The New School Montessori (TNSM)
3 Burton Woods Lane
513.281.7999
www.newschoolmontessori.com
New School Montessori 1st-3rd graders learned about the many forms of writing and the different writing instruments used throughout history. As a souvenir for Montessori’s 4th Great Lesson, children constructed their own version of a quill pen(cil). Needless to say, they were all grateful for the modern writing tools we have today!
The 4th Great Lesson begins in ancient Egypt with the early writings of the Phoenicians and how their written language helped influence the Romans and the alphabet they created that we use today. People used to write on clay or wax, but with the use of parchment, the hollow shaft of specially prepared bird feathers from geese, swans or turkeys use capillary action to fill the tube with ink for writing. The Magna Carta and the American Declaration of Independence were both written using quill pens. With the invention of metal pens, quills fell out of favor.
Ann Baumgardner, Communications Director