"Imagination can thus picture for us the primeval earth of hard, brown rock unrelieved by verdure of grass of leaf, without sound of bird a living creature, the silence broken alone by plunging waterfalls, booming thunder, or stones dislodged in avalanches. The grim brown crust is slowly being modified and overlaid with hospitable coverings, but before it can become the home of living beings some agency must ensure the purity of the air they will have to breathe...The plant life that was already established in the ocean heard the call and took the necessary leap to land."
- Maria Montessori
We’re back today to share our Montessori Second Great Lesson materials and follow-up for the Primary and Elementary years. We really took our time and spent a couple weeks exploring works related to The Coming of Life. You can check out our Montessori Elementary Curriculum resources as well as our Earth Science Books and Botany Books for more details on what you see below.
If you haven't already, be sure to check out our Astronomy for Kids: The Montessori First Great Lesson to see where this story starts.
What is the Montessori Second Great Lesson?
The Second Great Lesson in Montessori's Cosmic Education a.k.a. The Story of Life picks up where the First Great Lesson ended: the formation of the Earth. The Second Great Lesson introduces students to the Long Black Line, the Clock of Eras, and the Timeline of Life. It's traditionally given to Elementary students after The First Great Lesson Follow-Up work is complete. It tells the story of how Mother Earth changed over time and came to be the home of a variety of life forms, beginning with the simplest microscopic life in the ocean all the way to the appearance of humans.
The Long Black Line was originally used by Maria Montessori as a lesson in humility for a group of students. Together, Montessori’s Five Great Lessons provide children with a contextual understanding of who they are, where they come from, and their unique purpose or cosmic task.
What Subjects are Covered in the History of Earth for Kids?
Since we are including Primary and Elementary students in our History of Earth for Kids, our goal was, again, to strike a balance between what we’ve taught in Primary in the past with our Geology & Paleontology Unit Study, our Tree Unit Study, our Bee Unit Study, and what we would like to introduce to a Lower Elementary student. Also, we like to introduce content and materials that are buildable, knowing that some topics will be revisited in the future.
Our Montessori Second Great Lesson covers Sensorial, Language, Math, Science, Nature, Geography, History, and Art. There are many different directions you can take with this lesson. Our kids spent a lot of time engaged in activities related to the Clock of Eras, Earth's layers, Earth's atmosphere, Water, and Botany. We're in the middle of harvest season, so that has definitely added interest to Botany-related work.
History of Earth for Kids: The Montessori Second Great Lesson
This Montessori Second Great Lesson contains materials and follow-up work for all ages, but especially ages 2-12. It contains books, printables, and hands-on activities. More specifically, it covers topics such as the Clock of Eras, Layers of the Earth, Layers of the Atmosphere, the Water Cycle, Landforms, First Plants, and First Animals.
We also revisited some of our Geology & Paleontology Unit Study materials, including our dinosaurs and our Geology and Paleontology books.
Second Great Lesson
For the Long Black Line demonstration, we decided to create our own line on the floor using some washi tape and our Waseca Biomes Animals of the World Measuring Tape. The original Long Black Line is 30 meters with 1 cm of red at one end, indicating the appearance of humans on Earth.Get $15 off your first Waseca Biomes purchase.
I divided the original measurements by 3 to make it simpler for us to create. Maybe not as dramatic as the original line, but just as effective for our storytelling purposes. I followed the suggestions of Children of the Universe and told The Story of the Earth and The Story of Life as we walked the line. At the end of the line, our kids finally found out what the red mark they drew actually signified.
As practice for this great work, our kids spent time using these Montessori Measurement printables prior to the Second Great Lesson. Get 16% off your purchase from Montessorikiwi here.
Second Great Lesson Revisited
The next day we revisited the Second Great Lesson using From Lava to Life. We read the story together before making our way over to a workspace to explore the Clock of Eras Charts. I explained how the Clock of Eras relates to a regular clock using a Montessori Learning Clock. Then, I gave a simple explanation of how it tells time on Earth up to the present day, just like our Long Black Line.
Afterwards, they explored the Mirus Toys Fraction Manipulation Board as we learned more about each era. Our 4 y.o. used the Time Ring with his Fraction Circles and our 5 y.o. used the Fraction Ring. I originally thought it may be a bit confusing to learn about all the eras on the clock. However, we found the colors on the Clock of Eras helpful for remembering what took place during each era.
