The Lower Elementary Chemistry curriculum from ETC Montessori is helpful in providing basic nomenclature cards on chemistry common terms (acid, alkali, alloy, solution, etc…), and simple chemistry experiments that mostly require household components (an apple, vinegar, a coin, a potato, ice…). These experiments are especially geared towards the learners, and to be conducted independently. The cards are said to be age-appropriately written, but I found that even my well-versed child is still asking for clarification.
The curriculum for Lower Elementary includes:
- A teacher’s note (you’ll have the script to explain the outcome for each experiment)
- Nomenclature cards on common terms in chemistry (malleable, soluble, etc…)
- Booklets, but they are not double-sided and bounded
- 4 cards for experimenting “Chemical Changes”
- 4 cards for experimenting “Physical Changes”
- 4 cards for experimenting “Acid and Bases”
- 12 cards for experimenting “States of Matter”
- Cards about famous chemists
For the three-part cards above, I created a control of error by sticking labels on the back. This frees up the children’s hands, as they don’t have to flip through the booklet pages to match with their work, which seems to break the learning flow.
Conclusion, this is a nice addition to your science shelf. Your learners might need help conducting the experiments, but you should encourage that they eventually repeat them on their own and get familiar with the jargons. The teacher’s note contains some charts that you can copy as a record keeper for your learners (see below):
I am looking forward to opening our Chemistry 9-12 Curriculum as my children are advancing rapidly in their learning. I will share a detailed post soon.
Montessori Second Plane of Development 