“Let us give the child a vision of the whole universe…for all things are part of the universe, and are connected with each other to form one whole unity.”
– Maria Montessori, To Educate the Human Potential
Maria Montessori strongly emphasized the importance of Cosmic Education for the elementary age child. She began with the miracle of the cosmos and the sense of awe that proceeds as the world filled with life. The Great Lessons are important to awaken a child’s imagination and curiosity while helping them realize the important place they have in the world. Elementary children are introduced to the largest of all concepts – the beginning of the universe – and then smaller ideas so they can see how all the concepts fit together to form a whole.
This presentation by Ansley Brown, a Montessori teacher in Columbia, South Carolina, was designed to walk parents through the philosophy of the Great Lessons in the elementary level classroom.