NAMC’s Montessori 6–12 Classroom Guide presents ideas, principles, techniques, and materials that inspire, inform, and guide Montessori elementary teachers. This indispensable teaching resource provides you with detailed information regarding the theory, philosophy, and methodology of Dr. Montessori, preparing you to confidently guide students through the elementary years.

Humankind’s short time on earth is full of fascinating events and amazing developments that do indeed affect our daily lives. History at the upper elementary level centers on prehistory, archeology, ancient civilizations, early exploration of the world, European history, and history through art. At the upper elementary level, the history of modern countries is presented as an opportunity for older students to carry out a major research project. The final section of this manual, Historical Research, shows ways that teachers can guide students in using research tools common to historians, carrying out research, and writing research reports.

NAMC’s Upper Elementary Physical Geography curriculum manual encourages students to learn more about the earth’s physical environment, including its formation and ongoing transformations. Continuing the learning that began in lower elementary, this manual focuses on earth’s biosphere, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere — parts of the earth where living things reside. Through hands-on activities, students discover that these three spheres are inextricably linked and that logical patterns emerge over time. Examining these patterns leads to an understanding of weather and weather systems, how the earth evolved into its current form, and how it may change in the future.

The NAMC Upper Elementary Botany manual is designed to instill in students a fascination with the world of plants and an appreciation for the role plants play in shaping the environment. The manual gives students a review of what they know about plants and then furthers that knowledge through activities and experiments. Moving from classification to in-depth examinations of the structure and function of plants, students are then invited to learn more about the connection between plants and humans. Microscopic study begins with an exploration of plant and animal cells and how cells work together to perform specific functions.

The NAMC Upper Elementary Zoology manual invites students to explore the animal kingdom and develop an understanding of its interconnections. Students investigate animal routines before focusing on the external anatomy and classification of animals, building significantly upon classification principles they learned in the lower elementary program. Students apply their new understanding of classification to identifying animals and then learn about internal anatomy, physiology, and adaptation. Furthering their understanding of cosmic education, students also examine the relationship animals have with humans.

The NAMC Upper Elementary Cultural Geography curriculum manual motivates students to examine the regions of earth and its people through balanced, detailed analysis. The manual begins by presenting the exploration of maps and how they connect humans to the environment. Students then build on their lower elementary work, examining the continents and the regional differences reflected in how people satisfy their basic needs. Students are then introduced to the concept of human adaptation, followed by a discussion of cultural celebrations. The final section of the manual focuses on research reports, an integral part of the upper elementary Montessori program, and the ideal vehicle through which students can broaden and deepen their understanding of cultural geography.

The NAMC Matter and Energy curriculum encourages students to investigate the nature of matter and energy through a series of hands-on activities. In addition to discovering the fundamentals of what matter is, students also consider matter’s different forms and ways in which it can be combined. In the second section of the manual, students are introduced to the concept that everything that happens in the world requires energy and they are invited to explore some of the many forms of energy.

Furthering the solid skills developed in the Montessori lower elementary program, NAMC’s upper elementary Language Arts 1 curriculum manual fosters a love of reading and communicating. At the core of this curriculum is skill development in speaking and listening, handwriting, and grammar. The activities related to speaking and listening are especially important for this age group. They provide practice in public speaking, drama, interviewing, and debate — preparing students to feel comfortable and confident communicating their ideas.

NAMC’s Language Arts 2 curriculum manual centers on reading and writing, beginning with the study and analysis of literature in a range of forms — novels, poetry, biographies, plays, and more. After discovering how amazing the written word can be, students are then invited to write their own words with creative writing activities and then to learn more about the mechanics of writing, word study, and spelling. The final section of the manual focuses on the cross-curricular skill of writing essays and research reports.

The NAMC Mathematics 1 curriculum manual continues with the hands-on approach that is the hallmark of Montessori learning but affords the students more opportunities to enhance their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills as they are ready to do so. Working with the activities in this manual, students learn more about numerical place value in the decimal system; operations with whole numbers; multiples, factors, and divisibility; fractions; and the concept of decimal fractions.

NAMC’s Mathematics 2 curriculum manual focuses on increasingly abstract mathematical concepts, including negative numbers; non-terminating decimals and irrational numbers; pre-algebra; and bases. Although the concepts are complex, the manual presents the activities in a step-by-step manner that is easy to follow. Montessori teachers usually find that the activities in this manual are best suited to the oldest students in the upper elementary classroom.

The NAMC Mathematics 3 curriculum manual gives students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of geometry. Some of the materials and concepts will be familiar to students, allowing them to build on the knowledge they developed in the lower elementary program. Others, like the study of polyhedra, introduce students to new and fascinating concepts. Throughout the manual, students are encouraged to explore concepts through hands-on activities that incorporate a variety of Montessori materials. Although these are increasingly abstract concepts, the step-by-step presentations and the focus on student involvement foster high student success.