After the September 11th terrorist attacks and now the War in Iraq, children who are educated with Montessori principles are bound to be questioning world peace.

“The Science of Peace, were it to become a special discipline, would be the most noble of all, for the very life of humanity depends on it.  So, also perhaps, does the question of whether our entire civilization evolves or disappears.”--Maria Montessori 1932

Maria Montessori had a vision for world peace and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Price for three consecutive years . She was an admirable role model in the arena of peace education. 

By teaching children peace philosophies perhaps we can make a difference in the future of the world. 
 

“The philosophy of the schoolroom in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next”--Abraham Lincoln

An excerpt from Ursula Thrush's "The Montessori Elementary Curriculum"

"The essentials of education for peace are built into the Montessori curriculum at every level. At the preschool stage when children are in an absorbent state of mind, they are exposed to the Continents and the Peoples of the World, thus providing the basis for a global view of life and humanity's part in it. At the elementary stage students are in a reasoning, abstracting, and imagining state of mind. At this time the Peoples of the World are studied in depth and from a historical perspective, with the help of the timelines, leading to the discovery that all humans have the same fundamental needs and that the fulfillment of these needs vary according to the potentialities present in each given geographical environment and historical era. By emphasizing the family of [people] and the interrelationship of all life, students begin to realize that the individual is not an isolated, fragmentary entity separated from the life around him but rather an integral part of a  potentially harmonious whole."

From "Cosmic Education" by Ursula Thrush 

"Geography serves as a unifying force that unites all the sciences as they deal with man’s life. It deals with the
earth; its chemistry, history, and anthropology. We study the earth as the home of [people]. Every subject 
matter originates with the earth and is interrelated. We get an important synthesis when we join these sciences
together. Montessori says, 'Let us give the world to the child,' so let us sow seeds for all the subjects for the child because she is sensitive to everything at this time."

The Montessori Geography curriculum includes the study of land [and water] forms, parts of a flag, maps and astronomy. Plastic land [and water] form molds filled with jello are great for teaching early elementary geography lessons!  In addition, there are a number of different Montessori specific 'flags of the world', 'maps of the world' and astronomy resources. 

Misty Cryer is a homeschool mother who held a position as Business Manager of a Montessori Charter School in New Mexico. A strong advocate of both homeschooling and Maria Montessori's philosophy, Misty Cryer is also a professional businesswoman and creative writer. You can visit her websites at http://www.businessplanpros.com and http://www.efficientinnovation.com