The Discovery heroes continued with their marine science quest this week! First, they examined a couple of real fish specimens. The heroes were fascinated by their scales and eyes. The next day, they explored marine food webs. Some were surprised to learn that humans are at the top of the marine food web, and explored the question of humans’ responsibility to be stewards of water life by virtue of their position in the food web. As part of this examination, the heroes dissected predators’ “stomachs” and needed to determine what animal it belonged to based on the contents.
The heroes capped off the week with research to answer questions such as “how many marine animals are there?” and “do turtles rely on coral reefs?” They are creating detailed poster boards to answer these questions which they will unveil at the exhibition.
We’re seeing the children come together as a strong community during Town Halls. This week they brought up issues and brainstormed solutions for bringing sports equipment inside from outdoor time, sharing paper supplies across studios, and creating a system for where to go during outdoor time. Town Hall is such an important way for heroes to be in charge of their community in a constructive way!
This week’s focus was growth mindset. We explored questions like are you born smart or do you get smarter with hard work? We also discussed the word “yet” and explored how powerful it can be when we encounter a challenge, as in “I can’t do this……YET.”
We’ve continued to explore weather through books and activities. The heroes have requested books about natural phenomena like wind, snow, hail, tornadoes, hurricanes and even earthquakes. This week, the heroes made a “tornado in a jar” using water, soap and vinegar. They enjoyed seeing their tornadoes swirl!
We have been reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to launch our daily D.E.A.R. and Writer’s Workshop activities. We finished the book this week, and decided to celebrate on Friday with a pajama day and by watching the 1970’s Gene Wilder version of the movie.
As part of Writer’s Workshop, the children share their stories with each other. They are improving at using their “active listening ears” and giving full attention to the hero presenting his or her story. They are also asking each other “who, what, where, when and why?” questions of the author. All of this supports the skills of kindly questioning, as well as being able to verbalize the thoughts in one’s head and elaborating further.
There was certainly sadness this week with news of the school closing. However, we see that keeping routines and making sure we continue to learn and have fun with friends keeps everyone focused on the positive!
On Thursday morning, the heroes brainstormed a “bucket list” of activities they would like to use to “fill their buckets” as we come closer to the end of the year. They are excited about a potential field trip to a planetarium. A number of them have set the goal to earn a badge before the end of the year. They also brainstormed ways to keep in touch and they would like to do “Acton Alumni Learning Dates,” essentially playdates with a learning focus that allows them to go to places like the Zoo, Children’s Museum, or Train Museum, for example. We love that the heroes are already independent lifelong learners!
During Spark’s afternoon adventures, we dove into some multi-day projects in the Makerspace. The kids pored over various inspiration pictures for crafts using Makerspace materials, and several committed to fairly complex crafts such as egg-carton battleships and paper cup octopi.
The Sparks were showing a strong affinity for mixing liquids together to make potions, but needed practice with keeping their concoctions contained. We decided to learn some wizard skills, like using a pipette to carefully transfer small bits of ingredients without spilling them. This became especially exciting when the Sparks discovered that something was causing their potions to fizz over, and figured out that vinegar and baking soda created the reaction.
After learning about different species of squirrels, we took a trip to Nakoma Park to look for them, only to discover the area had flooded. Sparks still enjoyed finding their way across the creek, practicing balance and strength by climbing over the rocks.
This week, our Discovery heroes dove even deeper into the mysteries of the ocean with an exciting project on light and how it transforms underwater. They started by cutting out deep sea glasses and taping them onto file folders. Next, they taped blue film over the eye holes, allowing the glasses to filter light similarly to how the ocean filters light as you move deeper and deeper. These glasses, complete with additional blue film for different light experiments, helped the heroes visualize the way colors fade and shift as sunlight filters down into the ocean’s depths. With their Deep Sea Glasses ready, heroes took turns observing various colors through their blue lenses, completing data sheets to document their observations. As they moved through the colors, heroes noted how some became harder to see while others seemed to “disappear” entirely. This hands-on experience highlighted how certain wavelengths are absorbed quickly by water, leaving mainly blue light visible – an adaptation marine creatures rely on for survival and camouflage.
