Layers of the Earth 6-9, Alison’s Montessori

Geology 3-6, 6-9

With this post on Layers of the Earth, I am continuing reviews on Montessori materials for use at home and in the classroom. Alison’s Montessori has graciously provided me with their puzzles and nomenclature cards at no cost, for an unbiased and honest review. My goal is to show clear details of what one can expect, and provide our personal experience with the materials.

In the past, my learners (7 and 9) have been learning with the use of nomenclature cards, especially from ETC Montessori. While the content they were exposed to was rich enough, they would tend to get weary of such materials. That is why these puzzles appeal to me. They have that “je ne sais quoi” on the shelf that screams “pick me!”

So today, I am sharing visual details of what the Layers of the Earth puzzle, and nomenclature cards have to offer.

The set contains (and can be purchased separately):

• wooden puzzle with wooden labels and control chart (inner/outer core, lower/upper mantle, crust)
• Nomenclature Cards (7 different features with pictures, labels, description)
• A master copy of the parts for student to make own booklet
• A master copy of the layers
• A control chart for the nomenclature cards
• A booklet for nomenclature cards
• A color picture of the layers without labels

We have been learning about the layers of the Earth since primary level with a more simple puzzle and nomenclature cards. But they differ from this comprehensive set. The graphics are consistent throughout the materials. The child gets a strong visual impression that, I think, will stay aggraved in mind. See the puzzle below and control chart.

My first grader took the initiative to display the puzzle in a linear manner, and labeled each part. I, then, encouraged him to read and match nomenclature cards.

I was very pleased to find that the materials had included a couple of masters copies. Children love to use the printer, color and label what they have learned. The vocabulary is accessible to first year students in the elementary level. For me, that is very important. Too many materials I have encountered contain extremely complex texts, and are labeled 6-9. It can be very frustrating for a reader in the making. Again, these nomenclature cards are accessible to first year students, and still informative and appealing to second and third year students who would like to brush up on past knowledge. Children in primary level can simply just use the puzzle and the 3 part cards as well.

Usually, after reading and matching labels, I would have the children write about something they like on their notebook. But, this time, the nomenclature cards came with a master copy of the booklet with cloze text. The children choose to work on this instead.

Finally, they printed the outline of the layers of the Earth, colored, and labeled it.

I will keep the Layers of the Earth materials with the Layers of the Sun and the the Solar System. I feel relieved to see the children confidently grab the work on the shelf, and do meaningful work. I hope you found this detailed post useful for your learners.

Ready for a lesson?