Cosmic Education is the term given to the Montessori elementary curriculum; “cosmic” meaning order and harmony in the universe. The core idea is to present the world to the child in a holistic manner rather than the traditional way of doing so subject by subject. The curriculum is drawn from the interconnectedness of all things. While before the age of six the child is motivated by the “what” of her environment (learning the names and physical characteristics of things), the elementary age child is inherently inspired to learn the how and why of things. Trust in the child’s internal guide toward self-education is paramount in the Montessori classroom. The teacher capitalizes on the interests of the child and this directs the course of study.
 Adherence to state guidelines can be achieved within this more organic approach. Subject matter from anthropology, astronomy, botany, geology, zoology, etc. is addressed by the telling of the Great Lessons. These stories take the child from the beginnings of the universe to the present and give the child a context for her place in the universe and the preciousness and rightful place of each inhabitant of the earth, be it plant, animal or mineral. When the child comes to understand the interdependence of all on the earth, the unfolding questioning and reasoning mind can create a moral sense. Personal responsibility and value-based behavior result.
The child’s imagination is sparked by the Great Lessons. As in the primary classroom, the older children gain a greater understanding of their world by being in that world - by experiencing and interacting with real things as opposed to solely reading about them in books. The tradition of “going out” fulfills this need to learn directly from nature and our surroundings. Maria Montessori talked about this aspect of education throughout her writings:
When the child goes out, it is the world itself that offers itself to him. Let us take the child out to show him real things instead of making objects which represent ideas and closing them up in cupboards.
How often is the soul of man - especially in childhood - deprived because he is not allowed to come in contact with nature.
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