The Fundamental Needs of Human Beings

The Fundamental Needs of Human Beings is a story that has many versions, as stories often do; yet, the idea stays the same. Teaching Montessori children about our basic human needs prepares them for Montessori’s important concept of what we refer to as ‘Peace Education.’

In the late 1930s, Dr. Montessori spent several years in India. A young Indian child proudly proclaimed the wisdom of his very old culture, possibly even hinting that this European visitor (Dr. Montessori) from a much younger culture, might not have wisdom to share with him.

Dr. Montessori took that thought and kept it with her as she observed her sur- roundings. Possibly she saw telephone cables being strung overhead, thought of railroads, motor cars, and perhaps other signs of Western technological progress. Certainly the Great Lessons that she had been working on continued to be a part of her thoughts. With the help of others to create and demonstrate for her, Dr. Montessori created what she called “A Lesson In Humility”.

Possibly, she gathered the children again, making sure to invite her questioner. She also had two teachers on bicycles to assist in her demonstration. These adults carried a wooden dowel with a piece of black cloth wrapped around it. Maybe she invited a child to hold the end as the adults rode off.

Those gathered around watched three hundred meters (984 feet) of black fabric unwind. Probably, it gently billowed in the breeze before settling down on the dust of the road. As the bicycle riders became specks in the distance, a white strip of cloth ended the nearly three hundred meters of black cloth.

Possibly, Dr. Montessori explained, as Montessori guides do today: “This white strip represents the entire time humans have been on Earth. This black cloth represents the entire time of Earth.”

The thoughtfulness of this lesson, and the humility and awe that come with it, are examples of the strength and honesty of the Montessori cultural curriculum.

Montessori practitioners have spent more than ninety years building on that black part of the strip, having an understanding and appreciation of the work of the universe and planet before humans were a part of it, before looking at the ways humans have become a part of and affected the Earth.

A Montessori elementary cultural curriculum uses the Fundamental Needs of Humans to explore different cultures. The Fundamental Needs are often introduced by asking the children what is needed to survive as a society. Students are quick to recognize most of our shared material needs: food, shelter, communication, transportation, and notice the needs for protection (defense), the arts, and our connections to one another.

Children learn to look at societies, past and present, through these lenses. It gives them truly useful examples of how people organize their lives and use the tools, resources, and technology available to them to meet their needs. For example, children explore the history of houses over human history, or how they gathered, herded, or grew food. They look at art, music, dance, and design found around the world today and explore how they may have evolved over the centuries. Once this looking glass has been created, there are between nine and thirteen fundamental needs of humans. They can be used to notice similarities and differences in all societies, places, and times. One can notice that the ancient Empire of Mali used the rivers and boats to trade the gold and salt mined within its borders and today, many countries now use ships to carry things across the ocean and then planes or trucks to transport and trade goods.

This method of exploring different empires, countries, and even towns allows us to see that we all have the same fundamental needs, but over history, and even around the world today, they have been met in different ways. Exploring these needs through materials in the classroom, online opportunities, biographies, art, laws, clothing, architecture, speeches, and various other ways to explore history is encouraged in the elementary classroom, both acknowledging and appreciating differences and similarities. Montessori schools look at the world in search of similarities, differences, beauty, and consideration for all. In following the child and child development, Montessori teachers have always championed the beauty of all people and will continue to do so. As Dr. Montessori reminded us in her 1937 address in Copenhagen, “An education capable of saving humanity is no small undertaking; it involves the spiritual development of man, the enhancement of his value as an individual, and the preparation of young people to understand the times in which they live.” Using Fundamental Needs of Humans to explore history gives us a great tool to see that little white strip of humankind with greater understanding.

Cheryl Allen is a senior consultant with the Montessori Foundation and a parenting educator with the Montessori Foundation’s Family Network. Cheryl attended a Montessori school in Northern Virginia from age two to age nine. She graduated from Georgetown University with a major in history and a minor in women’s studies. She has many years of Montessori teaching experience and holds AMS early childhood certification and both AMS and IMC elementary teacher certification. Cheryl is a teacher educator, workshop presenter, and member of IMC accreditation teams. Cheryl’s two children attended Montessori school from age two through high school graduation.