actonacademy

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Year 11, Session 5, Weeks 3 & 4

Weeks three and four have been full of exploration and learning!

During Quest, Eagles continue to explore all things Marine Science.  The studio is filled with Coral Reefs made by the Eagles.  Each paper coral reef had to represent all three symbiotic relationships (commensalism, parasitism, and mutualism), 5 animals, 5 types of coral, and include labels with both the common and scientific names of each thing!  The results are amazing.

Our exploration continued as we explored light in the deep sea and investigated the question, “What is a fish?”  Diagramming a fish came to life as Eagles got to explore a Black Drum fish in the studio.  Examining its gills, scales, and fins up close proved to deepen the wonder of the ocean throughout the studio. 

One day a week during Quest Eagles have been researching a big question about the ocean.  Each person chose a question they are curious about and how to present their research.   Their final presentation will be on display at the exhibition, so the pressure is on.

To wrap up an undefeated season, the Eagle Basketball team finished out their season this week clinching the division championship!  Congratulations to the team and thanks to the wonderful fans!

As we round the corner to the last third of the session, Eagles are revising and editing their Deep Sea Adventure story, completing even more research about their big question from the sea, Exploring more about the ocean, and more. Onward we go! 

For more pictures from Weeks 3 and 4, click here.

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Year 11, Session 5, Weeks 1 & 2: Into the Deep

Session five is already making a splash as Eagles are exploring the many facets of Ocean Life during both Quest and Writers’ Workshop.  Eagles have put themselves in the shoes of marine scientists.  They'll learn to observe with intention and diligence as they explore.  

Week one was an exploration of waves, currents, the ocean habitat, and more.  Eagles conducted experiments to deepen their understanding of the ocean ecosystems.  They also got to make wave simulators at the end of the week. This lays the foundation for the entire session’s work. 

Coral Reefs and ocean taxonomy were the focus of week two.  Each team explored the three types of symbiotic relationships and then built their very own coral reef made from paper and recycled materials.  

All along the way teams are gathering information to help them prepare for the exhibition where they’ll showcase their work and their learning in a game of Ocean Jeopardy! 

During Writer's Workshop, the Ocean Adventures continue as Eagles write a Science-Based Fiction book!  Using non-fiction research, Eagles write a fictional story inspired by an area of ocean science.  Eagles choose the ocean-related topic and then weave at least ten facts into their stories. Their goal is to educate their readers through fun and exciting stories.  

Our Pre-Writing steps were all about research.  Through books and internet research we explored the ocean to see what piqued curiosity and interest.  Then, after choosing a main subject for the story, Eagles researched 10 facts to weave into their Science-Based Fiction book.  Week two brought us to drafting where a story spine helped to build the beginnings of each person’s story.

In Week 3 we continue our deep-dive through the Ocean as Writers’ Workshop drafting continues and Eagles move on even deeper Ocean Exploration during Quest!

For more photos from Weeks 1 and 2, click here. 

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Year 11, Session 4, Weeks 4 & 5

This session during Quest Eagles put themselves in the shoes of an architect with a mission to create a model for our dream Acton Academy building.  They began with Research, moved on to Designing, and then ] Building.  Two teams were awarded the prize for Most Innovative School and Most Likely to Be Built at the Exhibition!  

This session as a studio we gave a special focus to making progress on math work during a weekly Math Power Hour.  The progress made is displayed here on this chart! 

 In Sessions 2 and 3 Eagles spent between 6-7,000 minutes working on math.  This session as a studio they spent 11,644 minutes gaining 432 progress percentage points as a group on math badge work.

In Writers’ Workshop, we explored the art of Technical Writing as Eagles set out to create a gallery of instructions for Independent Learners to use at home.  Each Eagle chose an independent activity and created instructions using either written, audio, or visual mediums. Published work is posted here.

Next session we look forward to diving into Marine Biology, Science-Fiction, and more!

For more pictures from Week 4 and Week 5, click here.

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Independent Activities for Independent Learners

During Writers’ Workshop in Session 4, we explored the art of Technical Writing as we set out to create a gallery of instructions for Independent Learners to use at home.  We each chose an independent activity and created instructions using either written, audio, or visual mediums. 

