Cosmic Education is a pillar of every stage of Montessori education. It teaches children about the interconnectedness of all living things and invites lessons from history, science, and culture that link students to each other and all of humanity. The Cosmic Nesting Boxes are an essential tool that helps our students understand the many threads that connect us all.
What Do They Look Like?
The Cosmic Nesting Boxes is a set of ten boxes nestled inside each other, each with a label. The teacher asks the children to envision themselves in deep, dark space. Space is the darkest night that extends in all directions, going forever. The teacher leads children through this space to the light ahead. As they get closer, they see the light coming from a cluster of millions of stars, also known as the Milky Way Galaxy.
From the Milky Way box, students move on to the next box representing our solar system. Students label each corresponding box from our solar system to Earth, their home continent, their country, their city, and even school until they land on the student inside: themselves. The boxes get smaller in size from largest (space) to smallest (themselves).
The Importance of the Cosmic Nesting Boxes
The crucial concept of interconnectedness is at the heart of the Cosmic Nesting Boxes. This activity links children to broad concepts like the universe and the Earth's continents. As they progress to smaller boxes nested within, they delve deeper into specific topics like different countries, ecosystems, and cultures.
One of the most versatile parts of the Cosmic Nesting Boxes is their adaptability to different age groups. Younger children explore the tangible elements, like miniature models, maps, and specimens corresponding to each box. Older learners engage in more abstract discussions, connecting concepts across a myriad of topics and contemplating the complexities of our world.
This nesting structure offers order and organization and gives students a hands-on tool to explore these relationships. This Montessori material reinforces the students’ learning about “Me on the Map.”
Beyond academic enrichment, the Cosmic Nesting Boxes also help students develop global awareness and empathy. By exploring the diverse cultures, environments, and species the boxes represent, students grow in appreciation for the rich diversity of our planet. Teachers help their classes cultivate a sense of responsibility toward their global community through mapping journeys, exchanging cultural stories, and more.
The Montessori in a Minute Series
The Montessori In A Minute series regularly explores the unique benefits of Montessori philosophy, its fundamental materials, and areas of the classroom. For all parents at Hudson Montessori School (Jersey City, New Jersey), the school hosts Parent Education Nights every year to teach parents about the Montessori method and how the students learn curriculum components using a Montessori framework.
Contact us to learn more about Hudson Montessori School's theme-based learning approach to education, the Montessori philosophy and methodology, or how the school fosters the love of learning for children aged 2 to eighth grade.
