Core skills
Core skills are the basic toolkit that students need to master to become lifelong learners. Students will spend approximately 2-3 hours each day, choosing which Core Skill to improve.
Math
At Acton, young learners master basic math skills through one of many interactive and adaptive educational online tools like Khan Academy, Dreambox and Aleks.
The advantage of using those tools is that they adapt to every child’s own learning pace. During this time, parents and Guides have access to information about their progress.
Reading
Our goal is to have young heroes who love to read. We do not assign books or readings but allow students to start by reading anything they enjoy – even comic books. Over time, students naturally begin to read more and more challenging books – if they care about the subject.
We encourage our students to keep track of what they have read and reward them when they “pitch” a book that another student decides to read. When they finish reading a book, they express their thoughts about what they read and what impact it had on them and on society in a book review.
During middle school, we allow our students to designate “Deep Books” that raises serious questions for groups of students to read.
Communication/Writing
Our students learn the basics of reading, writing and English grammar with the help of Lexia, IXL Language Arts, NoRedInk, Storybird and Night Zookeper.
They regularly receive creative writing challenges: diary pages, poems, autobiographies, biographies, persuasive essays, letters, comics, science fiction stories, children’s books, commercials, etc.
When somebody completes any kind of a writing challenge, they receive feedback from their peers based on the Corbett Harison Six Traits process. Upon receiving the feedback, they revise their writing and submit it again for feedback. This process is repeated until the finished piece of writing is excellent.
Socratic discussions
Every day begins and ends with a Socratic Discussion in which everyone participates. During those conversations, students are challenged by the Guide to use their ability to analyze and think critically to find answers to difficult questions. They aim to help them form their own set of healthy values and beliefs.
Civilization
Civilization encompasses history, geography and economics, and moves over a four-year period from pre-civilization to the modern day. The overarching question for Civilization is: “ Why do some civilizations rise and others fall?” using Mann’s four “sources of power” (military, economic, political and ideological) to explore the reasons behind turning points in history an the heroes that made difficult decisions.
As often as possible, Eagles will stand in the shoes of historical figures, as they debate and make difficult decisions. Individual reports and questions about heroes and events will be posters on a timeline, complete with important trends.
Depending on the week, students will work on Civilization twice each week, in 45 minutes sessions. Often, key issues from the time period being studied will become part of a Quest.
Physical Education
Formal PE occurs twice per week, one hour a day and includes various activities, dance or games and a PE Olympics at the end of the year, so striving for mastery in personal fitness and sportsmanship become part of the Hero’s Journey. Eagles also have between two and three periods a day of free time outside.
Art
Art is incorporated into Quests (designing art for a game or a website) and at times is scheduled separately twice per week during some sessions, with exploration of music, the visual arts and theatre.
Quest
Quests are a five to six-week long series of challenges, connected by a narrative and leading to an exhibition of the completed work. A Quest always will somehow address the Overarching Question for the year.
Quests are designed to deliver 21st century skills, including learning how to apply Core Skills to develop something useful to an individual hero, a community or civil society.
An important part of Quests is that almost all have some way to measure and track outcomes, in a way that mirrors as closely as possible the real world.
Quest examples
Game Quest
Eagles design computer games and board games, to be played by the general public at an exhibition
Anatomy Quest
Students learn how to read medical test results, MRI, CT scans and they practice giving a diagnosis to patients.
Detectives Quest
Through all kinds of challenges, students dig deep into forensic science.
Chemistry Quest
Eagles will learn basic chemistry through cooking. The challenges will relate cooking to the fundamentals of chemistry: Mixtures, Molecules, Elements, Chemical Reactions, Acids/Bases, Chemical Equations, Solutes, Solvents, and Solution, etc.
Digital Marketing Quest
Students learn how to: create a Customer Profile, use Social Media, Facebook Ads, and Google Adwords to attract donors, use A/B testing to optimize the efficiency of ads, understand Net Promoter Score (NPS) to see if they can generate a word of mouth campaign, etc.
Entrepreneurship Quest
This projects challenges students to put their business ideas in practice, learn about business concepts in a practical way and prove their skills in an annual international event (Acton Children’s Business Fair)
Electricity Quest
Students explore simulated and hands-on electricity challenges to earn the right to build miniature neighborhood with a functioning electrical grid.
Astronomy Quest
Beginning in our own solar system, we’ll learn about the planets, their properties and our relation to the galaxy. As we move forward, we’ll learn about the moon, the sun, stars, comets, meteors, and asteroids. We’ll not only learn about our own galaxy but how our space in time is a part of the vast universe that knows no end.
Environmental Design Quest
Through hands-on experiences, the Eagles will further their understanding of landscape architecture, gardening, ecology, native plants and species, climate & weather, the human impact on the environment and how to contribute to the world around us.
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