A Unique Semester Opportunity
Program Overview
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Intrepid Academy
Program Overview
Table of Contents
I.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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II.
COMMITMENT TO EQUITY
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III.
MISSION, CORE VALUES AND CORE PRINCIPLES
A. Mission Statement
B. Core Values
C. Core Principles
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3
4
CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT
A. Curriculum
B. Instruction
C. Assessment
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7
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V.
SCHEDULE AND CALENDAR
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VI.
LEADERSHIP AND DESIGN TEAM
VII.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Appendix A – Curriculum Map
B. Appendix B – Assessment Benchmark Tracker
C. Appendix C – A Day In the Life for a Student
IV.
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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Intrepid - characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance
Throughout history, it has been the most intrepid among us who shape the boundaries of
possibility. Intrepid Academy at Hale (“Intrepid Academy”) nourishes this spirit by moving
the classroom into nature, where mental and physical fortitude are cultivated and practiced.
Intrepid Academy at Hale is an innovative, single-semester day school for 60 high school
juniors. Breaking down the walls of conventional schools, Intrepid Academy brings students
outdoors where they earn traditional course credits through a nontraditional educational
experience that is academically challenging, physically active, and focused on supporting their
overall well-being. The school is set at Hale in Westwood, MA, just five miles from Boston,
where students make regular use of lodges, cabins, trails, pavilions, and boats. Intrepid
Academy will welcome those currently enjoying academic success and those who have
struggled in a traditional classroom setting.
Intrepid Academy will provide students with challenging classes, as well as extensive
programming focused on student health and well-being. Students will be outdoors and
learning in nontraditional, active, and interdisciplinary classes. Upon completion of their
semester at Intrepid Academy, students will have healthier minds and bodies, as well as a
determined spirit that will help them become leaders in their schools and communities.
Key features of the school include:
●
A Small, Personalized Setting – With small class sizes, everyone at Intrepid
Academy can develop close relationships with each other, and students can receive
personalized attention.
●
An Emphasis on Health and Well-being – Students will spend significant time
outdoors and have multiple opportunities to participate in physical activities and
explore the natural world each day. Part of the core academic curriculum focuses on
topics related to physical and mental health.
●
Challenging Academic Courses – Students take a core curriculum that includes
Environmental Science, Exercise and Health Science, Math and Humanities. The
STEM centered curriculum not only emphasizes academic learning, but also pushes
students to engage in self-reflection and make connections between academic content
and their own lives.
●
Personalized Support – Students meet with their advisor and advisory group daily.
In addition, students have daily opportunities to receive academic support aligned to
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their present needs.
●
Capstone Projects and Presentations - Students demonstrate their knowledge in
authentic ways, including capstone projects, written and digital portfolios, and
presentations to multiple stakeholders, including at their “home” schools.
●
Post-participation Engagement - While the Intrepid experience is only a semester,
the program will be involved with students beyond their short stint at Hale. Through
ongoing events, one-on-one meetings and intentional follow-up in the schools,
Intrepid staff will continue to assist alums as they transition back into their schools
and implement their motivation and learning into new environments.
II. COMMITMENT TO EQUITY
Providing an equity of experience and improving academic outcomes is at the core of Hale’s
work. For nearly 100 years, Hale has worked to provide experiential and outdoor opportunities
for children and families throughout Greater Boston. Hale annually provides financial subsidies
for over 2,000 children in the summer and for many urban school districts during the school year.
It is Hale’s belief that regardless of economic status, all children and families should have access
to quality outdoor experiences. To that end, Intrepid Academy is committed to having 50% of
students come from either an urban setting or from a low income household.
Spending a semester in an inspirational natural setting has traditionally been an opportunity
reserved for students attending elite private and boarding schools and for those who are willing
and able to reside at the school’s location. These programs can cost as much $28,000 per
semester, not including transportation. Intrepid Academy is built on the belief that a day
program offered at a fraction of the cost works towards an equity of experience for all students
and will provide a healthy, diverse community of learners who will greatly benefit from each
other’s differences.
III. MISSION, CORE VALUES AND CORE PRINCIPLES
A. Mission Statement
“Intrepid Academy’s mission is to offer challenging, active, and personalized educational
experiences utilizing its unique outdoor campus as a classroom that prepares students for
academic success, nurtures body and mind, creates connections among diverse groups, and
inspires a passion and curiosity for future academic pursuits and a lifetime of health and
wellness.”
