READING

Our goal is to have young heroes who love to read.  We do not assign books or readings but allow Eagles to start by reading anything they enjoy – even comic books.   Over time, Eagles naturally begin to read more and more challenging books – if they care about the subject.  

Lexia Core 5 provides literacy instruction and is designed for independent learning. Lexia adheres to all common core standards.

WRITING

Communicating via the written word is of the utmost importance and learning the skills to write well takes practice, so we write a lot. We use No Red Ink for grammar rules and group editing to learn peer critique.

Our primary communication focus is on writing, but Eagles will experiment with film, photography, speech-making, apprenticeship sales pitches and many other forms of communication.

Whenever possible, we use Corbett Harrison’s Six Trait process for critiquing writing and other forms of communication, with a heavy emphasis on peer critiques.  A Guide may layout a process and criteria or ask the class to develop its own.

ARITHMETIC

We use IXL or Khan Academy to deliver basic math skills. Khan Academy is used to assess proficiency and Mastery. Khan also adheres to Common Core standards.

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 and 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 posted on a timeline, complete with important trends.

Depending on the week, Eagles will work on Civilization twice each week, for 45 minutes a session. Often, key issues from the time period being studied will become part of a Quest, as with our American Declaration of Independence and US Constitution challenges, where young heroes are placed in the shoes of a Founding Father, facing difficult decisions with real world consequences.

PE & ART

Formal PE occurs twice per week, one hour a day and includes games 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, breaks that are important because they allow nervous physical energy out. 

Art is incorporated into Quests (designing art for a game or website) and at times is scheduled separately once per week during some sessions, with explorations of music, the visual arts and theatre.

QUESTS

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.  For example, if building a bridge, the costs are calculated based on the time and materials required to build the bridge, and the benefits calculated based on the span of the bridge, how much weight it will bear and for how long or the aesthetics based on feedback from citizens or a panel of experts.

Another example of the tradeoffs young heroes must make is in the American Declaration of Independence Experiment, where loyalists and patriots debate whether they will continue to suffer escalating restrictions on their studio freedoms from (a fictional and removed) King George, or declare independence, and risk a roll of the dice that could cost them several week’s worth of free time and treats, if the revolution fails.

Examples of Quests are:

• A Electricity Quest, developing patents for new electrical devices in Edison’s Menlo Park lab.

• A Game Quest where Eagles design computer games and board games, to be played by the general public as an exhibition.

• A Detectives Quest that delves deeply into forensic science.

• A Psychology Quest that requires dream interpretation, active imagination techniques and experiments in group psychology.

QUEST

Quests are real-world projects to master 21st-century skills. Usually lasting four- to six-weeks, each Quest includes a series of challenges bound by a compelling narrative and is designed to deliver 21st century skills while simultaneously incorporating traditional topics like science, social studies, and history.

BLENDED LEARNING

A style of education in which students learn via electronic and online media as well as traditional face-to-face teaching.

INDEPENDENT LEARNER

Someone who can research questions, follow instructions, solve problems—admit that they don’t know something and figure out a solution when they hit a roadblock without asking an adult for help — participate in discussions, and strive for mastery.

HERO’S JOURNEY

We believe that each of us has a special calling in life, and a series of trials and tests that must be faced with integrity and purpose in order to live a satisfying and fulfilled life. Our mission is to prepare your child for his or her special journey.

EAGLE

Is the Acton Academy mascot.

MICRO SCHOOL

Are the result of rethinking the traditional educational model to better prepare children for the future. They are small, private institutions where students are empowered to personalize their own educations and are held accountable for their own progress.