In civilization discussion this week, we journeyed back in time to explore the intriguing era of Japan’s warlords, the powerful samurai leaders who played key roles in shaping Japanese history. We discussed how these warlords, or “daimyos,” led armies of samurai warriors, defended their territories, and engaged in fierce battles to expand their influence.we explored another rich tradition of Japanese culture: sumo wrestling! Heroes researched the fascinating history of sumo, and they were excited to put their research findings into a project to present with the group.
In this week’s Communication Challenge, the heroes practiced giving constructive feedback on word choices using the “Feedback Sandwich.” This technique encouraged them to share one positive observation, followed by a constructive suggestion, and closed with another positive note. It was inspiring to see heroes thoughtfully reflect on each other’s work, building an atmosphere of encouragement and growth.
This week, Discovery and Spark heroes teamed up for a spook-tacular Halloween party! The studio transformed into a festive space filled with creative costumes, themed decorations, scavenger hunt and lots of Halloween fun. They also collaborated on setting up halloween decorations, everything from halloween bead crafts to spooky spider webs, which they hung around the studio. This shared event brought Discovery and Spark closer together as they celebrated the holiday with laughter, creativity, and teamwork. It was a fun-filled way to strengthen friendships across studios and embrace the Halloween spirit together!
This week in Spark the heroes explored weather as part of our “Seasons and Weather”-themed session. Each morning, they are graphing the temperature. At the beginning of the session, they predicted that they would see their line chart decline as the session went on, so they were surprised this week to see temperatures increase! We also discussed the forecast every morning, as the heroes were very interested to know what conditions would be for Thursday’s Halloween Trick-or-Treating! We’ve also been reading books about tornadoes and hurricanes as part of our science exploration during Montessori Mornings.
Speaking of warm weather, the heroes took advantage of the warmer temperatures to explore the creek at Nakoma Park. It is all dried up and they discovered an exciting fallen tree which they have dubbed the “Battleship.”
Spark heroes prepared for Friday’s Halloween party, making paper decorations and carving or painting pumpkins. They learned about the lifecycle of pumpkins before carving an especially large jack-o-lantern together. They placed the jack-o-lantern outside the studio window and enjoyed watching visits from hungry squirrels!
The party was a huge hit! The Discovery heroes were given a $30 budget and planned the festivities. They did a wonderful job, and included a spooky dance party in the studio, balloons, apple cider beverages, a craft, and a scavenger hunt for party favors in Fellowship Hall. This is a great example of how at Acton we like to put children in charge because it was WAY more fun than it would be if adults had planned it 🙂
We’ve been finding that the Spark heroes are much more focused during circle time after a few morning stretches. If you notice your child singing a counting song at home, that’s Jack Hartman’s Count to 100 exercise song! Next week we will workout to letter sounds!
Our focus this week was kindness. A tool we started using is the “THINK test,” a social filter for ensuring what we say is appropriate and kind. T.H.I.N.K. stands for: is it true? is it helpful? is it inspiring? is it necessary? is it kind? If a thought fails one of these tests, a hero doesn’t really need to say it aloud. We used the THINK test several times throughout the week. We also explored themes of giving vs. taking, servant leadership, and the benefits of quiet.
We are looking forward to next week when our focus of the week will be growth mindset, and we will continue to explore the seasons and the weather.
This week, our Discovery heroes continued their marine science journey with an exciting new focus: the Coral Reef Challenge! As part of our Marine Science Quest, the heroes dove into exploring the intricate world of coral reefs, a crucial marine ecosystem teeming with life and color.
To kick off the challenge, the heroes tackled some big questions: “What is coral?” and “Where are coral reefs located?” Through research, they discovered that coral is not just one entity but a complex, living structure composed of tiny organisms called polyps. These polyps work together to create vibrant coral reefs that serve as underwater cities, providing shelter and resources to countless marine species. Many were surprised to learn that coral reefs are also highly sensitive ecosystems, facing threats from climate change, pollution, and overfishing.