How to Draw a Basketball

How to Paint a Sunrise

How to Make Slime

How to Fingerknit

How to Make an Origami Bird

How to Draw a House

How to Make an Exploding Boomerang

How do Draw a Winter Cottage

Learn to Fingerknit

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Y11, S4, W2-3

The Architecture Quest has taken a deep dive into floor plans, elevation plans, and blueprints.  Each partnership has worked hard to dream up their idea school plan while keeping the Acton Academy Building Codes in mind. Next week, teams will begin building a model of their school in preparation for the Exhibition!

Technical Writing work continues as drafting week came to a close and we moved ahead to revising. After completing a draft, Eagles put their work to the test. Each person swapped work with a Fellow Traveler to received feedback on their instructions!

This session in PE the eagles are focusing on kickball!! Tuesdays we are having fun with relays and circuits. Thursdays are game days where they are learning how to play kickball by the official rules.   Each Eagle made a sportsmanship pledge at the start of the session.  This is their personal commitment to themselves and one another to raise the bar on their participation in PE. The Boys Basketball is off to a strong start with a 3-0 record so far this season!

For more photos from week 2-3 click here. 

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Y11.S4.W1

The Architecture Quest kicked off this week with Eagles meeting their Architecture Partner.  Each pair met to choose three words to describe the kind of working relationship they’d like to have.  Teams chose words like kind, focus, cooperate, equality, and respectful!  

This week the focus was on RESEARCH.  We began with researching our campus to learn more about its architecture and ended the week studying architecture heroes from the past and present.  

Writers' Workshop this session is Creative Instructions. Using various mediums to disseminate information, Eagles will write instructions to contribute to a blog!   Each individual will choose an activity that an independent learner could do on their own at home.  They'll be challenged to choose two mediums to communicate a set of instructions and by the end of the session will publish their instructions! 

To kick off Writers’ Workshop Eagles experimented with Mentor Text directions to learn what works well and doesn’t work well when it comes to technical writing.  

Session Four brings visual art to the studio with our new art Guide, Miss Rebecca.  This week Ms. Rebecca introduced her Hero’s Journey with an enormous mural!  Each Thursday of Session Four and Session Five will bring exciting new art projects to the studio.  Eagles will explore sketching, painting, paper mache, and more.

For more photos of Week One, click here. 

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Y11, Session 3 Recap

This session was a deep dive into Cartography - the art of making maps.  Each Eagle had two challenges.  First, to create a Fact Book cataloging their learnings about continents around the world.  Second, each Eagle created a map of a continent of their choosing.  This was hard and detailed work, but the results were exciting to see.

At the end of the session, the Exhibition School team came to campus to guide Eagles through a morning of team building activities.  Eagles began their day revisiting their studio contract.  Using the contract as their guide, Eagles chose five words to commit to that day.  The group circled up and chose:

Kindness Focus Equality Respect Sportsmanship (Win with Honor, Lose with Grace)

Teams visited five stations where they did various team-building challenges.  From rope tying to mind maps and balancing a pole, Eagles did it all!

Session 4 brings new challenges with Creative Instructions and Architecture!  Onward!

For more pictures of Session 3, click here!

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Exhibition - Y10.S2

Session 2′s exhibition was a competition between Businesses to earn the most profits in the allotted time.  

Teams build their marketing plan, set up their stand, and began to SELL!  

Guests browsed each stand before making their spending decision and in the end, only one team can win. 

The studio voted on the top Biographies written this session and the winners read their work aloud to guests!

For more Exhibition Photos, click here!

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Year 11, Session 2, Weeks 3 & 4

The life of a business team is fast and furious.  These past two weeks have been full of challenges as Eagles learned about Costs, Risks, and Marketing their business.  

Eagles have completed in two stand-offs over the last two weeks to help them prepare pricing and products for their Lemonade Stand at the Exhibition.  With real customers choosing between 7 businesses, they had to consider how to market their product, set prices, and choose products based on costs and risks.  