The Clock of Eras
The purpose of the fraction manipulation board is to stimulate interest and explore geometric concepts, not replicate the clock of eras. The beginning of the Cenozoic Era is very close to present day or 12:00 and is therefore smaller than the smallest fraction piece (1/10). However, that is precisely the point. It's meant to reinforce the impression of how short a period of time humans have been on Earth.
A precise clock can be made using the Clock of Eras Charts printables mentioned above.Get 16% off your purchase from Montessorikiwi here.
We also had some books out as additional timeline resources and for examples of early plant and animal life. The Dunkleosteus has always been a big hit in our homeschool.
History of Earth for Kids: Earth and Atmosphere Shelf Work
- Layers of the Earth Puzzle by Mirus Toys
- Layers of the Atmosphere Puzzle by Mirus Toys
- Bilingual Spanish Nature Cards
The Layers of the Earth nomenclature cards were included with the Layers of the Earth Puzzle and Guide. The Layers of the Earth Guide that comes with the puzzle is an excellent resource for homeschoolers. There's a lot of content that covers several topics (landforms, plate tectonics, etc.), helpful images and diagrams, and it even includes a couple activities. Our kids have been working with these materials a lot.
The Spanish Nature Cards are gorgeous and we've been changing them out as we rotate the materials on our shelves. They're a great way for us to label the environment. You'll notice further down we also use them with our Movable Alphabet as Language shelf work.
Layers of the Earth Fan craft activity included with Mirus Toys Layers of the Earth Puzzle, Guide, and Nomenclature Cards.
This Layers of the Atmosphere Puzzle was also a great segue into weather and the Water Cycle. Both of our older kids enjoyed matching the appropriate puzzle piece to its corresponding layer.
Water Cycle Shelf Work
- Water Cycle Mat by Waseca Biomes
- We Are Water Protectors
We also used our Waseca Biomes Water Cycle Mat and We Are Water Protectors to visualize the water cycle and learn more about the importance of stewardship. This mat includes several lessons. As a result, our kids completed a couple activities in each session with the mat.
These resources are also part of our winter nature studies and can be found in our 12 Winter Bucket List Activities for Homeschool with Printables.
Get $15 off your first Waseca Biomes purchase.
History of Earth: External Parts of Plants Nature Study
- Watercolor Paints
- Paintbrushes
- Watercolor Journals
- Assortment of leaves, pinecones, and acorns
- Wooden Craft Boards
Using books such as Nature Anatomy and Trees: A Rooted History, we spent some time looking at the anatomy of early plants: seaweed, moss, ferns, conifers, and flowering plants. We also looked briefly at the difference between deciduous and coniferous trees.
Afterwards, they spent some time in the forest behind our house collecting leaves from ferns as well as pine, oak, and maple trees. They also gathered some pinecones and acorns for their journaling activity.
Another extension to these works wouid be Building a Native Forest Garden with The Earth Project.
They examined a pine leaf specimen under the microscope and then sketched what they saw in their notebooks. For First Knowledge questions, we talked about them very organically as we looked at our Montessori Botany Books.
History of Earth: Tree Shelf Work
- Montessori Tree Puzzle
- Parts of a Tree Nomenclature (FREE)
- Bilingual Spanish Nature Cards
- Waseca Biomes Parts of the Biome Plants Readers
- Farm Anatomy Book
- Mirus Toys Life Cycle Board - Apple Life Cycle Coins
- Mirus Toys Parts of a Tree Trunk Puzzle
- Periodic Table Booklet by Mirus Toys
- Periodic Table Puzzle including tiles, key, & companion guide
We focused more on Botany this year. As a result, our History of Earth studies included some tree shelf work. There was also an introduction to dendrochronology using the Parts of a Tree Trunk Puzzle. We studied flowering plants recently with our Montessori Bee Unit Study so that was also still fresh in their minds.
Our Periodic Table Puzzle and guide is still on the shelf from our Astronomy work. There is a persistent interest. Also, it's still a very relevant part of the story as we examine The Story of the Earth and The Story of Life.
Get $15 off your first Waseca Biomes purchase.
To extend the fun, add this FREE Parts of the Redwood Four Part Card Activity to your Parts of a Tree Trunk Puzzle.
Spanish Language Shelf Work
Our oldest two worked together to write the Spanish and English for each card using the movable alphabet. This Montessori Second Great Lesson follow-up work is perfect for incorporating language work into nature studies.