Armed with knowledge about coral biology and the importance of reef ecosystems, heroes carefully designed their coral reef models in teams. They considered elements like coral shapes, colors, and sizes, replicating species they’d learned about – from brain coral to spike coral – and even populating their reefs with fish, anemones, and other marine life that rely on coral for shelter and sustenance. Using cardboards, floral mesh, pool noodles, paint, and creativity, they brought these underwater habitats to life, constructing vibrant reefs that reflected their growing appreciation for ocean ecosystems. Working together, they shared insights, traded ideas, and helped each other embody the spirit of teamwork.
In this week’s Communication Challenge, our Discovery heroes embraced the art of creative writing through tailored prompts that sparked their imaginations. Each hero received writing prompts suited to their age and experience, inspiring them to express their unique perspectives and ideas. Some heroes took the opportunity to dive deeper into poetic forms by continuing their haikus and odes, carefully crafting each line to convey emotion and vivid imagery. For the haikus, heroes focused on the beauty of nature and simplicity, following the traditional 5-7-5 syllable structure to express their ideas concisely. In their odes, they brought depth and admiration to topics they hold dear, from everyday objects to favorite people or experiences. Heroes shared their work with one another, offering each other help and encouragement, helping them see the power of their words to evoke emotions and imagery.
Meanwhile heroes explored a case of Guy Fawkes in our civilization this week: the Gunpowder Plot. They delved into the historical case of Guy Fawkes, examining how his plan to blow up the British Parliament in 1605 has echoed through history. Through storytelling and Socratic discussion, they investigated why Fawkes and his co-conspirators felt driven to such extremes and what this plot symbolized for the power struggles and religious tensions of the time.
It has been a productive and rewarding week in the Spark Studio! The heroes are growing accustomed to practicing working independently in the mornings. With this practice comes deepened concentration. Several of the heroes are beginning to focus on earning either a writing, reading or math badge! While others continue to enjoy exploring art, building, science exploration in the studio.
Our circle time focus this week was using wise words and actions. The Spark heroes decided to focus on saying, “I’m sorry” and sharing. We saw many examples of both throughout the week, even when challenging at times!
The heroes have also been greatly enjoying nearly daily reading of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Every chapter seems to end with a cliffhanger. Reading such a colorful story is always a great way to kick off either D.E.A.R. or Writers’ Workshop.
During outdoor play in the afternoons with Spark, we’ve been practicing using our senses with natural objects. We’ve mindfully explored bark, leaves, and nuts from local trees by paying close attention to the colors, sounds, and smells we can detect in them. After these exercises, the kids have been paying more attention to the plants around them as we walk outside.
In one of our explorations we practiced managing risk by using potato peelers to whittle sticks, a task that involved a lot of self-control, remembering safety rules, and being aware of the space around us. Every Spark chose to learn this skill! Along the way, we noticed interesting mysteries about the wood we worked with, like how new colors appeared as we carved deeper into the sticks.
The Discovery heroes embarked on an exciting new quest—Marine Science! On this quest, heroes will explore ocean currents and waves, biodiversity on coral reefs, the deep sea, and the open ocean. Each week, the heroes explore a different topic area by completing challenges from one of five levels. As work is completed, groups “level up.” Levels include Krill, Octopus, Tuna, Shark, and Whale. These challenges will prepare the heroes for the final challenge at the end of the quest, the trivia game “Under the Sea Jeopardy!”
