The Five Great Lessons are a key part of the Montessori Lower Elementary curriculum. Designed to both introduce the child to large concepts and illustrate how smaller ideas and elements are a part of the whole, the Great Lessons provide an overview of history, from the beginning of the universe to the developments, discoveries, and achievements of mankind. These exciting lessons inspire a sense of wonder in the student and encourage an understanding of the purpose of more specific areas of study as an integral part of a larger framework. The Great Lessons are presented each year to build familiarity as students progress through the Lower Elementary classroom.
The Great Lessons are not connected to a particular religious viewpoint; rather, they are designed to develop in the students an awareness and respect of the human journey, and a desire to explore and seek truth in the world around them. Tying in with our character education, the Great Lessons teach diversity of life on earth, basic needs, and the interconnectedness of all living things.
The first of the Five Great Lessons, the Story of Creation, tells the story of the origins of the universe. Below is a video illustrating the Story of Creation as it shared in the Lower Elementary classroom.