Montessori Inspired Creation Unit – Day 2

This is the second week of our Montessori Inspired Days of Creation Unit. Each week we focus on a different day of creation over 8 weeks. On the final week, we are focusing on the overall story/story sequencing. This allows us to focus on and really retain what happened on each day of creation plus we were able to unpack some concepts that we would not have had space for if we did this in a shorter time frame. I love telling the story and reinforcing the story in different ways to aid in understanding. Our review time is often similar and the story itself remains the same. There is just something different about hearing it told in story telling format more than one way plus reading it in different books and of course directly from the Bible PLUS different pictures and story cards.

Throughout this unit we emphasized a few truths from the Biblical narrative of creation. First, God is good. Second, God created everything good.

Day 2 is sky and water. It’s the day that God separated the waters on earth from the waters above the sky aka he formed our atmosphere and created the sky.

Note: The first lesson is also a lesson I teach to multiple children in our Sunday School Class.

Here’s what we did during week 2!

Lesson/Presentation 1 Outline/Resources:

• Pray
• Review Bible Verses (Working on the Romans Road)
• Story Telling (Narrative I wrote below)
• Sing – 1 – “Water, Water, God said let their be Water” (This was a song we sang growing up… I can’t find it right now! I may post a video with the tune but I only remember the beginning.) 2 –  “God is Good All the Time” (We just sing the first couple of lines a capella a few times and repeat), 3 – “God made everything”
• Exploring Water (General)
• Sing/Dance to “God made everything”

I reviewed the first day of creation plus tolled the story of the second day of creation. You are welcome to use this!

Last week we learned about which day of creation? That’s right, the first day. And on the first day of creation God said “let their be’ …. (let children answer) that’s right light. “Let their be light.” And there was … (let children answer then repeat – light). And God saw that it was …. (let children answer then repeat – good). And there was evening, and there was morning, the …. (let children answer then repeat – first day of creation. I love how well you remembered that! This week we are going to do the second day of creation. God said, let the be an expanse- an expanse is a large space- in the waters and He separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were below the expanse. He called the expanse heaven. And there was evening, and there was morning, the second day of creation (hold up two fingers.) Can you say that with me? The second day of creation.

After I told the story, I asked, what do we use water for? My daughter responded to swim! So we pretended to swim. We laid on our bellies and did swim toes + kicked our feet. Then I modeled free style arms, breast stroke, and doggie paddling. We will practice throughout this week. I REALLY want to find a good place to go swimming soon and I am dying to teach her to swim so we just dove into it! When I taught swim lessons at the YMCA we started on dry land!

Lesson/Presentation 2 Outline/Resources:

• Pray
• Sing
• Tray for Day 2 of Creation (Pictured Above)
• Read The Story of Creation (Day 2) from The Beginner’s Bible
• Exploring water – Sink or Float Experiment (more below)

After quiet time, we took a bin and filled it up with water. Our oldest loves to turn on the water and use the hose. Then we took a bucket and grabbed random objects in the yard to see what sunk and what floated! I let her continue this until she was over it. The baby loves to splash and play in the water and spent most of her water exploration time doing just that!

Lesson/Presentation 3 Outline/Resources

• Pray
• Sing
• Creation Tray Day 2
• Godly Play Presentation (See this video min 3-4:47; I really like the visual of the expanse. I used my Creation Tray Day 2 and Day 1 for the Presentation)
• Art Tray for Day 2 of Creation (See Below for description and picture)
• Exploring the number 2 (fun, conversational + bring me game)
• Painting Fun – Blue and White Paint

When I presented this tray I said, I have something that I would like to show you. I retrieved the tray from the bookshelf and asked our oldest daughter to bring me a mat. She carried the mat over, unrolled it and I laid the tray on it. I took out the number two and said, “This is two” and traced it with my finger–even though it is not a sandpaper number–and she did the same. Then I said, today we are exploring the second day of creation and held up two fingers. (Side note, this Creation study has spurred an interest in numbers again so we’ve been grabbing our “Math Work” book frequently, counting all the things, and saying first, second, third… etc. FUN!)

Then I said, “In the beginning” and paused. She filled in the blank, “God”. “Yes.” I said. “What did God do in the beginning?” I said and paused. “Created”. (When she fills in the blanks perfectly my Mama heart melts!) “Yes. He said, let their be” (pause for child to answer) “Light” she said. “And there was” (Light). And the evening and the morning was the (pause… first day – hold up one finger).

“Then on the second day God gave us” (Pause) “Water”. “Yes, water.” (pick up blue piece of construction paper. Let child pick up the second piece or lay in front of them.) “He separated the waters below (gesture with hand on paper) from the waters above with an expanse. Is there an expanse on this paper? No. What do I need to make an expanse. Let me see what I have here. (Pick up white paper and scissors). I am going to cut an expanse for my water. (cut out a line from white card stock). Would you like to cut an expanse for your paper as well? (Give time for child to cut out paper) Will this stay here? (Hold expanse in the middle of paper). No, we will need something. Hm. What can we use? That’s right, glue. Let’s use this glue to adhere the expanse to the middle of the paper. Do you think God needed glue? No, He just had to speak. (Be silent for a moment) Is this really an expanse? The sky? No, it just represents the space God created to separate the waters, doesn’t it?”

Lesson/Presentation 4 Outline/Resources:

• Pray
• Sing
• Days of Creation Printable from Green Urban Creative
• Review Story Cards from last week and lay in order on the mat (see picture) and then read new story card together – Day 2 of Creation

Lesson/Presentation 5 Outline/Resources:

• Pray
• Sing
• Read Story of Creation (Day 2) from the Jesus Storybook Bible
• Exploring water in the Bible (John 4:7-14)
• Exploring the number 2 bring me game (if interested)

Lesson/Presentation 6 Outline/Resources:

• Pray
• Sing
• Invite child to circle time. When it is time to tell the story or read the story, invite them to tell you. Let them choose whatever tray or book they would like to use.
• Exploring water in the Bible (Isaiah 43:2)

Little Miss really enjoyed week 2 of our Creation Unit! Daddy had a procedure done at the end of the week, so we did not go get to use my plans for Day 6. If we talk about water next week I may use it conversationally! If not, we will work it in one day. Check out week 1 if you have not already. What are your favorite Montessori Inspired Creation Activities?

Hope this is helpful!

XOXO,

Amanda