Waldorf Methods/Sciences 2
Introduction
" ... ancient wisdom contained no contradiction between body and soul or between nature and spirit; because one knew: Spirit is in man in its archetypal form; the soul is none other than the message transmitted by spirit; the body is the image of spirit. Likewise, no contract was felt between man and surrounding nature because one bore an image of spirit in one's own body, and the same was true of every body in external nature. Hence, an inner kinship was experienced between one's own body and those in outer nature, and nature was not felt to be different from oneself. Man felt himself at one with the whole world. He could feel this because he could behold the archetype of spirit and because the cosmic expanses spoke to him. In consequence of the universe speaking to man, science simply could not exist. Just as we today cannot build a science of external nature out of what lives in our memory, ancient man could not develop one because, whether he looked into himself or outward at nature, he beheld the same image of spirit. No contrast existed between man himself and nature, and there was none between soul and body. The correspondence of soul and body was such that, in a manner of speaking, the body was only the vessel, the artistic reproduction, of the spiritual archetype, while the soul was the mediating messenger between the two. Everything as in a state of intimate union. There could be no question of comprehending anything. We grasp and comprehend what is outside our own life. Anything that we carry within ourselves is directly experienced and need not be first comprehended. ... Precisely because man had lost the connection with nature, he now sought a science of nature from outside." - Rudolf Steiner in "The Origins of Natural Science."
In Waldorf education, the science subjects do not start with nor are built from theories and formulas. Rather they start with the phenomena and develop in an experiential way, by first presenting the phenomenon, having the students make detailed observations, then guiding the students to derive the concepts that arise from the phenomena, and finally deriving the scientific formulas and laws behind the phenomena.This methodology reflects the way basic science actually has been developed by scientists and trains the pupils stepwise in basic scientific thinking and reflection on the basis of personal experience and observation of the phenomena of nature and the history of science. In kindergarten and the lower grades, the experience of nature through the seasons is brought to the children through nature walks, nature tables and observation of nature around. In later grades, there are specific main lesson blocks dealing with Man and Animal, and other themes. In grade 5, scientific ideas may be taught historically through the study of the Greeks, for example, Aristotle, Archimedes and Pythagoras. In grades 6-8 the science curriculum becomes more focused with blocks on physics (optics, acoustics, mechanics, magnetism and electricity), botany, chemistry (inorganic and organic), and anatomy. In high school, science is taught by specialists who have received college level training in biology, chemistry and physics and these three subjects are taught in each of the 4 years of high school. Course Outlines
Waldorf Methods/Sciences 1
Lesson 1: Chemistry/Kindergarten/Grades Lesson 2: Chemistry/Classes 9 - 12 Lesson 3: Physics/Introduction Lesson 4: Physics/Classes 6 - 8 Lesson 5: Physics/Classes 9 - 12 Waldorf Methods/Sciences 2 Lesson 1: Life Sciences/Introduction Lesson 2: Life Sciences/Classes 4 - 5 Lesson 3: Life Sciences/Classes 6 -8 Lesson 4: Life Sciences/Classes 9 -10 Lesson 5: Life Sciences/Classes 11 -12 Waldorf Methods/Sciences 3 Lesson 1: Geography/Introduction Lesson 2: Geography/Classes 1 - 8 Lesson 3: Geography/Classes 9 - 12 Lesson 4: Gardening and Sustainable Living Lesson 5: Technology |
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Tasks and Assignments for Waldorf Methods/Sciences 2.2.
Please study and work with the study material provided for this lesson. Then please turn to the following tasks and assignments listed below.
1. Study the material provided and look up other resources as needed and appropriate.
2. Create examples of curriculum that addresses the learning method and content appropriate for the age group in question. Curriculum examples should include outlines and goals, activities, circle/games, stories, and illustrations/drawings:
Create 2 examples for this age group.
3. Additionally submit comments and questions, if any.
Please send your completed assignment via the online form or via email.
1. Study the material provided and look up other resources as needed and appropriate.
2. Create examples of curriculum that addresses the learning method and content appropriate for the age group in question. Curriculum examples should include outlines and goals, activities, circle/games, stories, and illustrations/drawings:
Create 2 examples for this age group.
