Alina Ali

D20850

Pakistan Montessori Council PMC

Module 9

Montessori Zoology, Botany and Science

Name: Alina Ali

Roll No: D20850

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Question#01: Write a note on how to setup indoor and outdoor environment for introducing
zoology and botany.

Presentation - Preparing the Outdoor Environment for Zoology Materials:

• Bird Feeder

• Bird Bath

• Bird House

Exercise: This exercise helps to attract wildlife and study it in the outdoor environment,
especially for children aged 3+ years. Children can find great joy in observing birds, which
can be attracted by establishing a variety of feeders. A bird bath also offers an
interesting opportunity to watch birds, however, care must be taken to keep it clean as
well as to change the water daily. The directress may wish to set up some bird houses,
preferably with the children’s assistance. Depending on the environment, salt licks in
the water, and a variety of feed otherwise may be put out to attract other forms of
wildlife. On outdoor trips and nature walks, the teacher should look of tracks so that on
the stroll, the children may have the opportunity to study insects, habitats of different
lifeforms; under rocks, leaves, in the barks of trees etc. Most importantly, the children
should be shown how to behave in an outdoor setting,
i.e. with respect and care for the environment.

Presentation - Preparing the Indoor Environment for Zoology Material:

• Pet cages

• Tanks

• Terrarium

Exercise: This exercise helps to encourage the children (ideally aged 2+ year) to establish
respect for other living creatures, as well as to develop a caring attitude towards
animals, birds and fish etc. while observing them and attending to their needs. Animals
can be brought into the classroom permanently or temporarily, however, it must be
ensured that no child is allergic to any of the animals being brought in. A proper living
environment for the animals must be provided. Feeding and caring for animals provide
attractive practical life exercises. Observing what and how the animals eat can also be
very interesting, especially when the children are directly engaged in said activities. The
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children should be encouraged to observe how the animal(s) move. It is important to
establish appropriate ways to handle the animals and any other routines which ensure
the safety of the animals, as well as the children. It is very exciting to watch a life cycle
develop, i.e. a frog or a mealworm. It is recommended that resources easily available be
used in these exercises. Many people will be willing to bring animals to the school. In
addition, trips to the zoo can be very informative. If a teacher chooses to keep animals
within the classroom, suitable arrangements must be made for their care on weekends
and during holidays.

Presentation - Preparing the Outdoor Environment for Botany Materials:

• Tools for digging

• Tools for Hoeing

• Tools for Planting

• Tools for Raking

• Tools for Weeding

• Tools for Watering

• Tools for Harvesting

• Tools for Composting

Exercise: This exercise helps introduce activities which direct the child's attention toward
plant life, and raises their awareness of plants, their needs and their importance to the
earth and to us. If possible a teacher should establish a garden in the outdoor
environment. This garden should be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional, whereby
children can subsequently enjoy
Eating their produce. Children can help prepare the ground by digging, hoeing, and then
planting. They can also maintain the garden by weeding, watering and eventually
harvesting any crops. Plants may be started inside and then later replanted outside. In
the fall, raking is a good activity. Maintaining a compost helps to promote the idea of
not wasting. In addition, planting can help attract animals and birds as well, allowing
the children an opportunity to observe the animals feeding. Nature walks may also be
arranged which emphasize a sensorial experience for the children. The children should be
encouraged to find their specimens from the ground so as not to harm a living sample.
Ample time should be taken to explore and share with the children the living world
around them which will help instill respect and interest in plant life.
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Presentation - Preparing the Indoor Environment for Botany Material:

• Choice of plants

• Tools for the care and maintenance of plants and flowers

• Equipment for making products with plants and flowers

Exercise 1 - Everyday Life Activities; Watering, Misting, Removing Dead Leaves/Flowers,

Washing Leaves: The choice of plants is important; consider the amount of light the
classroom receives. Start with a few plants and expand the number with success. Choose
plants which are interesting for different reasons, i.e., flowering, non-flowering, different
leaf shapes, edible, non-edible etc. Early in the year, give a lesson on how to care for
each plant. Removing dead leaves and washing leaves are interesting exercises. You may
also make up a card for each plant which includes the following information: its name,
where it was originally grown/came from, its watering and care needs and any interesting
facts concerning the plant.