History of Earth: External Parts of Animals
Our kids looked at the parts of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals using the Waseca Biomes Nomenclature Cards. They used them alongside the associated Montessori Animal puzzles.
Get $15 off your first Waseca Biomes purchase.
History of Earth: Montessori Grammar Work
We recently introduced nouns and verbs to our 5 y.o. using our grammar farm materials. As a follow-up, we couldn't resist the opportunity to use the dinos. Therefore, for this Second Great Lesson, we decided to play around with some dinosaur nouns. Our 4 y.o. even got into it. He guessed which dinosaur to bring to the mat based on the first few letters of each label.
Traditionally, the Montessori Elementary sequence for introducing grammar is with the Fourth Great Lesson and The Story of Communication. We're a bit early for this work. Also, the lesson given to a Primary versus Elementary child is usually different. It's generally geared towards the plane of development of the child.
We followed that up with a lesson on common and proper nouns using some of the Waseca Biomes Grammar Box Cards. Afterwards, they copied their work into their Grammar notebooks, using a Grammar Stencil.
Get $15 off your first Waseca Biomes purchase.
Early Life Coloring Pages
These Early Life Coloring Pages by Montessorikiwi include 13 different animals and a beautifully illustrated 2-page poster. They are the perfect follow-up work for animal lovers in your family. Fun for all ages.
Get 16% off your purchase from Montessorikiwi here.
Apple and Pear Art
Our 2 y.o. never misses an opportunity to participate in art and this was no exception. We were inspired by this Painting with Apples Fall Craft for Kids. As a result, we decided to do the same with a couple apples and pears from our fall harvest. Lots of fun and a great activity for fine-motor strengthening.
This was a great way to bridge our older two kids' studies on the Second Great Lesson with our youngest daughter's desire to explore the world around her. An Autumn Apple Adventure is great seasonal fun for all ages.
Apple Lacing Cards
This apple lacing card is one of several fall lacing cards our 2 y.o. is enjoying right now. This is a great beginning sewing activity. She uses these along with a blunt needle and thread. Great for fine-motor skills and development of concentration. And yes, that's a fully dressed giraffe behind her.
Apple Art Activity Drawer
Our 2 y.o. and 4 y.o. really enjoyed these Apple activities with our 2 y.o. focusing on the cutting work. Our 4 y.o. reinforced his knowledge of the apple life cycle with nomenclature. Also, he explored apple anatomy some more with a cut and paste activity.
Montessori Work Plan, Review, and Folders for Ongoing and Completed Work
This is how our older kids document their work for each week. They use these folders to keep track of it. They fill out the Montessori Work Plan at the end of their day. The folders are for ongoing work and completed work.
History of Earth for Kids: The Montessori Second Great Lesson Conclusion
We hope you’ve enjoyed seeing how we do the Second Great Lesson. Using our Montessori Elementary Curriculum Resources, we put together a great mix of books, printables, and materials for a variety of hands-on experiences. There are a lot of directions you can take with this great lesson. This is how we did it. We hope you find it useful as you plan your own Montessori Second Great Lesson experiences.
Don't forget to check out our Astronomy for Kids: The Montessori First Great Lesson if you haven't already.
More History of Earth & Science Resources
- Montessori Bee Unit Study for Primary and Elementary
- Montessori Third Great Lesson Materials and Follow-Up for Primary & Elementary
- Fourth Great Lesson Materials and Follow-Up for Primary & Elementary
- Earth Science Books
- Montessori Botany Books
- Montessori Tree Unit Study
- How to Make a Hanging Heart Pillow
Thanks for stopping by!
– Kristin
The History of Earth for Kids
Explore the History of Earth with the Montessori Second Great Lesson Materials & Follow-Up Family Unit. These interdisciplinary lessons include the History of Earth, The Story of Life, Clock of Eras, Earth Science, Water, Weather, Botany, etc. and most subjects. It covers the History of life on Earth up until the appearance of humans. These activities are comprehensive and will keep your kids interested in Earth Science year round.