During Writer’s Workshop, each person’s Biography of a Hero has undergone drafting and revising as Eagles are working to refine their work in preparation for publishing. 

For more pictures of Weeks 3 & 4, click here.

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Year 11, Session 2, Weeks 1 & 2

Session two brings rhythm and routine to the studio with Eagles settled into the daily schedule and studio life.

Throughout this session, Eagles are putting themselves in the shoes of an Entrepreneur and learning about everything from brand development and allocation of responsibilities to unit economics and hiring practices. Eagles will learn more about what it takes to run a business and more about themselves and their callings.  They’ve been divided into Business Teams and their mission is to create a Lemonade Stand business better than the rest.  

This week, teams have worked hard to created a Brand for their business.  They’ve researched famous brands, effective marketing, and even the best colors for a logo.  

In Writer’s Workshop Eagles are writing a Biography about a hero.  They’re diving into research about their hero this week to help them build a compelling story.

Session 1 in PE was all about preparing for the Acton Olympics! Eagles partook in circuit training, running and conditioning.  They worked on their ABC’s: agility, balance, and coordination! 

Tuesday was the day -- the Acton PE Olympics! Eagles completed the 40-yard dash, elevators, sit-ups, and a half-mile run and documented their stats so at the end of the year improvements can be measured. 

Coming up in the studio: Drafting Memoirs, learning about hiring and pricing as entrepreneurs, and Ultimate Football during PE.

More pictures from Week 1 and Week 2 are here! 

  Session 1 Week 6 Pictures 

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Year 11, Session 1, Week 2

It was a week of more new beginnings in the studio as Eagles kicked off many key elements of studio life.  Core Skills, Writer’s Workshop, Town Hall, Physical Education, and Process Drama all began this week! 

Physical Education and Process drama kicked off Tuesday morning with a bang as Eagles tackled a circuit station workout outside and dug deep into their creative selves in Process Drama. 

The continued exploration of Acton systems and processes took Eagles on a deep dive into studio Technology Tools through a mini Quest.  Squads worked together to explore Google, Gmail, Google docs, the Journey Tracker, and safe internet habits.  

Eagles use Town Hall meetings to bring up celebrations, solve problems, and work together to keep their community running. The first Town Hall of the session was a great way to discuss the things going on in the studio.

The week ended with the tradition of personal reflection.  Eagles used the Challenge Donut to reflect back on their week asking questions like, “When was I in my comfort zone, challenge zone, or panic zone this week?” 

Coming up in Week 3: Eagles will settle into a more normal schedule with regular Core Skills time and beginning their Writer’s Workshop Poetry Drafts.

Click here for more pictures of Week 2. 

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Year 11, Session 1, Week 1

It’s been a wonderful week in the studio.  Eagles brought so much energy with them each day.  

This week Eagles worked hard on their entry to the Acton Academy Network Film Festival -- A Lip Dub.  Led by the 5th years, every Eagle has an important part to play. Teams worked and worked until they could finally say their work was EXCELLENT! 

But what is excellence? How would they know when it’s done? Questions like, “Is this our best work? Is it better than last time? How does it compare to a world-class example? Is it ready for Public Exhibition?” guided the iteration process until finally, “YES!” was their answer.  

Games like Scavenger Hunts, Striking a Pose, Name Games, and crossing a Chocolate River all worked to help Eagles build their tribe and work together.  Reflections included statements like, “I learned that I really need to listen more to my team members” and “We worked better together when we had a clear plan that we all agreed on.”  

For more photos from this week, click here.

Looking ahead: Mini Technology Quest, Writer’s Workshop, and Core Skills all kick off next week!

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Year 10, Session 7, Week 4

Eagles spent the week preparing for one of the most celebrated occasions of the year, Celebration of Heroes. Eagles spent every day of the week rehearsing for Friday. 5th year Eagles finalized their speeches and on Thursday they spent their afternoon getting the studio ready for Friday morning. We closed the day with closing group, sharing our excitement, anxieties and support with each other. 

