The Clock of Eras 3-Part Cards

Time can be an incredibly abstract topic for children to really grasp. For this reason, many Montessori cultural materials begin with an impressionistic lesson involving a timeline. Whether the students are creating a timeline of their own lives or diving into a study of the history of writing, a physical representation can make the abstract far more concrete.

The Clock of Eras work is introduced after the First Great Lesson has been presented. The children have started their independent research surrounding the formation of the universe and will now begin the process of zooming into the Earth’s history.

The Clock takes the six eras (the Hadean, Archean, Proterozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic) and represents their geological time spans, from the birth of our planet to present day, as hours lapsed. Each hour represents approximately 375 million years.

Within this set you will find:

•Pgs 2-5: The Clock of Eras 3-Part Cards

•Pgs. 6-7: The Clock of Eras 3-Part Cards Control

•Pg 8: Blank Clock of Eras Chart

•This could be used as a coloring page or as a template for the matching pieces on the following page.

•Pg. 9: Individual Era Pieces

•Pg. 10: The Clock of Eras Control Chart