San Francisco AMS Conference

We are just back and recovering from the big AMS conference last weekend.  It was wonderful to see so many Waseca Aficianados there and to hear how the biomes are going in your classrooms.  Thank you so much for the fantastic reception and all of your enthusiasm!!  This is just the fuel we need to come back and create more.
I gave a new workshop on integrating Montessori Curriculum with the Biome Study.  You can find it on Prezi.com at this link: http://prezi.com/22auouddvgbw/integrating-curriculum-with-biomes/
A few slides into the presentation, you will see a integrated curriculum map that weaves different subject matter through the biomes.  It has been in my head like that for years and it was good to put it down and share.
The two most popular items at the conference were the new stencil maps and the new biome readers for energy, soil air & water, plant life and animal life.  Alli (Montessori kid through middle school) designed the set of stencils to help children make their own biome maps.  First, they trace an outline of the continent.  Then, they use two other stencils to trace the mountain ranges and rivers.  The biome mat for that continent can help them to identify and name those geographical features.  A control helps them to color in the biomes.