Pink Tower Sensorial Montessori Lesson

Age:
3 - 3 1/2
Direct Purpose:
Refinement of visual sense
Visual discrimination of dimension in regard to sides
Materials:
Ten wooden cubes, differing in all 3 dimensions whose size increases progressively in the algebraic series of the third power. Starting with the first cube, which is 1 cubic centimeter in size, the second is the size of 8 of the first, etc.
13 = 1 cubic centimeter
23 = 8 cubic centimeters
33 = 27 cubic centimeters
43 = 64 cubic centimeters
53 = 125 cubic centimeters
63 = 216 cubic centimeters
73 = 343 cubic centimeters
83 = 512 cubic centimeters
93 = 729 cubic centimeters
103 = 1,000 cubic centimeters
A rug/floor mat (32" x 48")
A small wooden stool or something similar so that the tower can be viewed from three sides and practically the smallest child can reach the top cube
If possible place the tower where can be seen at least three sides of it
Presentation:
Invite a child to the sensorial area
Introduce the activity
Have the child to bring a mat to the floor and unroll it (far away from the tower)
Invite the child to the pink tower
Show the child how to carry a pink tower:
Take one cube on the top (start with the smallest) with your pincher grip and the other hand under the cube but no touching it
Show the child to use the whole hand grip to carry the cubes so the child see how the grip grow larger as the cubes get larger
Place it on the mat (on the right side of the mat)
Go back to the tower and with the same manner take another cube and place it to the mat
The guide carry 3 cubes and the 4th one invite the child to bring the cube
Continue do the same until all the cubes are placed on the mat
Sit down on the floor
Tell the child that we are going to build the tower and say “Let’s see which one is the first one” (do not say the largest one)
With your right hand take the largest one and place it on the mat in front of the child (on the left side)
Look for the next one Say ,”let’s see which one is the next one”
Take the next one and place it on the centre on the first one with one movement
Do the same until you finish build the tower
Pause
Invite the child to stand up and observe/see the tower from right side, left side, front and from the top
Sit down and tell the child that you are going to undo the tower
Undo the tower
Invite the child to work with the tower as many times as he wants
Leave the child working
When he’s done show him how to put back
Build a tower on its place, start with the largest one. One cube at a time.
Roll the mat
Following Exercise:
Showing the unit of difference
Invite a child (maybe he already working with the tower)
Tell the child that you are going to show different ways to built the tower
Place the largest one in front of the child
Place the next one aligning to two sides (top left corner) until finish
Observe the tower from all sides and from the top
Sit down and show the child a different way to do with the tower
Take the smallest cube (one centimeter cube) and move it along the ledge, start with largest on the bottom and move up, so the child know that the ledge is one centimeter
Variation:
Put horizontally but the guide do not show it, it has to come spontaneously from a child.
We can allow variation as long as we see there is education purposes, watch if it is following certain patterns
Language:
Large & Small
* Plus comparatives & superlatives
Language is given after child can do with the materials comfortable and correctly, so he has lots of experience for sensorial and it given using three period lesson
We give the language when the child already master the tower activity
Control of Error:
In the child and it is ability to discriminate dimension
Indirect Purpose:
Refinement of voluntary movement
Indirect preparation for mathematics