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Mod
ule: 11
Introduction to Cosmic & Peace Education
Assignment

TAIBA
BATOOL
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ROLL # D19320

1. Write a note on Montessori Cosmic Education and how it can be

introduced during the early childhood years.
An Introduction to Cosmic Education
Cosmic Education is a cornerstone of the Montessori Philosophy. At its
core, Cosmic Education tells the story of the interconnectedness of all
things. It describes the role of education as comprehensive, holistic and
purposeful; to encompass the development of the whole person within
the context of the universe. It also introduces the possibility that
humanity might have a “cosmic task”, to better the world for future
generations.
Doctor Maria Montessori believed that Cosmic Education was vital to
early education because it provides children with a framework to
understand their world and their place within it. Children learn to
respect studies of the past, develop an understanding of ethics, and
value the contributions of others. In this way, Cosmic Education
teaches children to become aware of the interdependence of all things,
and develop a sense of gratitude that comes from that awareness.
Within the Montessori classroom, Cosmic Education forms a platform
for teaching children to understand and adapt to their environment. In
the first plan of development (0-6), Cosmic Education introduces the
child to the natural world through experiences with nature and the
sensorial learning materials. These experiences teach children to refine
their senses, and thus the way they process and understand their
world. These skills aid the child’s development, and confidence with
themselves, their society, and their world as a whole.
In the second plan of development (6-12), Cosmic Education introduces
the child to the repeating natural cycles in our world, the fundamental
needs that all humans share, and the connectedness of all living things.
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In the elementary years, children begin to draw connections between

how each particle, substance, species, and event has a purpose in the
development of all others. These “Great Lessons of Cosmic Education”
are taught as a whole curriculum to show children how all content
areas, such as the study of history, culture, science and the
environment, are all interconnected.
Doctor Maria Montessori believed that children who received a Cosmic
Education in childhood were better prepared to enter adolescence as
independent, socially responsible, and emotionally intelligent
individuals. This is because Cosmic Education launches children into the
world with a practiced understanding of who they are as individuals, as
members of the human race, and as citizens of the universe. It also
provides children with a deep understanding of their moral
responsibility to address global issues that affect humankind and the
environment. In Montessori, every moment is an opportunity to
understand the integrity of the universe.
Importance
Doctor Maria Montessori believed that the world was a purposeful
place; and that war, poverty and injustice, were deviations from that
purpose. She believed that Cosmic Education was a way to restore
harmony and order, and thus allow humankind to realize their true
potential. In the twenty-first century, global awareness, peaceful
communication, and ethical cooperation are integral to resolving global
disputes. By providing children with a Cosmic Education, Montessori
empowers students with the knowledge to transform the world. As
Doctor Maria Montessori states: “The child is both a hope and a
promise for mankind.”

COSMIC EDUCATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD (3-6 YEARS OLD)

Most children 3–6 years old are very much absorbed in experiencing
their immediate environment. These children feel close to and
connected with the natural world. To lay the groundwork for cosmic
education, it is enough for teachers to ensure that children experience
nature as much as possible and retain their connection with the
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natural world. It is important for teachers to realize that in

experiencing the natural world, the children are the teachers. Any
three-year old lying in the grass will see much more than a teacher will!
The teacher’s role is to not interfere with this experience, but allow
it to happen.

To help the children retain their connection to nature and to appeal to

their developing senses, the Montessori equipment, materials, and
activities involve as much as possible natural materials such as plants,
wood, water, and sand. When teachers and children are working
with these and other materials,
teachers can link the materials to their origins. For example, the
Montessori Thermic Tablets, which are made of stone, wood, steel, and
fabric, can be described as coming from different kinds of matter
produced by the earth. Teachers can also discuss with the children
what materials can be recycled, where the materials came from, and
how the materials were made, linking the materials in the classroom
with their origins in the world. At the same time, teachers can indicate
the role of human beings in the collection and production of the
materials. Even simple objects can provide rich material for cosmic
education. Examining and discussing a simple block of cedar wood, for
example, could guide the children to making many different
connections.

