Have you ever wondered how the bread you eat got from the wheat field to your kitchen table? Or how were the clothes you wear made? These are the kinds of questions our new Montessori Economic Geography aims to answer. Montessori Economic Geography is designed to help children understand how the world works. By exploring concepts like production, consumption, and exchange, children can develop an appreciation for the interconnectedness of our society.
Materials
How does our Montessori Economic Geography work?
In a Montessori classroom, children are encouraged to explore the world around them through hands-on activities. Economic Geography is no exception. Children can use large charts, movable parts, and other materials to learn about the different stages of production, from the raw materials to the finished product. First, children learn how money is paid and received between different parties in an interdependent society (government, baker, farmer, dressmaker, builder, butcher…) Then, they learn three key concepts about the functioning of an economy: production, consumption, and exchange. Children learn how goods and services are produced, from the extraction of raw materials to the manufacturing process, how goods and services are consumed, from individual choices to societal trends, and how goods and services are exchanged, from simple systems to complex market economies.
How to Present the Materials
This lesson plan is designed for a group of 8-10 year old learners. The lesson plan demonstrates the interconnectedness of various people and processes involved in bringing a simple product like bread to the market. The lesson starts by introducing the concept of interdependence demonstrating how a piece of bread requires the contributions of a farmer, a miller, a baker, and a shopkeeper. It then expands to include helpers and transportation, highlighting the complex network of individuals and resources involved in the production and distribution of goods.
First, you may want to introduce the large chart labeled “An Economy” which illustrates how different people and businesses work together to produce goods and services. All parties give or receive goods and services. At the center of the chart is the government, which receives money from all parties. This money is used to provide services such as education, healthcare, or infrastructure. You may distribute role cards among learners, place a pot on a large piece of paper, and ask questions to learners. Use blue and red markers to represent money and goods exchanges.
For this activity, the Lesson Plan booklet provides all the guidance to use movable pictures with the large charts. As a guide, you may elicit questions that help learners think of the various parties involved in the production of a good such as pita bread (farmer, miller, packager, transporter, shopkeeper…). Learners use the movable pictures to create an interconnected network. The charts can be slowly introduced as the conversation takes place. Once learners have received guidance, they can independently create other network for other fields (meat, clothes…).
Finally, use the large charts along with the movable pictures as appealing and engaging visuals for your learners. It helps them create mind maps, and see “the big picture.” The charts highlight the different stages of production in more detail. You may encourage your learners to use the charts as models to reconstruct the same systems using the movable pictures.
By exploring the process of a simple loaf of bread, learners discover a complex network of people and processes that work together to bring us the things we need. This understanding of interdependence is a valuable lesson for children, helping them appreciate the efforts of others! For more innovative Montessori-aligned materials, visit our website at www.alisonsmontessori.com.
