caves
     2.30 Hunted big animals
     2.40 No evidence of paintings or drawings
     2.50 Neanderthal appears
     2.60 Animal skins scraped
     2.70 Lived by hunting and fishing
     2.80 Wooly mammoths and cave bears
     2.90 Burned the dead: rituals
3.00 Upper Paleolithic Period
     3.10 Homo Sapiens arrive
     3.20 Similar in appearance to us today
     3.30 Lived in caves; rock shelters
     3.40 Cave art found in Spain and France
     3.50 Fine stone tools; hand axes, stone knives, needles from bone
     3.60 Women adorned themselves with art objects
     3.70 Cultivated grains; lived in huts
     3.80 Reindeer most prevalent animal
4.00 Mesolithic Period
     4.10 Period between Paleolithic hunters and farmers of the Neolithic Age
5.00 Neolithic Period
     5.10 Man changed from hunting to agriculture
     5.20 Women dedicated to domestic chores and care of children
     5.30 Cultivated grain, fruits, and vegetables
     5.40 First villages appear
     5.50 Domesticated animals
     5.60 Division of labor became more specialized
6.00 Aneolithic Period
     6.10 Age of metals
     6.20 Age of Great Civilizations

Cultural History: Written

1.00 Study of Civilizations
     1.10 Aztec, Mayan, Incan, Indian, Chinese, Roman, Egyptian, Sumerian,
            Babylonian, Hebrew, Crete, Phoenician, Assyrian
2.00 Migration
     2.10 Growth of cultures
3.00 American and U.S. History *
     3.10 American Aborigines
          3.10.1 Bering Strait and migration of people into South America
          3.10.2 Basic information on stone-age people
     3.20 Native American Life
          3.20.1 Display a map.
          3.20.2 Illustrate lifestyles of native Americans of the Northwest,
                    plains, desert, and woodlands
               3.20.2a Natural environment
               3.20.2b Different Native American cultures
     3.30 Exploration: European explorations
          3.30.1 Portugal: Dias, V. de Gama, Vespucci, Cabral
          3.30.2 Spain: Columbus, de Balboa, P. de Leon, Cortez, Magellan, Pizarro,
                    De Soto, Coronado
          3.30.3 France: Verrazano, Cartier, S. de Champlain, Joliet, Marquette,
                    La Salle
          3.30.4 Holland: Hudson
          3.30.5 Impact of European explorers on Native Americans
     3.40 Colonial
          3.40.1 European impact and influences, trade routes
          3.40.2 Types of government organization in various regions
          3.40.3 Famous figures
          3.40.4 Significance of Jamestown as first permanent settlement:
                    economics, government, society, leadership, slavery
          3.40.5 Cause and effect of French and Indian War
     3.50 New Nation
           3.50.1 Revolutionary War: Causes, pivotal events, pivotal groups,
                     famous leaders, famous writings & documents
               3.50.1a Contributions of individuals in the establishment of USA:
                           Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Franklin, etc.
               3.50.1b Major aspects of the Constitutional Convention
               3.50.1c Major concepts of the US Constitution
               3.50.1d Bill of Rights: significance then and today
           3.50.2 War of 1812
                3.50.2a Monroe Doctrine
          3.50.3 Lewis and Clark expedition; Daniel Boone; Zebulon Pike
          3.50.4 Northwest Territory: Trails and gold rush
          3.50.5 Louisiana Purchase: Expanding boundaries
          3.50.6 Slavery
          3.50.7 Technological changes in 1800’s
     3.60 Reform and Reconstruction
          3.60.1 Civil War 1861: Causes, significance, battles, famous figures
          3.60.2 Lincoln: Candidacy, presidency, Gettysburg Address,
                    Emancipation Proclamation
          3.60.3 Discuss major inventions / Industrial Age
          3.60.4 Famous figures (Homer, Dickerson, Ford, etc.)
          3.60.5 Nation development: 48 states by 1904
               3.60.5a Economic changes, political changes, geographical changes,
                           social & cultural changes: famous figures
          3.60.6 Spanish – American War
     3.70 World Power
          3.70.1 WWI: 1914: Causes, impact of war on US, famous events,
                    famous figures, advances in warfare technology
          3.70.2 Montessori to U.S. 1912, San Francisco
          3.70.3 Major technological innovations and effect on society:
                    transportation, communication, innovations
          3.70.4 Effect of 16th-19th Amendments
          3.70.5 Continued US growth: population shifts, cities, industries,                     immigration
          3.70.6 Great Depression: cause and effects, New Deal
          3.70.7 WWII: 1941: Causes, key political leaders, military strategies
                    and campaigns, impact on US culture
          3.70.8 United Nations & Post WWII: cultural impact, famous events,
                    famous figures
          3.70.9 Vietnam: Social/cultural implications on US, famous figures,
                      famous events                   
          3.70.10 Cold War: Famous figures, social & cultural changes, space race,                       Civil Rights Movement
     3.80 Global society

4.00 History of Mathematics
5.00 History of Language
6.00 History of Geometry
7.00 Representing Time
     7.10 Classroom diary/ schedules
     7.20 Home schedules
     7.30 Arrangement of days of year
     7.40 Subdivisions of the year
     7.50 Personal timelines
     7.60 BC/AD
     7.70 Clock/time

*Note: These are highlighted events in American History. True to Montessori, students are encouraged to branch from these events for research and reporting, always keeping in focus the impact of history on self, our state, our nation, and the world. Alabama history is addressed within the scope and sequence of US History, with an ongoing awareness of what was happening in Alabama relative to national and world history.