Here is an example of dialogue from the teacher’s point of view:

 Look at this bread! Isn’t it beautiful? Won’t it taste good for our snack?
 Where does this bread come from? Further back than the bread
basket in the school, further back than the store where the
teachers bought it, where does this bread come from?
 So that we can have this bread today, last spring a farmer planted
some tiny wheat kernels in a big brown field. In the field, under
the soft brown earth, the tiny kernels would receive spring rains
and warm spring sun, and the tiny kernels would start to grow into
tiny plants.
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 Feel how warm the sun is on our faces today. The sun feels
warmer every day now that it is spring. The tiny kernels planted by
the farmer would need lots of warm weather like this to grow.
 Just like people, plants need water to grow. Put your fingers into
the soil in the garden. Does it feel damp enough for little wheat
plants? We know that the little wheat plants would need lots
more rain over the spring and summer to grow into big plants.
 At the end of the summer, the wheat plants will have grown big.
They will be tall and golden yellow, and they will wave in the wind.
How much would the wheat plants wave in a wind like we have
today?
 After the summer, before the weather turns cold and rainy again,
the farmer will take the wheat from the field. While you are
watching leaves turn color in
the fall, the farmer will take the wheat to a big, noisy mill. There
the wheat will be ground between huge stones into soft, soft
flour.
 The millers will sell the flour to bakeries, and the bakers will use
their hot ovens to make the flour into bread and wrap it into
loaves. Stores will put the loaves on shelves. Teachers will buy the
bread, and children will eat it outside on a bright spring day!
 Smell the bread in your hand. Doesn’t it smell good? It reminds
me of that bright spring day last year when that farmer planted
those tiny wheat kernels... Other focused activities can also be
conducted outdoors. Each activity presents opportunities to
experience the connectedness of life.

For example, if the school has an outdoor area that can support even a
small garden, activities might include:
 Planning a garden, then working together to build it.
 Ordering or purchasing seeds or plants.
 Growing bedding plants.
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 Planting flowers and vegetables.

 Arranging a schedule and assigning responsibility for tending and
watering the garden.
 Building systems for collecting rainwater to water the garden.
 Picnicking on the vegetables from the garden, then recycling the
leftovers by composting.
 Picking a flower and placing it in a vase for a special school occasion.

 Having a garden serves as an excellent real-life analogy teachers

can use to explain how all living things work together. Teachers
and children can talk about how worms aerate the soil for the
plants while the decaying plants provide food for the worms. This
sort of example helps the children realize how they too can work
together to accomplish mutual goals. Some schools hold outdoor
events that celebrate a season of the year.

Teachers and children can work together to include simple activities

that involve the senses:
 Creating a dance that mimics the unfolding of the season,
choosing music that conveys the sounds and changes of the
season.
 Designing a walkway that passes by several “smell” features of the
season, such as in the spring a flowering cherry tree, a fragrant
hyacinth, and composted earth.
 Designing a walkway that shows several examples of seasonal
wildlife, such as in the fall an abandoned bird nest, a tiny hole
burrowed at the base of a tree, and a garden plant nibbled by a
squirrel.
 Preparing and eating a simple, local seasonal food (e.g., carrots in
the fall, dried apples in the winter, and eggs in the spring) and
talking about how it came to be.
 Sitting in silence and just experiencing the sounds, smells, and
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sights of the season.

Socially, most young children prefer to work on their own or just

alongside others. Teachers can enhance relationships between children
by helping them interact socially through cooperative, rather than
competitive activities. Always giving the children the opportunity to
choose what they are ready for, teachers can also gently encourage
children to work together occasionally on projects that require more
than one person to complete, such as making a poster or acting out a
play. Teachers can also invite older children to read to younger children
or teach certain practical life skills.
2. Discuss Montessori Peace Program and its
importance. An Introduction to Montessori
peace program
To commit to the creation of a peaceful world is an exercise in requiring a
broad
perspective and bottomless determination. The central message of
cosmic education- that the universe is a unified whole of
interrelationships and interdependence– suggests that the creation of
peace requires effort in all spheres of life. Relationships between
individuals, communities, cultures, and the environment must all be
put on a peaceful path in order to transcend the arguments, civil strife,
war, and environmental degradation that currently characterize so
much of modern life. To help students realize the power and
responsibilities of each person, the Montessori curriculum stresses the
integrity of all of life. Through their studies, students see that
individuals, communities, and nations have changed the world before
and will again, but it is only when the spirit of peace pervades their
efforts that the results are for the better. One of the major goals of
cosmic education is that seeking peace is the task chosen by
Montessori students as they take their places in society.
Students need to learn, practice, and develop skills in order to put that
approach into action. A Montessori education seeks to teach students,
through daily activities in the classroom, the skills to become
peacemakers, people committed to working toward peace,
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understanding, and non-violent ways of reducing or resolving conflict.