This week in Growing Curiosity we kicked off with the Puppeteering Quest! We have an Eagle who is passionate about Puppetry and decided he wanted to share that love with the community through his Growing Curiosity quest! The first Quest day the Eagles learned about the origin of Sesame Street and learned that they would be making a puppet of their own.

On Monday the Eagles were challenged to create a sock Puppet! They were given a collection of materials to work with including; a sock, pom poms, colored felt, buttons, googly eyes, markers, pipe cleaners, cotton balls and popsicle sticks! 

On Wednesday the Eagles were given their teams and the challenge was to create and write a puppet show of their own! They were asked to complete a planning sheet in which they chose their hero, their villain, the characters, storyline and script. 

On Friday the Eagles were to finish the final planning stages of their puppet show and present! There were puppet songs, puppet improv, puppet arguments and more. 

During Writer’s Workshop Eagles spent the week revising their pieces. Taking time to make revisions and edit their work is a vital step in the W.W. process. 

We finished the week with some down time. A group of Eagles decided to use the dominoes to make a reaction train and film it. 

To view more photos from weeks 3 and 4 click here!

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Year 10, Session 7, Week 3

Week 3 we kicked off the Growing Curiosity Building Quest! Eagles were presented with the challenge to create a S.O.L.E. on a particular iconic structure; including the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and the Leaning Tower of Pisa! On day 2 Eagles built their structures from cardboard, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, tape and a lot of hot glue! 

On Tuesday during the last day of Foreign Language Quest the Eagles discussed and prepared for their Taste of the World Party! 

On Friday the Building Quest exhibition took place, the categories to win were Strongest Structure, Most Creative Structure and Best Looking Structure!

The Eiffel Tower!

The Golden Gate Bridge!

Big Ben!

The Leaning Tower of Pisa (aka Pizza)! 

The Empire State Building! The Eagles also displayed the initial sketches of their structures during the exhibition. 

The Taste of the World Party proved to be quite the success as their was an abundance of food, cultural shares and smiles as we gathered together to share a community meal. 

In PE this week the Eagles continued their unit on soccer skills on Tuesday. A game of Monster Ball required two teams to kick foam balls toward one large ball (without kicking the large ball). 

The small balls could only be kicked from behind your teams goal line toward the large ball. Each time the Monster/large Ball was moved beyond the goal the opposing team won a point. 

On Game Day Thursday, Eagles warmed up with a field sized Rock, Paper, Scissors War. Each team sent one player to meet the other team. The two running players stopped wherever they met and proceed to play Rock, Paper, Scissors.

 The winner of the round would continue running towards the other teams cone. While the opposing team quickly sent another player out to intercept the incoming player and engage them in another round of Rock, Paper, Scissors. Points were rewarded if your team could reach their opponents point cone. We finished the day with a game of Steal the Bacon. 

Week 3 was filled with excitement as Eagles prepared for the next week’s Celebration of Heroes ceremony! 

To view more photos from week 3 click here!

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Year 10, Session 7, Week 2

Week 2 kicked off with the Growing Curiosity Cooking Quest! The Eagles spent their Quest time learning about the history of food, creating their own recipes and on the last day preparing their own dish in a heated Cooking Showdown! 

In Writer’s Workshop Eagles have been creating and drafting their stories using Story Mountain to learn about the plot, conflict, climax and conclusion of a successful story!

On Friday at the Cooking Showdown Eagles prepared a Brownie Batter Dip. Ingredients included cream cheese, cocoa powder, confectioners sugar, vanilla, milk and brown sugar! 

We have been ending our Monday and Wednesdays with Read Aloud. We have been reading a book by Grace Lin called Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. 

There were several badges earned this week and we celebrated 5th Year Independent Learner Binders at our closing group on Friday. The Independent Learner Binder is a big achievement for 5th Years and is greatly celebrated by the entire community. 

On Friday we also had Pajama Day and it was quite the success! 

To view more pictures from week 2 click here!

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Year 10, Session 7, Week 1

Session 7 kicks off Creative Writing for Writer’s Workshop.  Eagles began their week looking in our studio libraries for two mentor texts that will inspire their own book.  Then they began drafting their stories.

