History and Geography
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...... We are all members of the human family. Our roots lie in the distant past, and history is the story of our common heritage. Without a strong sense of history, we cannot begin to know who we are as individuals today. Our goal is to instill in our students a global perspective, and the study of history and world cultures forms the cornerstone of that process.

With this goal in mind, we teach history and world cultures from age three through graduation. Our youngest students work with specially designed maps and begin to learn the names of the world’s continents and countries. Physical geography begins in the first grade with a study of the formation of the Earth, the emergence of the oceans and atmosphere, and the evolution of life. They learn about the world’s rivers, lakes, deserts, mountain ranges and natural resources.

International studies continue through all grades. The curriculum integrates art, music, dance, cooking, geography, literature and science. The children learn to prepare and enjoy dishes from all over the world. They learn the traditional folk songs and dances in music, and explore traditional folk crafts in art. In English, they read the traditional folk tales, and both research and prepare reports about the countries that we are focusing on that year. Our units culminate in marvelous international holidays and festivals that serve as the high points of every year. A few of the most popular celebrations at Hudson Country Montessori School are Chinese New Year, Loy Krathong (Thailand), Diwali (India), Carnival (Latin America), African harvest festivals, and Japanese Children’s Day. We also celebrate a wide range of holidays that reflect America’s ethnic diversity and historical traditions.

In the Elementary classes, older students begin to study world cultures in greater depth: the customs, housing, diet, government, industry, the arts, history and dress. Keep in mind that our students go to school and grow up with children from all over the world. They learn to treasure the richness of their own cultural heritage, and those of their friends.

Lower Elementary students study the emergence of the first civilizations and the universal needs of Man. In the Upper Elementary level, students begin their formal study of history. In the 4th, 5th and 6th grades, the focus is respectively on early man, ancient civilizations, and early American history.

We try to present a sense of living history at every level through direct hands-on experience. We build models of ancient tools and structures, prepare our own manuscripts, make ceremonial masks, and recreated all sorts of artifacts of the everyday life of an historical era. Students learn how to chop wood, build shelters, cook over an open fire, churn butter, or build shelters to sleep outdoors. Experiences such as these make it much easier for our children to appreciate history as it is taught through books. Field trips are naturally an integral part of this rich curriculum.