The week, the heroes collaborated on teams to set up two experiments to explore the sea surface currents and the Coriolis effect. In the first experiment, heroes explored sea surface currents by simulating ocean conditions in a hands-on way. They started by filling plastic bins with water, creating a “mini-ocean” to observe how currents move. To mimic floating objects on the water’s surface, they used aluminum balls, which helped them visualize how different forces act on floating items in real-world ocean currents. Then heroes experimented by blowing across the surface of the water with straws, representing wind—one of the major drivers of sea surface currents. They carefully observed how the aluminum balls moved in response to the wind. Next, heroes explored the Coriolis effect, a force caused by Earth’s rotation that affects the movement of water and air. For this experiment, they used a 8-inch manila folder circle, pencils with erasers, and food coloring to see how the Earth’s rotation causes currents to veer in different directions.
The heroes also explored marine science by visiting the wetlands and pond of UW-Arboretum. Pat, the naturalist, told us all about the prairies, the fires that rage through them, and the battles both the plants and the people are waging against invasive species. The heroes found a patch of wild cattails and learned about the aquatic critters that might be lurking in their roots, and enjoyed playing in the shelter of a weeping fig tree.
This week in the Communication Challenge, the heroes explored the skills needed to greet and host guests effectively. Heroes engaged in role-playing scenarios where they took turns being both the host and the guest. In each scenario, they were challenged to greet the guest appropriately, show them around, and ensure they felt at ease. They practiced maintaining eye contact, speaking clearly, and introducing themselves confidently.
The heroes are also exploring poetry. The heroes shared their favorite poems with one another. This activity allowed them to connect over literature and express themselves through the poems that resonated most with them. Additionally, as part of the morning launch this week, we had a Socratic discussion on Shel Silverstein’s poem ‘The Giving Tree’. The discussion invited the heroes to dive deep into the poem’s themes of serving others vs serving yourself.
What a great week back in the Spark studio! Our theme this session is the Seasons and Weather. Autumn is such a wonderful time to explore this because we recently experienced summer, and will soon head into winter. There is so much change to discover!
So far, we’ve explored why Autumn is also called Fall, why leaves turn colors, and how the way we dress for the weather changes throughout the year. We are hoping this will help the heroes become more conscious of what they choose to wear outdoors each day.
We are also learning about temperature. Each morning the heroes check and graph the outside temperature and the type of weather. They have made predictions about what will happen to the temperature and weather as we move towards winter. They have predicted it will become colder and there will be more cloudy days and eventually more snowy days. They were also fascinated with the thermometer and had not used a fluid thermometer before! There was much excitement when we went outside and stuck it to the window.
In the afternoons, Sparks have been exploring the beautifully changing seasons. They’ve explored leaf shapes through tracing and scavenger hunts, sharpening their identification skills, and have started exploring the trees around the building with measurements. We’ll dehydrate some of the herbs in our garden this week, celebrating the end of a long harvest season.
The school took a field trip to the Arboretum this Thursday! We met Pat, the naturalist, who told us all about the prairies, the fires that rage through them, and the battles both the plants and the people are waging against invasive species. We found a patch of wild cattails and learned about the aquatic critters that might be lurking in their roots, and enjoyed playing in the shelter of a weeping fig tree.
This week, we re-introduced the badge plan in a new way. In order to increase intentionality, we are asking the heroes to place a clothespin with their name on it onto the posters of Montessori works available in the studio. When they are ready to move to a new work, they clean up the old work, move their clothespin to the new work, and go from there. The heroes can choose to pursue badges in the areas of writing, reading and math and can track their progress using the posters. This has certainly increased interest in badge work. Or they can choose non-badge work, but still meaningful work, in the areas of practical life, science and culture.
We are also focusing on working independently rather than with friends this session. This has been a challenging shift for a number of the heroes, but as the week has gone on, we see them “getting it” and sinking deeper into their learning as a result. It also helps them focus on their own learning journey and begin to tap into their own interests and calling.
Weekly writers’ workshops and story shares have been beautiful to see. The heroes are working on being quiet and actively listening while their friend presents his/her story. Then they have the opportunity to ask questions about their friend’s story. The creativity is tremendous and it’s wonderful practice in sharing their ideas both on paper and verbally.
