ecolab & erdkinder work mercy junior high “work of the ...€¦ · ecolab & erdkinder...
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Ecolab & Erdkinder Work Mercy Junior High “Work of the hands and the head….”
Erdkinder Philosophy for the Adolescent Maria Montessori recommended that the adolescent should spend a period of time in the country away from the environment of the family. This would provide an opportunity to study civilization through its origin in agriculture. She suggested they should live in a hostel which they would learn to manage and open a shop where sale of produce would bring in the fundamental mechanics of society, production, and exchange on which economic life is based. Maria Montessori outlined a general plan for their studies and work but believed that the program she called Erdkinder, German for “land children”, could only be developed from experience. Mercy Montessori is an urban school so Montessori’s idea of Erdkinder is fulfilled through the students’ work in the school’s Ecolab. The junior high students begin the year with reading Montessori’s Erdkinder essay and making plans for the Ecolab space. The goal is to have student leaders take ownership of a project and teach the lesson to their peers. Student leaders and teachers oversee the work. See their brainstorming and photos below. Valorization of the Adolescent Laurie EwertKrocker says the valorization of the adolescent is arrived at through belonging and contribution. Adolescents must be able to experience: •Division of labor •Cooperation •Decisionmaking •How human social organizations work •Experiences that feel adultlike and real
•High level of ownership “Hopefully our students see those connections between what they’ve read about, studied about, and debated over as they are plowing, planting, harvesting, preserving, building, and producing—and see that in both the work of the hand and the work of the head, they find reflections in their own humanity.” EwertKocher, p. 4, “Occupation Projects, the MicroEconomy, and Student Managers: Meeting the Needs of Adolescents”.
Mercy Montessori Ecolab Plan
YEAR PLAN ADJUSTMENTS
201415 Beautification Cleaning out poison ivy & Japanese Knotweed Plant perennials in October Compost North corner, past platform
teach all classes how to recycle & compost
Had to adjust plans. Japanese Knotweed was invasive and our perennials did not survive.
201516 Build stairs on the path for the younger children Rebuild the stairs with treated wood safety Build 23 raised gardens for vegetables and herbs Replant perennials Plants graduation (roses) Clean out beds around those areas Create an Erdkinder closet of supplies
201617 Build up the outdoor classroom area (around platform) Maintain flower and food gardens
Start a microeconomy of some sort. Ideas: Farmer’s Market, community lunch depending on amount produced) Incorporate into hot lunch program at Mercy Teach younger children about our plan, the program, shared vision Add bird feeders (hummingbird, finch) Invite back Class of 2015 & 2016
201718 Plans to be decided by Class of 2018 and 2019