As already alluded to, the Great Stories are an umbrella for the entire scope of the Montessori 6-12 curriculum.

• They contain moral lessons, and relate to feelings, will, and character.
• They establish beginnings.
• They inspire and motivate.

With the Third Great Story, we look at the Coming of Humans. This spans humanity’s remarkable journey from our earliest ancestors stepping out of the trees to our modern, interconnected global societies. Montessori, having lived through periods of upheaval in world history wanted children to focus on the ‘gifts’ that humanity brought to the world: She saw the need to ‘inspire’ not just pass on ‘facts’.

The gifts she alluded to included, the Conscious Reasoning Mind – a mind that could imagine and had the ability to think abstractly; the Will – rather than just instinct; and the Hand. She wanted children to appreciate how very little time humans have walked the Earth, and for them to grasp the idea that there was more to early humans than the stereotypical ‘caveman’ caricatures. Rather, early peoples:

• Had similar human capacities we have today
• Lived in increasingly complex social groups with traditions, cultural practices, and knowledge-sharing
• Had relationships, feelings, and aspirations much like our own
• Laughed, loved, taught their children, and planned for the future
• Were innovative problem-solvers who continuously tried to improve their living conditions.

They were our ancestors. The story tries to show children that other creatures are born knowing exactly how to be what they are. Plants know how to make their own food from sunlight. Fungi know how to decompose fallen logs. Fish know how to swim from the moment they hatch. Birds know how to build the same kind of nest their parents built.

But humans are different. We humans live in many different ways. Some of us live in houses made of wood. Others live in buildings of concrete and steel. Some live in homes made of ice or mud or grass. We eat all kinds of foods – fruits and vegetables, meats and grains, foods that grow in the ocean and foods that grow on land. We wear different clothes. We speak different languages. We have different ways of celebrating and different ways of learning.

There is no one way to be human. Each of us must discover how to be. And that is what makes us special. With our hands we can create and build and transform the world around us. With our minds, we can imagine new possibilities and solve problems in creative ways. With our communities, we can share knowledge and work together.

She wanted children to remember that such ‘gifts’ also come with the responsibility to discover better ways to live together peacefully, to care for all the other creatures with which we share the planet.

We try to bring the story to a close with the message: You have a special role to play in this great human story because it isn’t over. What will you share with others? What will you contribute? I wonder?