Great Lesson 1 : Follow Up Ideas [Post 2]

The Montessori great lessons inspire further study in many different directions. Each lesson should be told every year. This allows for the elementary child to hear every story at least 6 times. After each lesson the child is free to follow which ever topic interests him/her. Naturally, over the 6 years the child would have had the chance to explore all the topics which follow on from the great lessons.

The list on this post is specifically related to follow up work/topics related to the first great lesson. I do not expect children to cover these topics in one year. Instead, I anticipate the child showing interest in all areas over the six year span. My shelves are set up with activities for each topic in order to ensure that children can show an interest in which ever topic interests them.

Here is a look at the set up of my shelves. Due to space I do not have every single material on display.

 Materials for study on volcanoes, galaxies, space, stars, moon, sun, earth, planets, rocks, geography impressionistic charts and science experiments to support first great lesson.

Materials for the study of atoms, molecules and elements.

I also have other materials on my geography shelf which is not pictured here. 

Here is a list of topic ideas which I use when setting up my shelves. Each year more ideas are added. I am intending to expand on these topics in individual posts.

1. Experiments on laws of the universe.
2. Volcanoes
3. Planets and solar system
4. Galaxies types
5. Moon phases
6. Parts of the sun
7. Earth
8. Stars
9. States of matter
10. Gravity experiments
11. Elements
12. Molecules
13. Rocks
14. Geography impressionistic charts