The Montessori Sun Game

Description

In this interactive learning experience, the Montessori Sun Game conveys the vital connection between the sun and all living organisms. It highlights how the sun influences photosynthesis, climates, and the overall well-being of our planet. It encourages children to appreciate the sun’s significance in sustaining life on Earth, fostering a profound understanding of our solar system, an introduction to the concept of the food chain, and the natural world.

Ideas of How to Explain the Sun’s Impact on Living Organisms

The teacher can do an experiment with the children with 2 plants. Place one plant in the light, and the other in a dark cupboard. The result demonstrates the need of all living organisms, for sunlight.

How can the Montessori Sun Game Activity Work?

The following method of presenting this unique, and versatile resource is one method only. We do not advocate that this is the only method. It is our hope that each Guide place their own unique slant to teach this activity.

the children lay the Sun mat on the floor
educators introduce each plant (land, and water plants), laying them around the sun. This is the first tier, closest to the sun
teacher names each plant, and discusses them with the children, raising any interesting or relevant information through the interaction
the second tier consists of herbivores, the animals that eat plants. Discuss as you did earlier, remembering that not all animals eat the same plants, lay the animals next to the plants they will most likely eat. The discussion explains how the herbivores rely on the plants, which rely on the sun, etc.
tier three focuses on carnivores. These animals eat the plant-eating animals exclusively. Continue the discussions as above
the fourth tier consists of omnivores, the animals that eat both types of animals; herbivores and carnivores; which again demonstrates the importance of the Sun to life on Earth. Humans fall into this group.
glue the labels to the back of the relevant image cards. This helps the teacher to introduce the cards in the correct order.
The Montessori Sun Game is a versatile teaching tool, and is great fun, generating a lot of discussion, and ideas.

Contents of the Montessori Sun Game

1 x Large Sun Mat – 2m / (6½ft) in diameter
18 Plant cards: grass, lavender, banana tree, bamboo, grapes on vine, lettuce, water lily, coniferous forest, hibiscus bush, alpine sand-wort, seaweed, moss, prickly pear, fern, acacia tree, King Protea, reeds, eucalyptus tree
12 Herbivore cards: donkey, camel, snow goose, marine iguana, butterfly, porcupine, grasshopper, rhinoceros, manatee, scorpion, sheep, tortoise
8 Carnivore Cards: Great White Shark, polar bear, golden eagle, lion, crocodile, frog, falcon
5 Omnivore Cards: human, earthworm, crow, hedgehog, grizzly bear.
43 labels for each of the cards for the Montessori sun game.
plastic container to store the activity