Giving students opportunities to see their own abilities develop is the
surest way to make students confident that they can make a difference
in the world. As teachers, everyone places an important role in
inspiring students and modeling peace behaviors that the students
need to learn.
The Montessori Peace Place: An Important Part of the Classroom
The first year I decided to create a Peace Place in the Montessori
preschool classroom was about 10 years ago, and I was full of doubt as
to how it would be received by my students. The Peace Table itself was
beautiful; in fact we had an entire Peace Corner with a Japanese
garden, a table water fountain, a basket of beautiful river rocks, a
chime, and of course, our Peace Rose! The Montessori preschool
classroom then was twice the size of the classroom that I am currently
teaching in, so it was easy to allocate an entire corner to our Peace
Place.
For the first couple of months, I wondered if the Peace Table was a
success, as it was taking a great deal of adult mediation to ensure the
appropriate language was being used and to ensure the conflict was
being peacefully resolved.
Then one day in early spring of that year, one of my five-year-old
students, Cassia approached her friend, Emma and said, “Would you
please join me at the Peace Table?” The two girls sat down together
and I simply stood back and observed the magic unfold. The girls
passed the Peace Rose back and forth and Cassia expressed that she
was feeling sad because Emma was working with another classmate
instead of her.
After much discussion, they decided to find an activity that all of them
could do together. The girls felt so proud to have resolved the issue and
all three students sat at the snack table together, tidied up and then
each created a flag to take home. It was amazing to observe these
young Montessori students solve their issue honestly and fairly and it is
amazing how the Montessori Peace Table can help to maintain a
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harmonious and cooperative atmosphere in the Montessori community.

3. Write a comprehensive note on Montessori peace flower model
and its constituent four petals.
The Peace Flower- The Four States of Peace Awareness
There are, in fact, many forms and layers of peace. To think about
what peace is and how it can be practiced means analyzing possibilities
for its application. The Peace Flower diagram provides a simple,
concrete framework upon which Montessori teachers and parents can
focus on.
There are, in fact, many forms and layers of peace. To think about
what peace is and how it can be practiced means analyzing possibilities
for its application. The Peace Flower diagram provides a simple,
concrete framework upon which Montessori teachers and parents can
focus on.

Self-Awareness
Someone that is aware of how he/she is thinking, feeling, and behaving. It
means being mindful about thoughts, words, and actions.
Community Awareness
Someone is aware of other people in the community and the nature of
relationships she/he has with people, especially people with whom the
person interacts every day. Community radiates out from each
individual to include family, other students, teachers, school staff,
shopkeepers, bus drivers, etc.
Environmental Awareness
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Someone is aware of what the earth needs to stay healthy and how
individuals, communities, and cultures treat the earth.

Cultural Awareness
An awareness and appreciation of the differences in people’s attitudes,
beliefs, practices, customs, and social behavior.
In the primary classroom, we will spend a significant amount of time on
the first petal of Self Awareness. We want to help identify and name all
of the various feelings the child will have, and help them know
that all feelings are okay. Continuing to move outward, we want to
show them what appropriate actions they can do with these feelings.
We then want the child to begin to contemplate and meditate upon
their actions before they are performed.
While concentrating on the first petal of self-awareness, our overall
goal is to help the child move from a less egocentric state to one of
community, environmental, and ultimately cultural awareness.