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B. Core Values
1. Aim for Awesome
You come closest to the target you aim for and we aim for AWESOME! We want to
exceed expectations, to make ourselves better each day and to provide the highest quality
product we can.
2. Climb the Mountain
We often face “mountains” in front of us – challenges that require our willingness to step
out of our comfort zone, try something new, persevere, and conquer. We know that when
we push ourselves we are growing.
3. Explore More
Each day provides an open door for exploration. Whether it’s a path you’ve just
discovered at Hale or a book you just can’t put down, a person in your community you’ve
just met, there is always something that helps us to grow. We consider ourselves lifelong-learners who are open to the possibilities of the great world that is around us. We
learn beyond the walls of traditional school.
4. Outside and Active
At Intrepid Academy you just might be told to take a walk – it’s nothing personal. We
appreciate the outdoors and know that being active is the key to staying physically and
mentally healthy. So when our days become hectic, we hit the dirt, or the path, or we
blaze a trail. At a minimum, 15 minutes is all it takes to refresh the mind, body and soul.
5. Pay it Forward
Like the proverb, “We do not inherit this earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children,” at Intrepid Academy we imagine our work, our stewardship, and our planning
as preparations for how we want the next generation to receive this organization and our
land. In addition, we believe our personal, day to day actions can improve our
environment and that we can help minimize human impact on the earth.
6. Pursue Your Passion
When we pursue things we are passionate about, a natural energy fuels our daily
responsibilities and we become motivated and driven to succeed. Like the following
adage, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life,” at Intrepid Academy
we have fun, we work hard and we believe in what we do.
7. Wave to Everyone
Although there is an abundance of space at Hale, there is no room for exclusivity – that’s
why at Intrepid Academy we wave to everyone. This welcoming gesture creates a warm
and inviting environment for all people regardless of their background, life history or
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cultural diversity. It also sets the tone for how we interact with people in our schools and
communities once we leave Intrepid Academy.
C. Core Principles
1. School should challenge students’ minds, bodies, and spirit every day.
Intrepid Academy will challenge students both mentally and physically. Students will earn
traditional credit in four core academic classes, each of which will be aligned to the
Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. These classes will push students to reflect on their
daily experiences and lives, and develop the habits and character necessary for success both
in and out of school. In each of these classes, students will demonstrate what they have
learned through capstone projects, “Intrepid Talk” presentations, and written and digital
portfolios. In addition to these academic challenges, students will explore the natural
environment and work toward completing a personal fitness goal that will encourage
healthy lifestyles and perseverance.
2. School should promote students’ immediate and long-term health and well-being.
Intrepid Academy will provide students with daily opportunities to be active, as well as
regular opportunities to explore and appreciate the natural environment. Students will
participate in a daily Movement Lab, in which they will engage in physical activities and
study movement from a range of academic perspectives. In addition, students will
participate in a daily fitness class, working to build mindfulness and gradually increase their
strength and endurance to complete a personal fitness goal established early in the semester.
And students’ academic courses – such as a Humanities course focused on the psychology
of flourishing - will foster connections between academic learning and students’ own health
and well-being outside of Intrepid Academy.
Because of the immediate access to nature afforded by the Hale campus, students will
connect with the natural world each day. The restorative elements of being outdoors are
proven to aid with health and well-being. Additionally, this time outdoors will help students
cultivate a personal connection to nature as a tool and resource for inspiration and
motivation that will stay with them beyond their experience at Intrepid Academy. Taken as
a whole, Intrepid Academy at Hale offers a naturally innovative approach to promote
lifelong health.
3. School should be personalized.
Intrepid Academy will provide an intimate school setting, enabling all students to build
close relationships with both staff and other students. In addition, staff will be able to build
meaningful relationships with students and their families. Advisory groups consist of just
12 students and one teacher, enabling close relationships between advisor and advisees.
These advisories will meet daily ensuring that no student’s needs or issues go unaddressed.
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The school will also offer targeted academic support to all students, including those enrolled
in special education and English language learners. All students will have an opportunity to
personalize their learning by choosing their topics for the capstone projects they complete,
and presenting their projects to families and the community.
III. CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT
Intrepid Academy will provide students with a challenging academic program that makes
frequent connections between academic disciplines and the natural environment, emphasizes
authentic assessment, and is aligned with state curricular standards. Teachers will be dualcertified in content and ESL.
