12/11/2023 0 Comments Art sacred geometryBeautiful and compelling, these forms reflect specific geometric proportions to which philosophers and scientists of the classical age (and others today) ascribed sacred symbolism and attributed to a divine geometer. The growth spiral of a nautilus shell, the symmetry of a snowflake, the tessellations of a honeycomb-these and other naturally occurring forms and patterns have been interpreted by some-historically and presently-as sacred geometry. ![]() I would go so far as to say that geometry not only deserves a place at the table alongside physics and cosmology, but in many ways it is the table. Geometry's role in this may be less obvious, but is equally vital. Physics and cosmology have been, almost by definition, absolutely crucial for making sense of the universe. geometry is one of the main avenues available to us for probing the universe. The value of geometry to this end is expressed by Harvard mathematician Shing-Tung Yau. Geometry gives us another lens through which to view the world, one that helps us to recognize the mathematical basis of patterns and forms, and also to understand the complex relationships among and between these patterns and forms. The Montessori geometry exercises are designed for the child to discover relationships between figures, but there is great value for both teachers and students in moving beyond the planes and solids to discovering and appreciating the geometric principles underlying natural and human created forms. ![]() Perhaps even more unfortunate is that they miss out on early opportunities to apply geometric principles to understanding the world around them. Teachers who may have found geometry a difficult or uninspiring subject in high school may intentionally or otherwise avoid it, with the regrettable consequence that some children miss out on the second and third levels of learning geometry-those which promote “higher-order thinking, observation skills, and mastery of concepts that both meet current standards and provide knowledge that many outside of Montessori will not encounter until middle or high school” (Lockhart 2019, iii). These are important experiences for children in the Elementary program however, some students might not move beyond the Seven Triangles of Reality work if geometry is relegated to the back burner of the curriculum. This reflects the three levels of learning geometry that Montessori discusses in Psychogeometry: sensorially exploring, reasoning through a concept, and finally deriving a formula and measuring (Lockhart, 2019). To illustrate, while the EC child learns sensorially that two triangles placed together form some sort of quadrilateral, the Elementary child can deduce that since the sum of the angles of any triangle is 180º, the sum of the angles of any quadrilateral, formed by two triangles (180º x 2), must be 360º. To review, these explorations are largely sensorial at the Early Childhood (EC) level, while students in the Elementary classroom begin to abstractly understand the relationships inherent within and between planes and solids. In Part One of this series, we saw that students in the Montessori classroom learn geometry concepts through their exploration of plane figures and solids. ![]() ![]() Is sacred geometry compatible with the curriculum in Montessori secular classrooms?.How does sacred geometry apply to Psychogeometry?.Beyond these examples, we also discuss the following: How can teachers take geometry lessons beyond the plane and solid figures in the classroom to recognize and understand the underlying mathematical mechanisms of natural and human-created forms? This article examines some of the ideas and observations often referred to as sacred geometry and discusses ways in which elementary students can explore these topics using principles of mathematics. Geometry literally translates as “to measure the earth,” and it gives us the tools to do just that, or, more precisely, it gives us consistent mathematical models with which to measure complex phenomena. Geometry: from Greek, gē ‘earth’ + metria 'measure'
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