Maria Montessori herself was a scientist.  As the first female physician of Italy, she used her curiosity and love of the natural world to guide her curriculum.  She saw all things in life as inter-connected.  Another characteristic of Montessori science for elementary students is to find the “order” of living things.  Using binomial nomenclature to classify the flora and fauna of our world is a key activity in which students learn.  In this way, students see how species are similar and different.  Experiments in the science curriculum demonstrate and support how our planet and its inhabitants proceed on the journey of life.  Astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, ecology, geology, human anatomy, meteorology, and physics are all topics that upper-elementary students study and research in more depth than their younger counterparts.  One of the hallmarks of her science curriculum is to experience real world examples, such as species of plants and animals.  For this, we have provided children with the opportunities to work in the Science Lab and Outdoor Classroom and events like the Science Fair and regular fieldtrips to parks, zoos, arboretums and the like to enhance their natural interest in nature.