The week wrapped up with tons of excitement as Eagles hosted the Newest Acton Eagles for lunch on Friday.  Four new Eagles, who are all set to join the studio in the fall, came for lunch and their first socratic discussion.

Eagles also kicked off our first Growing Curiosity Quest... the Film Quest! The Eagles learned about the roles of directors, screen writers and actors. Taking the time to write scripts and write a story they got to film their creations using their Chromebooks! 

On Friday we held a viewing party of all the short films we even had popcorn to add to the experience. Thanks to the 5th years for working so hard to prepare a week of fun for the studio!

Friday was also our Annual Welcome lunch for all the new incoming ES Eagles! This is such a special moment for the studio, welcoming new heroes into their community is always an exciting experience. We even got to have Ms. Samantha come in and lead a launch, so special. A special shout out to all the families that attended!

This session the Eagles are working on Soccer Skills. They started with soccer relays- dribbling a soccer ball while weaving through cones. We then tried a new game, “Ball Hog”. Eagles took turns with a partner running to the center of the field to dribble a ball back to their station. Once all of the balls were retrieved from the center, Eagles could then take balls from other partners. The team with the most balls at the end of the timed period won. 

On Thursday, they played Recapture the Flag, a version of Four Way -Capture the Flag. Eagles divided the field into four areas. Each team started with one of each of the four colors in their treasure hoop. The goal is to recapture all of your flags, while keeping rival teams from taking back your recaptured color. You become frozen, If tagged in any area other than your own. 

At the end of PE, Eagles voted on team leads for the coming week and offered ways to improve Ball Hog and Recapture the Flag. 

Friday also happened to be Crazy Hair Day! The turn out was wonderful. Next Friday is Pajama Day! Session 7 has only just begun let the fun begin!!

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Year 10, Session 6, Week 5

Eagles showed so much endurance and perseverance this week as IOWA testing jumbled up the week.  Many expressed that they enjoyed the opportunity to work in some different spaces around campus!  This week Eagles were put in the shoes of Energy Entrepreneurs and had to gather four kinds of resources from around the campus: wood, coal, oil, and natural gas.  It was harder than it seemed!  Wood was scattered everywhere and could only be gathered 5 pieces at a time.  Coal was buried in the sand volleyball pit.  Using proper tools was a must, but proved to add to the difficulty of harvesting this energy source!  Oil and gas were hidden on battleship like minefields.  Gathering fuel is exhausting!  

Eagles showed so much endurance and perseverance this week as IOWA testing jumbled up the week.  Many expressed that they enjoyed the opportunity to work in some different spaces around campus!  

The exhibition is right around the corner!  The week ahead will be full of final touches on writing projects and preparing for a full week of harvesting and converting energy.

This week the Montessori Quest Eagles began really diving into the new roles they will be taking on as they move into the ES studio full time. We discussed the meaningful transition that they will be making at the end of the session. We shared fears and excitement about the new change we will all be making. 

We also had an exciting map making challenge in which we broke into teams and completed maps from the collection of puzzle maps in the studio. The map work encourages attention to detail, strong pencil grip and extended focus. The result is a beautiful completed map! 

We also had our first IOWA testing this week so Friday afternoon was full of outside play, exploring Legos and D.E.A.R. 

Although it is bitter sweet the Eagles are excited to spend their last week in the Montessori Quest studio finishing strong! 

During week five teams of Eagles presented there last Create a Game. The Annihilators showed us how to play Gods and Goddesses. A version of tag that required tagged mortals to complete the actions of the God/Goddess that tagged them. Once the mortal completed the action they were free to run. 

Later on Thursday, Eagles burned off some Iowa Testing energy with a combined all ES PE. There was a Tabata start, mediation and a quick game of No Outs Kickball.

The Hungry Hippos brought us the game of Hippo Hunters. Hippos had to remain on pre-drawn chalk line path without being tagged by an “Ostrich”. If tagged they had a choice of doing sit-ups or pushups to become untagged. The tagging ostrich also had to complete the sit ups or push-ups.

To see more photos from week 5 click here!