A. Curriculum
Each lead teacher will be responsible for a 30 student group. He or she will work with one
Intrepid Fellow and one outdoor instructor to provide the curriculum and program for that group.
Due to the nature of the classroom and the professional development time available, students
will frequently be working in group of ten for instruction and class time. Classes in which
students will earn credit are described below:
1. Human Performance (Humanities) - This course explores the connections between literature,
psychology, physiology, art, and health. The course will be closely aligned to the
Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for English and History, with a focus on reading
both literature and content rich non-fiction, in print and also through video and audio means.
Students will spend much of this course building knowledge through reading academic
articles and reports, and making connections between these nonfiction sources and literature.
Students will also complete written reflections related to their learning experiences at
Intrepid Academy, making connections between academic content and their own lives.
2. Human Geography (Social Studies/History) - This course examines the relationship
between people and their environment. Students will explore this topic from an historical
and cultural context, relating these ideas to our current lives. Students will primarily read
non-fiction texts, but the course may also include a study of relevant art and media, as well
as the natural world of Hale. For example, students may examine differences between a
Native American quarry at Hale and modern mining techniques, or explore farming
practices and their impact on the environment across time and cultures. Students will
engage in formal and reflective writing to deepen learning and connect it across subjects at
Intrepid Academy.
3. Environmental Science (Science) - This course examines the complexity of the natural
world, as well as the relationship between humans and that world. Specific topics may
include land and water use, energy resources and consumption, humans' environmental
impact (such as pollution and climate change), and the relationship between the environment
and human health. For aquatic study, Hale’s floating classroom allows for excellent access
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to marine life and pond ecology. This course will take advantage of the school's setting at
Hale, as students will be expected to conduct field investigations aligned to course content.
We are working to provide students with college credit for successful completion of this
course.
4. Math
•
•
Contracted math instructors (licensed math teachers) will visit Intrepid four days
per week to provide courses that meet various student levels of proficiency. Based
on typical 11th grade curriculum, courses will include algebra and pre-calculus.
While elements of the math curriculum will integrate statistics and modeling
during interdisciplinary units of study, it is a priority that students continue on their
current math track while attending Intrepid Academy. Students will be expected to
demonstrate procedural skill/fluency and conceptual understanding of
mathematical concepts, as well as apply mathematical knowledge in new ways.
For the interdisciplinary units of study, students will be expected to demonstrate
understanding of and proficiency with the state standards for statistics and
modeling. These standards will help students look at issues and content from an
objective, numerical perspective and provide a solid foundation for what is seen as
critical knowledge for careers in the 21st Century.
5. Movement Lab (Science Lab and Physical Education) - Perhaps the most unique component
of the school’s programming, this course asks students to participate in physical and mental
challenges set in the natural environment, and make connections between those challenges
and what they have learned in the classroom. For example, after studying how sleep and diet
affect human health, students may study the relationship between those variables and their
personal performance on a specific physical challenge. Similarly, after reading non-fiction
articles on grit in their Human Performance class, students may be asked to participate in a
task that is mentally and physically difficult, and then reflect on the relationship between the
articles and their own effort during that task. Hale’s extensive universally accessible ropes
course will serve as an educational tool for the Movement Lab, and for social skill and
leadership development.
6. Fitness & Conditioning (Physical Education) - Another unique aspect of Intrepid Academy’s
programming, this class will encourage students to strengthen the mind, body, and spirit.
Students set a personal fitness goal they hope to achieve by the end of the semester. Each
morning, and between classes, students engage in physical activity such as walking, trail
running, or yoga that will prepare their bodies and minds for daily work and help them reach
their semester’s goal. Completing the final fitness challenge is not requisite, but a
wholehearted effort toward achieving the goal and a written reflection on their journey is
required.
7. Advisory - Students meet with their advisors twice each day. For example, each afternoon
advisors check in with students individually and discuss progress toward academic and
health goals. Students also use advisory time to receive targeted academic support based on
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their individual needs.
8. Spanish - For students interested in continuing a study of Spanish, Intrepid Academy will
utilize technology to implement the concept of a “flipped classroom.” During the day,
students will participate in an integrated Spanish speaking group focused on applying their
foreign language skills conversationally in “real world” situations. Technology will allow
for evening and outside of school work toward curricular requirements.