Books, Nature Items, Hands-on Materials, & Printables
Materials
- Children of the Universe
- From Lava to Life
- Lifecycles: Everything from Start to Finish
- Botanicum: Welcome to the Museum
- The Story of Life
- We Are Water Protectors
- Nature Anatomy
- Trees: A Rooted History
- Montessori Botany Books
- Farm Anatomy
- Leaves
- Pinecones
- Acorns
- Apples and Pears
- Mirus Toys Montessori Learning Clock
- Mirus Toys Fraction Manipulation Board
- Mirus Toys Layers of the Earth Puzzle
- Mirus Toys Layers of the Atmosphere Puzzle
- Mirus Toys Life Cycle Board
- Mirus Toys Apple Life Cycle Coins
- Mirus Toys Parts of a Tree Trunk Puzzle
- Mirus Toys Periodic Table Puzzle
- Mirus Toys Periodic Table Booklet
- Waseca Biomes Animals of the World Measuring Tape
- Waseca Biomes Water Cycle Mat
- Waseca Biomes Parts of the Biome Readers
- Waseca Biomes Introduction to the Biomes Nomenclature
- Waseca Biomes Grammar Box Cards
- Waseca Biomes Grammar Stencil
- Watercolor paints
- Watercolor paper
- Paintbrushes
- Wooden Craft Boards
- Glue
- Scissors
- Stabilo 3-in-1 Crayons
- Montessori Tree Puzzle
- Montessori Movable Alphabet
- Schleich Dinosaurs
- Strips of Paper for Grammar Work
- Grammar notebook
- Tempera paint
- Blunt Needle
- Embroidery Floss
- Montessori Measurement printable
- Clock of Eras Charts printable
- Bilingual Spanish Nature Cards printable
- Parts of a Tree Nomenclature printable (FREE)
- Parts of the Redwood Four Part Cards printable (FREE)
- Early Life Coloring Pages printable
- Lacing Cards printable
- Apple Activities printable
- Montessori Work Plan printable
Tools
- See Materials List
Instructions
- Deliver the Second Great Lesson, using Children of the Universe. Have the kids create the long black line using Animals of the World Measuring Tape, assisting as needed. Measurement practice prior to this lesson may be necessary using the Montessori Measurement printable.
- The next day, revisit the Story of Life using From Lava to Life, the Clock of Eras Charts printable, the Montessori Learning Clock and the Fraction Manipulation Board. Books such as Life Cycles: Everything from Start to Finish, Botanicum, and The Story of Life are excellent resources to have on hand for visual representations of the story.
- Introduce the Layers of the Earth Puzzle and Layers of the Atmosphere Puzzle Shelf Work, along with the Bilingual Spanish Nature Cards.
- Introduce the Water Cycle Mat and complete as many lessons as the children are interested in. Additional lessons can be completed on another day. Read We Are Water Protectors to extend work about water and environmental stewardship.
- Encourage opportunities for Nature Journaling: watercolor painting or other Art activities that explore the External Parts of Plants. Use Nature Anatomy, and Trees: A Rooted History for additional Anatomy resources.
- Examine leaf specimens under a microscope. Children can sketch what they see and use Botany books to prompt further discussion.
- Introduce shelf work that explores the Parts of a Tree, Life Cycle of an Apple Tree, Parts of a Tree Trunk/Dendrochronology, and the Periodic Table Puzzle.
- Use the Movable Alphabet to explore vocabulary from these lessons in English and Spanish (or other languages).
- Explore the External Parts of Animals using the Introduction to the Biomes Nomenclature Cards.
- Introduce Grammar work using the Schleich dinosaurs, blank slips of paper, and the Grammar Box Cards. Have the children copy their work into their Grammar notebooks using the Grammar Stencil.
- Provide Early Life Coloring pages to reinforce knowledge gained about the Story of Life.
- Provide opportunities for Process Art by painting with Apples and Pears.
- Encourage Sewing activities using the Fall Lacing Cards.
- Introduce Apple Activities printable for practicing scissor skills and reinforcing life cycle work.
- Encourage kids to use the Montessori Work plan to document their daily completed and ongoing work. This will help the child to identify areas or subjects where additional focus should be placed. It also gives the child the opportunity to share how they feel about their work and what they would like to explore the following week.
Notes
Full Lesson Info and Pictures at: https://happyhomeschooladventures.com/montessori-second-great-lesson-materials-follow-up/
Recommended Products
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Layers of the Atmosphere Puzzle -
Water Cycle Mat -
Parts of the Biome Readers -
Mirus Toys Life Cycle Board -
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Introduction to the Biomes Nomenclature -
Waseca Biomes Grammar Box Cards
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