Each year, new Montessori elementary learners begin the year with an impressive series of stories and impressionistic experiences. They are introduced to the Five Great Stories, which Dr. Maria Montessori created to serve as a backbone for the Cosmic Education curriculum. The Great Stories exploit children’s powerful imaginations to deliver a road map through the Cosmic Education curriculum. This experience serves as a reference through the year, and is repeated each year during the first weeks of school.
Materials
- Synthetic non-tear paper Timeline of Numerals (Dimensions: 80.5” x 33”, complete set)
- 99 Timeline of Numerals Research Cards (can be purchased separately)
- 11 compartment card holder (sold separately)
The Fifth Great Story: Timeline of Numerals
Children begin to learn about early humans and ancient civilizations during their elementary years. During the Fifth Great Story, they are brought to think of how humans had developed systems to express quantities. Perhaps it started with the early humans who, while living communally, needed to keep count of food and people using body parts or tally marks. Children learn that, later, these methods were no long sufficient to count as the world became more complex. This brought other civilizations such as the Babylonians, the Ancient Chinese, and the Aztecs to develop positional notation, also known as place value. The zero was also invented, which served as a value and a place holder.
Measurements: ancient scale
All this information is extremely fascinating to children. It instills in them a desire to learn more about the history of numerals. Following the Fifth and final Great Story, it is important to provide children with an opportunity to continue studying the history of numerals. That is why we think our Timeline of Numerals is an indispensable material to help children navigate the history of numerals. The Timeline depicts the history of counting methods, counting devices, and various numeral symbols developed through time (50,000 B.C.E. to modern days) and places (Americas, Africa, Asia, Europe). When used in conjunction with our Timeline of Numerals Research Cards, the timeline can provide key information to ignite inquiry-based research. It presents different components in an organized manner:
- primitive counting
- primitive counting devices
- early numerals
- counting device
- modern world numerals
- modern world numerals equipment
The Timeline contains hand drawn graphics as well as real pictures. Children discover that an array of artifacts have been found, which helped historians retrace the origins of numerals. Children can decide to explore one component throughout the world (vertical study), or a sequence of events on one continent through time (horizontal study). The Timeline of Numerals is also a great compliment our Timeline of Ancient Civilizations as it uses the same format and civilizations.
We hope we have inspired you to provide children with support materials after presenting the Great Stories. The Timeline of Numerals can be revisited any time during the school year, individually or in small groups. Similarly, you may want to check out our History of Language and Writing Tools, which support the Fourth Great Story on Language.