The Discovery heroes were full of excitement and joy this week. The highlight of the week was the end-of-session Exhibition of Learning, where the Discovery heroes proudly invited their parents to witness the incredible work they’ve done so far in the ‘Build the Tribe’ quest. Discovery heroes took charge of planning the entire exhibition program, thoughtfully assigning roles for each step of the process. They coordinated the setup of chairs and scenes for the event and even crafted insightful questions for the Socratic discussion. Their collaboration was the key in bringing the exhibition to life.
Each hero presented their Hero Board, a personal showcase of their journey, strengths, and goals, reflecting the story of their individual growth. Parents had the opportunity to see how much effort the heroes have put into understanding themselves through this meaningful project.
The exhibition also featured a special Contract Signing Ceremony, a Acton tradition for building the tribe where the heroes commit to their promises for the studio’s contracts. In front of their parents and fellow learners, each hero signed the studio contract, symbolizing their dedication to upholding the promises they worked on together. It was a beautiful moment of accountability, with every hero embracing their role in shaping a learner-driven community.
As part of the celebration, we watched the Lip Dub video that the heroes had worked on earlier in the session. Filmed, choreographed, and edited entirely by the heroes themselves, the video was a joyful testament to their creativity, teamwork, and leadership. Watching their excitement as the video played was truly a special way to conclude the exhibition. We look forward to seeing how the tribe continues to grow, learn, and support one another in the upcoming sessions!
This was an exciting week in the Studios as both the Spark and the Discovery heroes prepared for their first exhibition of the year!
One of the major goals of the first session of the year is to “Build the Tribe,” by coming together as friends and studiomates. The Spark heroes have been having a lot of fun together!
They have also been working hard! The heroes had the opportunity to show their families their hard work at the exhibition. Throughout the week, leading up to the exhibition, each hero practiced various Montessori works. Some chose works that put them in their challenge zone. Others chose works that make them curious. And others chose works that they find most fun.
Each hero guided their family through the “Spark Hero Gallery” where they showed their hero boards, framed self-portraits, and makerspace creations. This group of Sparks has taken great interest in the hot glue guns in the makerspace. With small gardening gloves, they are able to use the tools independently and safely, and have made incredible creations from found materials and loose parts: towers, airplanes, and animals, just to name a few.
The Sparks have certainly earned their time in the makerspace, demonstrating skills to earn a makerspace champion badge! Others earned bravery badges and all earned a “Build the Tribe” session badge. At the end of the exhibition, the heroes held a badge ceremony to celebrate their effort and hard work!
Finally, the heroes signed their studio “contract of promises.” Throughout the session, the heroes helped craft their promises to each other. Of course, heroes will stumble and forget their promises at times, but with kind reminders from friends and guides they can stay on track.
We’re so excited for the next session when we plan to explore the seasons. What causes the seasons? How do different cultures celebrate the seasons? What causes weather? And what do we observe in our own backyard as we shift to Fall and Winter? We will also integrate art and practical life into this theme by making Halloween decorations, using elements from nature to make art, and perhaps baking some healthy pumpkin muffins!
We’ve also had a request from the heroes to dedicate a session to outer space which we plan to do! We have seen great interest from several of the heroes in learning about the solar system, planets, rockets and space travel, so we are excited to explore this with them!
The Discovery heroes continued with their marine science quest this week! First, they examined a couple of real fish specimens. The heroes were fascinated by their scales and eyes. The next day, they explored marine food webs. Some were surprised to learn that humans are at the top of the marine food web, and explored Read more…
This week’s focus was growth mindset. We explored questions like are you born smart or do you get smarter with hard work? We also discussed the word “yet” and explored how powerful it can be when we encounter a challenge, as in “I can’t do this……YET.” We’ve continued to explore weather through books and activities. Read more…
This week, our Discovery heroes dove even deeper into the mysteries of the ocean with an exciting project on light and how it transforms underwater. They started by cutting out deep sea glasses and taping them onto file folders. Next, they taped blue film over the eye holes, allowing the glasses to filter light similarly Read more…