3. Additionally submit comments and questions, if any.
Please send your completed assignment via the online form or via email.
Study Material for Waldorf Methods/Sciences Lesson 2.2.
Life Sciences/Classes 4 - 5
Class 4
The focus of this main -lesson is the unique quality of the human being, which is to a large extent free of the instinctive behaviour of the animal world and whose physical body lacks those special features which allow the animals to live so intricately in their environment. The self-consciousness of the human condition is in part gained through the harmonious balance of those physiological features which are found as specialisations within the animal world. For example, the human arm and hand reflect this - their freedom of use and movement arises from unspecialised joints and digits. The apposition of thumb and forefinger and the ability of human arms to open wide arises from this.
The characterisation of particular animals, as already described above, brings this principle to bear on the organs of the body as well. It can become very clear, by observation alone, that the metabolic system is brought to a particular, one- sided emphasis in the cow or other ruminant. The senses are particularly acute in the ever-active mouse or other small rodent - a vole quivers with nervous sensitivity. The form of the head is emphasised in the sea-urchin, while its close relation, the star fish shows itself as more of a 'limb' creature. There is no intention here to impart such comparisons as a theory, but to use this approach to unite what appears to be an overwhelming diversity and to relate it to the human being in an artistic and meaningful way.
Above all, the children need to gain a feeling for what is truly human through having the body upright, the hands free, with the power of speech and self-awareness.
Rudolf Steiner gave many examples to illustrate how the threefold dynamic inherent in the physiology of the human body can be seen displayed in a one-sided way in the animal world. His writings deepen this approach to include the spiritual basis of the human being and these give a teacher the widest possible context out of which to teach as well as examples to use in the classroom.
* The polarity of the human head and limbs with the mediating form of the trunk
* A small selection of familiar and unfamiliar animals to use as the basis for the characterisations and relationships referred to above. Examples: the cow, mouse and lion (or animals from similar families) illustrate diverse tendencies as do the octopus, snail and sea urchin from quite a different world. It is far better to create a rich experience with a few well-chosen creatures than to attempt too many, with the danger of the lessons becoming just 'nature study: valuable as that may be
* Different animal limbs illustrate the theme described above concerning the human hand, etc.
* The human hand and arm as a picture of human freedom - not the physiology of joints and bones, but the gesture and practical reality of their movement. Similarly, the human foot, femur and spine in relation to uprightness, leading to the theme of uniqueness in the human being
* Examples of how the limitations of the human body are balanced by technological and cultural achievements. From the spade to the aeroplane, human invention achieves what the instinctive behaviour of the badger and the birds achieve, with their specialised limbs
* Animals which reflect fundamental soul qualities and inner faculties: the eagle's perspective from the heights; the bull's power of will; the balance of strength, lithe grace and fearlessness in the lion
These characterisations of the animal world continue through Classes 5, 6, 7 and 8, with choices of animal-related topics moving from characterisation to observational nature study as causal thinking begins to consolidate during this phase. The emphasis continues to be on qualities, contrasts and relationships of creatures both with the human being and with one another, and so avoids reducing the rich ecological picture to, e.g. simplistic 'eat/be eaten' strategies.
Class 5
This is the relative calm of puberty before the storm of adolescence.
Elegance and harmony are visible in the children's running and gymnastics. It is an appropriate time for the study of plants, whose growth and movement has a quiet beauty of form, gesture and colour. Feelings of respect, gratitude and interest need to permeate this main-lesson and deepen the children's sensitivity for the earth as a living organism.
Every plant needs to be observed in the context of its relationship to the landscape, the soil and the climate. A single plant in a pot or, worse, cut up and examined under a microscope, speaks of isolation and fragmentation and such studies belong to the Upper School. Children of this age need to appreciate the range of plant forms over the earth, the gestures of typical plant species, the relationship to insects and soil, and the development from seed to flower and fruit. While observation and naming of plants should play its part, any systematic identification of species cuts across the warm familiarity that local trees and flowers should engender at this age. While plant parts can be named, emphasis on the polarity and contrast of root and stem, leaf and flower, seed and fruit is more nourishing to the interests of Class 5 than the details in the usual textbook.
