Land and Water Forms are plastic trays used to introduce land formations and bodies of water. They belong to physical geography, rather than political geography, in the Montessori classroom. Pouring water into the molds gives the child a concrete way to observe the areas occupied by water and those representing land.
Pouring into the form
The material often includes a pitcher, cloths for spills, and a bucket for disposing of used water. As the child pours into a tray, the shape of the mold determines where the water collects. The pouring work accompanies the observation of the form.
Naming a strait
In the strait example, water pools in the center of the form. The guide may explain that a strait is a narrow passage of water with land on either side. The child can connect that name with the arrangement visible in the tray.
Other forms named in the material include island, lake, peninsula, gulf, and isthmus. The purpose is to connect geographical vocabulary with observable differences between land and water, rather than ask the child to learn the names without a concrete example.
