The Montessori Cultural sequence
Cultural runs 12 published lessons here, from Sandpaper Globe: Land and Water at 2.5 to 4.5 years to The Sun and the Planets (Solar System) at 4 to 6 years. They're listed in the order a child meets them, each linked to its full page. We add lessons as each one is written and checked against Montessori's own books, so the list will grow.
Start with Sandpaper Globe: Land and Water, which needs nothing before it. If you aren't sure your child is ready for Cultural, two minutes of questions place your child on the sequence.
Cultural lessons in the order a child meets them
| # | Lesson | Age | Before this |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sandpaper Globe: Land and WaterSandpaper GlobeTo learn the words land and water and identify each on the globe. Leads to World Puzzle Map: Continents and Land and Water Forms and Continent Globe (Painted Globe). | 2.5 to 4.5 years | Can come first |
| 2 | Caring for PlantsPlant Care SetTo water a plant, clean its leaves and keep it healthy, and later to sow seeds and watch them grow. Leads to Living and Nonliving: A First Sort and Parts of a Plant (Botany Puzzles). | 2.5 to 5.5 years | Wet Pouring Between Two Pitchers (Practical Life) |
| 3 | World Puzzle Map: ContinentsWorld Puzzle MapTo learn the names, shapes and positions of the continents. Leads to Flags of the World. | 3 to 5.5 years | Sandpaper Globe, Continent Globe (Painted Globe) |
| 4 | Land and Water FormsLand and Water Form Trays, Small Pouring PitchersTo learn the names of land and water forms and recognize each as a pair of opposites. Leads to Three-Part Cards: Land and Water Forms. | 3 to 5.5 years | Sandpaper Globe, Dry Pouring Between Two Pitchers (Practical Life) |
| 5 | Continent Globe (Painted Globe)Continent Globe (Painted Globe)To learn the names and shapes of the seven continents on the globe. Leads to World Puzzle Map: Continents and The Sun and the Planets (Solar System). | 3 to 5 years | Sandpaper Globe |
| 6 | Sink and FloatTo find out by testing which objects sink and which float, and to sort them. | 3 to 5.5 years | Wet Pouring Between Two Pitchers (Practical Life) |
| 7 | Living and Nonliving: A First SortLiving and Nonliving Sorting CardsTo sort things into living and nonliving and say why. Leads to Zoology Puzzles (Parts of an Animal). | 3.5 to 6 years | Caring for Plants |
| 8 | Botany Cabinet: Leaf ShapesBotany CabinetTo see and feel the shapes of leaves, learn their names, and recognize them in real plants. | 3.5 to 6 years | Geometric Cabinet (Plane Geometric Insets) (Sensorial) |
| 9 | Flags of the WorldFlag Stands (Flags of the World)To recognize and name the flags of countries, and to place them on the map. | 3.5 to 6 years | World Puzzle Map |
| 10 | Parts of a Plant (Botany Puzzles)Botany PuzzlesTo learn the names of the parts of a plant and find them on real plants. | 3.5 to 6 years | Caring for Plants |
| 11 | Zoology Puzzles (Parts of an Animal)Zoology PuzzlesTo learn the names of the external parts of animals. | 3.5 to 6 years | Living and Nonliving |
| 12 | The Sun and the Planets (Solar System)Solar System Puzzle and CardsTo know that the earth goes round the sun with seven other planets, and to name them in order. | 4 to 6 years | Continent Globe (Painted Globe) |
Caring for Plants also needs Wet Pouring Between Two Pitchers from Practical Life. Land and Water Forms also needs Dry Pouring Between Two Pitchers from Practical Life. Sink and Float also needs Wet Pouring Between Two Pitchers from Practical Life. Botany Cabinet: Leaf Shapes also needs Geometric Cabinet (Plane Geometric Insets) from Sensorial.
How the Cultural lessons depend on each other
Cultural is one strand of the shelf. To see what sits beside sandpaper globe: land and water at the same age across all five areas, go to Montessori activities for age 2, or answer six questions for a first shelf of your own.