Between the ages of 6 and 12, children are extremely academically-oriented. They yearn to know everything about everything, and Montessori directors follow this developmental stage accordingly. Milo and Oliver, who are in their school’s lower elementary classroom together, share a directress (which is what the lead teacher is called in Montessori) who recently shared part of a Montessori lower elementary concept: Cosmic Education.
Cosmic Education refers to the path through which children develop a global vision; it is the big picture, of or relating to the universe, taking on everything. One lesson involves how the universe began, another how man came to written language. Much of Cosmic Education relates to raising peaceful human beings, which Maria Montessori believed was twofold: an awareness of interdependence, and a sense of gratitude that comes with that awareness. In other words, if a child learns about not just humans, but about all the elements and forces of nature, plants, animals (both living and extinct), rocks, oceans, forests, atomic particles, and molecules, in a way that connects everything together, that child will have a sense of responsibility and interconnectedness with his/her world.
The Time Line of Life is part of Cosmic Education. It represents the beginning of life on Earth from the simplest forms on through the appearance of human beings. In the Montessori Time Line, a vast variety of life is presented in a way that interconnects one to the other as they move through time.
The Story of Life: Evolution, illustrated by the wonderful and talented London-based artist Katie Scott, I must add, is not a Montessori Time Line. However, it is inspired by one (hence the name of the post), and is a beautiful supplement we keep at home for the boys to explore. It is not a true book, but a giant fold-out timeline with detailed time periods both along the bottom and more in-depth descriptions of each time period on the back of the huge time line. 
The illustrations of each creature and plant are breathtaking and imaginative, and based on fossil records and plenty of science. I also really enjoy that there are recognizable insects so far back, which lead to a really great discussion about how versatile and amazing (and ancient) insects are.
It is the perfect book to unfold and spread across the better part of the length of a room and study for hours while lying on your belly, especially now that we’re all spending a lot more time indoors where it’s warm!
I might add that I (along with a room full of other parents) was lucky enough to experience two of the Great Lessons from two directresses at the boys’ Montessori school, and it made something well up inside of me — a combination of awe and recognition and desire to learn more, as an adult. Now that is some kind of inspiration; the kind of inspiration we should be exposing our children to every single day — the true joy of learning alongside the heavy and important responsibility that comes with it. I am so grateful.
Also, Happy Birthday to my not-so-little brother Jon today. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow!
