Montessori Northwest
Writing Activity: Abstract Nouns (Better Angels of our Nature) Purpose To support the children’s exploration of abstract nouns and their social selves; to foster an appreciation of the better angels of our nature and how our human ideals can be a living guide in our classrooms Materials List paper; possibly a template or supplies for making actual angel cards. Notes for the Adult Children should have had previous lessons and experience with concrete and abstract nouns, and with ABC list making, if that technique is to be used here. Some experience with U.S. History during the Civil War will make the activity as it is described here more meaningful, but the activity can be adapted and the abstract nouns called ideals or guides or something other than angels. Presentation Invite the children. I have a writing activity that will help you explore abstract nouns, and might also help us have more things to write about in the future. Give some background: President Abraham Lincoln gave his First Inaugural Address on Monday, March 4, 1861. Source for the address: http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres31.html The southern states had just declared themselves their own country, so this was a very troubled time for the new president. He wanted very much to keep the United States united! Share the last paragraph of the address: “I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” So what does he mean, the better angels of our nature? Those qualities within us that make us good at what we are, being human beings together. Abraham Lincoln is talking about those ideals we hold, those abstract nouns, those things we’re able to imagine with our special minds, motivated by our special kind of love, that we want to be inspired by and live up to. He calls them “angels.” © Elise Huneke-Stone
Montessori Northwest
Montessori Northwest
I have a set of cards at home called “angel cards” that remind me of what Lincoln said, because they are all about those ideals. I use them to remind myself of these ideals and sometimes I write about them. I’ve been thinking that it would be good for our class to have a set of these cards that we make together so that we can remind ourselves and each other of the better angels of our nature, so that we can work with more awareness at living up to these ideals. You know, the literature and poetry that lasts is all about these keys, these big ideals. Love. Loss. Learning. Land. Peace. Power. Family. Friends. Freedom. Human beings have been talking or writing about these things since our ancestors first gathered around a fire or learned to communicate in symbols. Let’s make a list together of these better angels of our nature, and turn them into little cards, and keep them in a basket on our community shelf so that we can be reminded of them whenever we want to get in touch with them or focus on them. Sometimes people might use them as writing prompts, when you want to write about something deeply important to humanity. You could use them as journal prompts, or you could play the unpacking game with them. It’s everyone’s responsibility to know all about these things…some of you may find that writing about these things becomes important to you in ways that you didn’t expect, that you are moved or inspired or amused or cleansed or calmed or satisfied by what you write about these better angels of our nature. I think Abraham Lincoln was inspired by what he wrote, when he sat down that day and wrote that speech. If it could work for him to think about the better angels of our nature when he was working to unite our divided nation, I bet it would work for us in our classroom when we want to create greater harmony and get along better. After the list making, explore with the children how the cards themselves are to be made and decorated. © Elise Huneke-Stone
Montessori Northwest