To successfully earn full credit during their semester at Intrepid Academy, students will need to
demonstrate mastery of specific number of skills/benchmarks, and proficiency in all others. In
addition, they will have to complete their final project and Intrepid Talk at a satisfactory level.
Most of these criteria will be standardized across the program, but some of the
benchmarks/criteria will be personalized for each student based on discussions between the
student and advisor.
See Appendix A for a draft of a curriculum map.
B. Instruction
Daily instruction will be aligned to the school’s core principles, i.e. instruction in all classes will
be challenging, active, and personalized. In addition, staff will work collaboratively to identify
a more detailed description of Intrepid Academy’s Instructional Practices. Below is a list of
current intended school-wide instructional practices.
Instructional Element
Lesson structure
Instructional strategies to promote
student engagement
Formative assessment strategies
Feedback
Behavior Management
“Priming” the brain to learn
Synthesizing learning
Summative assessments
Monitoring student progress
Potential School-Wide Practices
The use of Do Nows, posting of agendas and objectives
Technology, differentiation, visual and kinesthetic
instructional strategies, strategic grouping,
interdisciplinary connections between content
Exit tickets, thumb tools
Student Conferencing, Google Docs
Restorative Justice
Physical activity before an activity, relevant to what will
be studied.
Physical activity in nature following activity to increase
opportunities for diffuse modes of thinking.
Peer-review, presentations before panels of experts,
presentations at sending school, digital badging.
Competency Based Grading, “Skills” Tracker sheets for
each individual, detailing the skills/standards they have
mastered and those needing continued practice.
A core component of Intrepid Academy’s academic program will be the opportunity for students
to spend the last 4 to 6 weeks of the semester exploring areas of personal interest related to
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course content. This student-led exploration of course material will be highly structured, with
clear benchmarks to monitor progress. At the end of the semester, students will be expected to
demonstrate their understanding through one or more capstone projects, such as digital
portfolios or “INTREPID Talks” (public presentations modeled on TED Talks).
While a part of the Intrepid Academy experience is to disconnect from our personal devises and
re-establish a connection with nature, there is no doubt that technology will be used. Each
student will be provided a Chromebook during their time at Intrepid. One to one computing,
the use of the Google platform for work sharing, and additional apps and hand-held devices used
during movement lab insure that students are using today’s current technology to enhance their
experience.
C. Assessment
In addition to culminating assessments such as “Intrepid Talks” mentioned above, staff will
work collaboratively to establish clear academic, physical, and personal development goals for
each student at the beginning of the semester. Some goals will be course-specific (such as a goal
aligned to a particular math standard), while others (such as the development of a particular
habit) will transcend specific courses. Some will be the same for all students, while others will
be unique to each individual. Advisors and other staff will check in with students regularly to
assess their progress using an academic/standards tracking tool that will easily show students,
families, and staff the progress being made to demonstrate proficiency in the standards being
practiced. The school may develop a system of digital badges to recognize students who have
met their goals that can be used to highlight specific work done and skills developed in and out
of the academic realm.
Intrepid Academy’s curriculum is closely aligned to its mission, with an emphasis on providing
a challenging, active, and personalized educational experience to all students. Due to small class
sizes and greater time for staff to collaborate, teachers and other instructional staff will be better
able to support English language learners and students with special needs. In addition, the
school’s mission and curriculum are aligned to the following principles developed by the High
School Redesign team in Boston.
High School Redesign Boston: Design Principles
Whole
Person
Learning must encompass every aspect of the individual – academic,
social, emotional, cultural, and physical.
Rigorous
Cognitively demanding work is necessary to engage and stimulate our
students on a daily basis
Dynamic
Personalized experiences promote passion, creative exploration, and
diversity of thought.
Expansive
Meaningful connections, within and beyond the classroom, help our
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students build pathways to future success.
Students’ daily educational experiences - and particularly their four core academic courses - will
be aligned to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Whenever possible, teachers will work
collaboratively to make connections between courses and provide students with interdisciplinary
learning opportunities. Teachers will also use interdisciplinary essential questions – such as
“How can we strengthen our bodies and minds?” – to frame their courses and units. Units will
be broken into approximately 3-week long inquiries, where students will explore such broad
questions across content, providing time to delve deeply into a topic, and culminating in a
presentation that answers the inquiry/essential question.
See Appendix B for a sample of what an academic tracker may look like.
V. CALENDAR AND SCHEDULE
Intrepid Academy intends to follow a typical public school calendar for both students and staff
with a few exceptions. First, students will begin one week (five days) prior to a typical start date.
