What Makes Us Human? Montessori Third Great Story Reflection Booklet

Help Children Explore the Qualities That Make Us Human

After hearing the Montessori Third Great Story, children are often fascinated by early humans, tools, fire and survival—but they may need help moving from the historical story into its deeper message:

What makes human beings unique, and how do we use those gifts?

This Montessori What Makes Us Human? lesson and booklet gives you a meaningful, low-prep follow-up to the Coming of Humans. Through a short adult presentation and differentiated student booklets, children reflect on the extraordinary gifts of the human hand, mind and heart.

Rather than completing a disconnected worksheet, children create their own booklet about human creativity, intelligence, imagination, love, cooperation and responsibility.

A Natural Follow-Up to the Third Great Story

The Coming of Humans introduces children to much more than a sequence of historical events. It invites them to consider the qualities that allowed human beings to imagine, invent, communicate, cooperate and care for one another.

This resource helps make those abstract ideas accessible. The included script provides a clear starting point for discussion, while the student booklets give children a concrete way to process and record their thinking.

Use it after presenting the Montessori Third Great Story, as a follow-up to the traditional hand chart, or during a wider study of early humans and Fundamental Needs.

What Is Included?

• One-page adult presentation script: A concise lesson exploring the qualities that make human beings distinctive
• Four student booklet options: Choose the format that best matches each learner’s writing, literacy and fine-motor needs
• Three structured 10-page booklets: Provide children with support for completing the activity
• One adaptable booklet: Add as many or as few pages as your child or class requires

The different formats make it easier to use the same central lesson across a mixed-age classroom without expecting every child to produce the same amount of writing.

Designed for Mixed Abilities

Some children are ready to write detailed explanations. Others may communicate their understanding through short sentences, labels, pictures or oral discussion.

By offering several booklet versions, this resource allows you to differentiate without creating separate activities from scratch. It can support:

• children with different reading and writing levels
• learners who need reduced handwriting demands
• neurodivergent children who benefit from clear structure
• mixed-age Montessori elementary environments
• independent or small-group follow-up work

Possible Ways to Use This Resource

• Present the adult script after telling the Third Great Story
• Use it alongside the Montessori hand chart
• Invite children to discuss each human quality before beginning their booklet
• Place a completed example and blank booklets on the Cosmic Education shelf
• Use the activity as a bridge into early humans or Fundamental Needs studies
• Invite older learners to add examples from history or modern life

Created for Real Montessori Learning

I am a Montessori-trained teacher, New Zealand registered teacher, school principal and former homeschooler.

I create resources from real classroom experience, including work with mixed-age and neurodivergent learners. My materials are designed to support independence, meaningful discussion and deeper understanding—without requiring teachers or homeschool parents to spend hours creating differentiated follow-up work.

This is a digital download. No physical product will be shipped. You will receive a 19-page PDF for use in one classroom or homeschool.