The study of plants requires quiet, accurate observation, a sense for movement in growth and the appreciation of transformations of form and metamorphosis of organs. Goethe's studies of the plant and recent research that has taken the same direction are a rich source of material for leading the children into such an holistic approach.
* Familiar local landscapes and the types of plants that grow there; it is important that children learn the common names of local plants and trees
* The contrasts of different regions over the earth: desert, forest, tundra; the progression from pole to equator and from the ascent of a mountain in the tropics
* Some of the major plant types (e.g. fungus, lichen, moss, ferns) considered more as gestures of form in relation to the flowering plant than in detailed comparisons and evolutionary considerations
* Observation of the germination and growth of seeds, again with more emphasis on form and gesture than on technical details
* The concepts of root, stem, leaf and flower discovered through their polarities in different plants
* Trees as communities of plants and animals and their relationship to the weather, the soil and the landscape; starting a tree nursery which could be maintained through the following classes to culminate in the planting out of the seedling in a suitable location, could be a long term project
What has begun here should continue into Classes 6, 7 and 8, linking naturally and practically with the gardening curriculum. Geography and geology also provide opportunities. As with the continuing animal main-lesson, the aspects of the plant world chosen and the method of teaching will meet a more causal mode of thinking as Class 8 approaches.
Zoology
Taking up the methodology of Class 4, several groups of animals can be studied in greater detail, showing how within one group polarities occur as specialisations. These can include:
Birds
* Birds of prey with their heightened sense of sight and sound, including eagles, buzzards, falcons and kestrels and owls
* Carrion birds such as vultures and crows
* Song birds
* Water birds; swans, geese, ducks; sea birds such as albatross, gulls, petrels, cormorants; waders such as oyster catchers, herons; penguins and diving birds
* Terrestrial birds; chickens, ostrich, emu
Carnivores
* Bears
* Big cats, compare the lion as generalist with the cheetahs as specialists, cats of tropical forests such as tigers, mountains - wild cat, panther
* Wolves and foxes
Herbivores
* Mountainous goats, steinbock
* Deer, compare antler with horn formation
* Giraffe and antelope with their specialised anatomies and grazing habits
* Hippos, pigs, rhinos
Study can be made of animals that have small litters and invest time in rearing their young, and those with larger litters and a shorter period of intensive nurture.
The focus of this main -lesson is the unique quality of the human being, which is to a large extent free of the instinctive behaviour of the animal world and whose physical body lacks those special features which allow the animals to live so intricately in their environment. The self-consciousness of the human condition is in part gained through the harmonious balance of those physiological features which are found as specialisations within the animal world. For example, the human arm and hand reflect this - their freedom of use and movement arises from unspecialised joints and digits. The apposition of thumb and forefinger and the ability of human arms to open wide arises from this.
The characterisation of particular animals, as already described above, brings this principle to bear on the organs of the body as well. It can become very clear, by observation alone, that the metabolic system is brought to a particular, one- sided emphasis in the cow or other ruminant. The senses are particularly acute in the ever-active mouse or other small rodent - a vole quivers with nervous sensitivity. The form of the head is emphasised in the sea-urchin, while its close relation, the star fish shows itself as more of a 'limb' creature. There is no intention here to impart such comparisons as a theory, but to use this approach to unite what appears to be an overwhelming diversity and to relate it to the human being in an artistic and meaningful way.
Above all, the children need to gain a feeling for what is truly human through having the body upright, the hands free, with the power of speech and self-awareness.
Rudolf Steiner gave many examples to illustrate how the threefold dynamic inherent in the physiology of the human body can be seen displayed in a one-sided way in the animal world. His writings deepen this approach to include the spiritual basis of the human being and these give a teacher the widest possible context out of which to teach as well as examples to use in the classroom.
* The polarity of the human head and limbs with the mediating form of the trunk
* A small selection of familiar and unfamiliar animals to use as the basis for the characterisations and relationships referred to above. Examples: the cow, mouse and lion (or animals from similar families) illustrate diverse tendencies as do the octopus, snail and sea urchin from quite a different world. It is far better to create a rich experience with a few well-chosen creatures than to attempt too many, with the danger of the lessons becoming just 'nature study: valuable as that may be
* Different animal limbs illustrate the theme described above concerning the human hand, etc.