The Peace Place

Dr. Montessori recognized children as the redeeming factor in the
evolution of humankind. The Peace Place is a designated space in the
environment where children can go to take a moment, calm
themselves and work out a problem in a peaceful way.
Our Montessori classroom is small so it has been a challenge to find the
perfect spot for the Peace Place, however, I am happy to say that I did!
The table I chose is away from the busy work area and right by a big
window. The table is just the right size; there are two chairs and on the
Peace Table I have placed a beautiful vase with a single rose.
4. Prepare the any two of the following peace crafts and send to your
tutor along with the assignment.
 Origami Peace Crane
 Peace Door Hanger
5. Explain the following activities briefly in your own words:
 Introducing the Peace Flower
 Creating a Peace Place
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 Something Good I have Done

 Practicing Conflict Resolution
 Saving Water

Introducing the peace flower

There are, in fact, many forms and layers of peace. To think about
what peace is and how it can be practiced means analyzing possibilities
for its application. The Peace Flower diagram provides a simple,
concrete framework upon which Montessori teachers and parents can
focus on.
Self Awareness- Someone that is aware of how he/she is thinking,
feeling, and behaving. It means being mindful about thoughts, words,
and actions.
Community Awareness- Someone is aware of other people in the
community and the nature of relationships she/he has with people,
especially people with whom the person interacts every day.
Community radiates out from each individual to include family, other
students, teachers, school staff, shopkeepers, bus drivers, etc.
Environmental Awareness- someone is aware of what the earth needs
to stay healthy and how individuals, communities, and cultures treat
the earth.
Cultural Awareness- An awareness and appreciation of the differences
in people’s attitudes, beliefs, practices, customs, and social behavior.
In the primary classroom, we will spend a significant amount of time on
the first petal of Self Awareness. We want to help identify and name all
of the various feelings the child will have, and help them know that all
feelings are okay. Continuing to move outward, we want to show them
what appropriate actions they can do with these feelings. We then
want the child to begin to contemplate and meditate upon their actions
before they are performed.
While concentrating on the first petal of self-awareness, our overall
goal is to help the child move from a less egocentric state to one of
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community, environmental, and ultimately cultural awareness.

Creating a peace place
As part of our Peace Curriculum that is incorporated into our monthly
studies at MCS, this month each of the classes is engaged in a study of
creating space for Peace as we prepare to celebrate International
Peace Day on September 21st and in honor of Maria Montessori’s
extensive work in the field of Peace Education. Studies show that a
preventative curriculum that promotes communication, community
and self-advocacy is more effective than a punishing approach to
bullying in schools. Ours is a program that we expect will follow our
students far beyond their structured educational experience. We hope
for and assist children in the development of skills of peaceful conflict
resolution, gaining respect for peers and incorporating communal
advocacy, taking in to account the needs of a community and how
one’s behavior affects another, and establishing a lifetime of self-
advocacy, self-love and self-respect.
Peace is a work rooted deeply in the approach in Montessori schools
across the world and Maria Montessori was nominated for the Nobel
Peace Prize on three different occasions as her passion for Peace
Education led her to spread its good word in various countries. Her
legacy lives on as she is now widely recognized as an advocate for
peace and her educational philosophy is practiced throughout the
world.
“Peace is a goal that can only be attained through common accord, and
the means to achieve this unity for peace are twofold: first, an
immediate effort to resolve conflicts without recourse to violence—in
other words, to prevent war—and second, a long-term effort to
establish a lasting peace among men” (Education and Peace,
Montessori, 1949, p. 27).
Montessori education addresses Peace in a variety of ways,
encouraging children to first develop inner peace. At its most basic
level the Montessori method does this by honoring the individual
interests, passions and ability of each child, giving children space to
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develop confidence with making mistakes as they explore and the