Exercise 2 - Rooting, Potting and Repotting, Plant Propagation: Repotting a plant can be
a very nice small group activity. Plant propagation can be very interesting, i.e., start with
seeds or a sprouting bulb. The more ways of propagation shown to the children, the
better it is for their understanding. Books on plants provide further information for the
children. Encourage children to make a booklet for themselves; drawing a picture of
what they did at each step.

Exercise 3 - Flower Arranging, Pressing and Mounting Specimens, Making Sachets:

Flower arrangement is a further way to boost interest in plants. A plant press can be made
of layers of cardboard and newspaper. The children could make their own press or you may
have a commercial one they can all share. The children can identify the various leaf shapes
and create
Booklets. In addition, children can make cards from mounted pressed flowers and
greenery. They can also enjoy making sachets of potpourri with dried flowers.

Exercise 4 - Food Preparation: Introduce plants on a sensorial level with an emphasis on

taste. Include fruits and vegetables as part of the snack table. Fresh juice squeezed by
hand is always popular. Discuss what part of the plant is edible, i.e., leaf, root, etc. Nutmeg
or cinnamon can be grated and used in cooking, or taken home. Planting a fruit or
vegetable and then eating the produce is a great project. An herb garden can provide
many activities. Sprouts are also fun to grow, and also tasty. In addition, you may wish
to explore the importance of smell to taste.
Remember, what you are trying to give the children is a total experience with plants.
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These exercises help introduce the children to the care of living plants. On an informal
level, they introduce to the use of plants, our dependence on plants for food, as well as
aesthetic reasons. Summarily, they stimulate interest in plant life among children.

Question#02: Explain how the children are introduced to the vertebrates and
invertebrates, five classes of vertebrates and then the body parts of a typical animal of
each class.

Presentation - Vertebrate and Invertebrate

Material:

• Vertebral Column Model

• Set of pictures of Vertebrates and Invertebrates

• Box for sorting with two compartments, labeled Vertebrate and Invertebrate

Exercise: This exercise, preferably carried out for children aged 4 years and up, helps
children identify animals with, as well as without vertebral columns. The directress
introduces the spinal cord to a small group of children, noting that the back bone is made
up of many little bones
Called vertebrae. In the center of the bones is what is called the spinal cord. The soft
discs are between the bones so that they do not rub together. The children are shown
where their backbone is and they are made to feel it. They are also shown the movement of
the column and encouraged to move in different ways. They can be told, "You have a
backbone, you are a vertebrate. Animals without a backbone are called invertebrates".
They are also introduced to the set of cards and made to identify the animals. They may
be helped in sorting out the pictures into the appropriate categories by prompting their
observations. It should also be emphasized how the tails of the vertebrate animals are
an extension of their backbone. When finished, the children can check their work by the
coding on the back. The children may also be shown skeletal models which they enjoy
looking at, in addition to cards with skeleton overlays for a variety of animal exposure.

Five Classes of Vertebrates:

1. Birds: Birds are animals that have feathers and that are born out of hard-shelled
eggs. All birds have feathers and birds are the only animals that do. The feathers
on a bird’s wings and tail overlap. Because they overlap, the feathers catch and
hold the air. This helps the bird to fly, steer itself and land.
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2. Fish: Fish are vertebrates that live in water and have gills, scales and fins on their
body. There are a lot of different fish and many of them look very odd indeed.
There are blind fish, fish with noses like elephants, fish that shoot down passing
bugs with a stream of water and even fish that crawl onto land and hop about!
3. Reptiles: Reptiles are a class of animal with scaly skin. They are cold blooded and
are born on land. Snakes, lizards, crocodiles, alligators and turtles all belong to the
reptile class.
4. Amphibians: Amphibians are born in the water. When they are born, they breathe
with gills like a fish. But when they grow up, they develop lungs and can live on
land.
5. Arthropods: Any animals that have more than four jointed legs are arthropods.
Insects, spiders and crustaceans all belong to this class of animals.

Question#03: Prepare the following material and send to your tutor along with the
assignment.

. Four part nomenclature material for the part of a flower.

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. Two part classified cards of the common fruits in Pakistan.

Question#04: Carry out any five science experiments mentioned in this book. Take
pictures while working, and send them to your tutors.

1. Siphon

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2. Making a Rain Gauge

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3. Making an Egg Go Soft

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4. Rising Coin

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5. Sing and Float Experiment

The End.

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