* The human hand and arm as a picture of human freedom - not the physiology of joints and bones, but the gesture and practical reality of their movement. Similarly, the human foot, femur and spine in relation to uprightness, leading to the theme of uniqueness in the human being
* Examples of how the limitations of the human body are balanced by technological and cultural achievements. From the spade to the aeroplane, human invention achieves what the instinctive behaviour of the badger and the birds achieve, with their specialised limbs
* Animals which reflect fundamental soul qualities and inner faculties: the eagle's perspective from the heights; the bull's power of will; the balance of strength, lithe grace and fearlessness in the lion
These characterisations of the animal world continue through Classes 5, 6, 7 and 8, with choices of animal-related topics moving from characterisation to observational nature study as causal thinking begins to consolidate during this phase. The emphasis continues to be on qualities, contrasts and relationships of creatures both with the human being and with one another, and so avoids reducing the rich ecological picture to, e.g. simplistic 'eat/be eaten' strategies.
Class 5
This is the relative calm of puberty before the storm of adolescence.
Elegance and harmony are visible in the children's running and gymnastics. It is an appropriate time for the study of plants, whose growth and movement has a quiet beauty of form, gesture and colour. Feelings of respect, gratitude and interest need to permeate this main-lesson and deepen the children's sensitivity for the earth as a living organism.
Every plant needs to be observed in the context of its relationship to the landscape, the soil and the climate. A single plant in a pot or, worse, cut up and examined under a microscope, speaks of isolation and fragmentation and such studies belong to the Upper School. Children of this age need to appreciate the range of plant forms over the earth, the gestures of typical plant species, the relationship to insects and soil, and the development from seed to flower and fruit. While observation and naming of plants should play its part, any systematic identification of species cuts across the warm familiarity that local trees and flowers should engender at this age. While plant parts can be named, emphasis on the polarity and contrast of root and stem, leaf and flower, seed and fruit is more nourishing to the interests of Class 5 than the details in the usual textbook.
The study of plants requires quiet, accurate observation, a sense for movement in growth and the appreciation of transformations of form and metamorphosis of organs. Goethe's studies of the plant and recent research that has taken the same direction are a rich source of material for leading the children into such an holistic approach.
* Familiar local landscapes and the types of plants that grow there; it is important that children learn the common names of local plants and trees
* The contrasts of different regions over the earth: desert, forest, tundra; the progression from pole to equator and from the ascent of a mountain in the tropics
* Some of the major plant types (e.g. fungus, lichen, moss, ferns) considered more as gestures of form in relation to the flowering plant than in detailed comparisons and evolutionary considerations
* Observation of the germination and growth of seeds, again with more emphasis on form and gesture than on technical details
* The concepts of root, stem, leaf and flower discovered through their polarities in different plants
* Trees as communities of plants and animals and their relationship to the weather, the soil and the landscape; starting a tree nursery which could be maintained through the following classes to culminate in the planting out of the seedling in a suitable location, could be a long term project
What has begun here should continue into Classes 6, 7 and 8, linking naturally and practically with the gardening curriculum. Geography and geology also provide opportunities. As with the continuing animal main-lesson, the aspects of the plant world chosen and the method of teaching will meet a more causal mode of thinking as Class 8 approaches.
Zoology
Taking up the methodology of Class 4, several groups of animals can be studied in greater detail, showing how within one group polarities occur as specialisations. These can include:
Birds
* Birds of prey with their heightened sense of sight and sound, including eagles, buzzards, falcons and kestrels and owls
* Carrion birds such as vultures and crows
* Song birds
* Water birds; swans, geese, ducks; sea birds such as albatross, gulls, petrels, cormorants; waders such as oyster catchers, herons; penguins and diving birds
* Terrestrial birds; chickens, ostrich, emu
Carnivores
* Bears
* Big cats, compare the lion as generalist with the cheetahs as specialists, cats of tropical forests such as tigers, mountains - wild cat, panther
* Wolves and foxes
Herbivores
* Mountainous goats, steinbock
* Deer, compare antler with horn formation
* Giraffe and antelope with their specialised anatomies and grazing habits
* Hippos, pigs, rhinos
Study can be made of animals that have small litters and invest time in rearing their young, and those with larger litters and a shorter period of intensive nurture.