courage to fix mistakes, and inspiring them to be part of a community.
Because each student is recognized as an individual, you will find
children working on a variety of activities at any given time. This gives
children space and encouragement to accept that differences between
humans exist at varying degrees.
Inner peace gives children the foundation for supporting peace within
their classroom, school, social and family communities. Communities
are an important aspect of the Montessori philosophy in that there is
an emphasis on the whole person and learning to function within a
community is essential to the success of human endeavor. A successful
community is made up of a variety of different talents, strengths, skills
and goals. As our students engage in peaceful conflict resolution,
modeled by the adults in the community, they learn to function as
many parts making up a whole. As they assist in the management of
the environment, including caring for the physical space, taking on
important leadership roles within the classroom, and engaging in group
discussion about how to make change for the better, students practice
lifelong skills of considering others and building functioning
communities.
Some common Montessori terms/methods that directly and indirectly
support Peace Education include:
Cosmic Education is the child’s gradual discovery, throughout the
whole of childhood, of the interrelatedness of all things on earth, in the
past, in the present, and in the future.
Intrinsic motivation (versus rewards or punishment) is a desire to do
for the sake of doing with no expectation or even hope for an outside
motivator.
Multi age classrooms allow children to play varying roles throughout
their cycle in a classroom, allowing investment in the environment and
practice of various skills, jobs and identities.
Follow the child means that each child is considered individually and
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opportunities to further develop special skills and talents is honored

along with opportunity for extra, repetitive practice of more difficult
tasks.
Class meetings and agenda books allow children to bring up issues or
concerns and decide, with adult guidance, how to overcome challenges
as a group. It also allows a sacred place for celebrating one another’s
accomplishments.
Peace areas in each classroom provide a place for children to go when
they need to find inner peace. Meditation, breathing and various other
exercises are encouraged to help students look within.
Outdoor education and care for living things (plants and animals
throughout the school and in each classroom) give children the
opportunity to practice care for and consideration of the needs of all
living things and help them develop a love and advocacy for our earth
and all it has to offer.
Practicing conflict resolution
Elementary children who have been nurtured in the Primary classroom
have an obvious and similar background with the other children in the
elementary classroom of being treated with respect and honor, and
have developed into confident and competent learners from the aid
and support of the Primary Program.
Observers will notice in the Primary classroom, a child seems to work
mostly parallel to his peers, each on their own individual activity in
order to concentrate best. Elementary children, however, are entering
a new period in their life and have a strong drive to be social and
collaborate.
Elementary Children Work Collaboratively and Cooperatively:
For this reason, most lessons and research projects in the elementary
classroom are done in pairs or groups of children.
Each day, the community setting of the elementary classroom allows
the children to practice social skills necessary to carry out their task by:
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delegating work, sharing resources and materials, making group

decisions, taking responsibility for actions, and celebrating the success
of peers. On the other hand, conflict is not uncommon, but the
motivation to resolve it comes from the children.
Learning to collaboratively and cooperatively work within a classroom
community adds countless value to the child’s education. Montessori is
providing the child significant life lessons with practical application for
the home and in the “real world” of high school, college, future career
and marriage.
Saving Water
The World Water Day is a great springboard for Montessori activities in
cultural geography. Students of all ages can participate in activities that
develop an understanding of the geography of water, and the 2010
motto, “Clean water for a healthy world” can serve as a catalyst for
further exploration of the importance of clean water for people around
the world.
World Water Day is a globally-recognized initiative that grew out of the
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)
in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The decade between 2005 and 2015 has been
named “Celebrating Water for Life: the International Decade for
Action.” There are a number of activities and learning opportunities for
you Montessori classroom centered on World Water Day.
World Water Day: Montessori Classroom Activities and Opportunities:
In the Montessori Preschool/Kindergarten classroom, activities using
the globe and Land and Water Forms material can be introduced or
revisited to familiarize students with the geography and vocabulary of
various water forms around the world. These activities can then be
extended to prompt discussion about the importance of water in our
daily lives, then further discussion about the importance of clean,
healthy water. Montessori teachers can then extend the concept to
raise awareness for water conservation, and for the challenge of access
to clean water in areas around the world, how children in these areas
are affected, and what can be done to help.
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At the Montessori elementary level, students enter a sensitive period

for community care and service. Activities such as the water cycle and
those covering the earth’s hydrosphere and take on new meaning in
the context of water conservancy. World Water Day can be a
springboard for taking action by identifying ways in which students can
conserve water at home, study how water is treated in their
community, and advocate for water protection and conservancy in
their community. A Montessori elementary classroom might even find
a way to help children in another part of the world that is directly
affected by the absence of clean water.