This will allow the fall semester students to have a one week vacation between their Hale
experience and starting the second semester at their sending school. During this time, Intrepid
Faculty help students with the process of re-acclimation to their sending district and begin
preparations for the incoming spring cohort.
The student school-day is 7.5 hours, versus the traditional 6.3 hours. This insures the program
complies with Massachusetts regulation 603 CMR 27.00; students receive 6 hours of daily
instruction. Heeding research on teen development, the school day does not begin until 9:00
AM.
Each day is designed so that students’ experiences are:
Challenging
● Students take four thought-provoking academic courses.
● Students set semester long physical fitness goals that apply the principles and
concepts studied in their courses while inspiring them to lead healthier lifestyles.
Active
● Students have multiple opportunities to engage in physical fitness each day, including
when they first arrive at Hale, during advisory, Lunch/Exploration (students have an
extended period for lunch to allow them to explore Hale’s grounds), and during
Movement Lab.
● Whenever possible, core academic classes also provide students with opportunities
to be active.
Personalized
● Each core academic class provides students with opportunities to explore areas of
personal interest and demonstrate their understanding through capstone projects.
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●
Students have an opportunity to receive targeted academic support each afternoon.
This includes supports for students enrolled in special education and/or who are
English language learners.
● Daily physical activity can be differentiated based on students’ levels of physical
fitness and individual goals.
Other key features of the school calendar and daily schedule include:
● A rotating daily schedule in which students take between 2-4 core academic courses each
day and have a dedicated advisory time to work with teachers to address personal goals.
● Teacher provided with the flexibility to adapt the schedule to provide interdisciplinary
instruction and field experiences.
● Core academic classes of no more than 15 result in the two academic lead teachers having a
total load of 30 students.
● The schedule allows for core academic teachers to meet regularly at the end of the day, as
the Movement Lab courses will be taught by outdoor instructors. This is a time used for
professional development, staff meetings, and teacher collaboration.
The following page provides a sample of a Student Schedule.
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Monday
8:309:00
9:009:20
9:259:45
9:5010:55
(Block
1)
10:55 11:10
11:1012:15
(Block
2)
12:151:00
1:052:15
(Block
3)
2:203:20
(Block
4)
3:204:30
(Bloc
k 5)
4:305:00
Sample Student Schedule
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Transportation from various locations to Hale - students listen
to a podcast relevant to the ideas being taught in classes
Fitness & Conditioning with Advisory/Advisory, debrief the podcast, reflect on
personal fitness goals
All School Welcome and Check In
Human
Geography
Environ.
Science
Environ.
Science
Environ.
Science
Environ.
Science
Active transition between different classrooms (outdoors or indoors), providing time
for diffuse thinking and reflection
Human
Human
Human
Human
Human
Performance
Performance
Geography
Performance
Performance
Lunch/Exploration, providing time for diffuse thinking and individual thinking and
reflection
Advisory/
Advisory/
Advisory/
Human
Advisory/
Academic
Academic
Academic
Geography
Academic
Support
Support
Support
Support
Movement
Lab
Movement
Lab
Movement
Lab
Advisory/
Academic
Support
Math
Math
Math
Math
Early Dismissal
Transportation from Hale to various locations
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VI. SCHOOL LEADERSHIP AND DESIGN TEAM
Member
Jennifer Antonucci
Eric Arnold
Spencer Blasdale
Bill Chamberlin
Seamus Foy
Phil Jackson
Josh Katzman
Joe McConaughy
Emily Parks
Professional Experience
Current: Director of Professional Development, Teachers21
Past: Administrator, North Regional Middlesex High
School
Past: Education Specialist, Massachusetts Department of Education
Current: Executive Director, Hale Reservation
Past: Director, Thoreau Camp and Conference Center
Past: Teacher, Beaver Country Day School
Current: Executive Director, Academy of the Pacific Rim
Past: CEO, SchoolWorks
Past: Director, City Year Chicago
Current: Retired Assist. Head of Finance and Operations, Noble &
Greenough School
Past: Teacher, Noble & Greenough School
Current: English Teacher, Another Course to College
Past: Boston Teacher of the Year, 2013
Past: Calderwood Fellow, Excellence in Writing
Past: Teacher Leader/Facilitator for BTU Inquiry Project
Current: Boston Afterschool and Beyond, Director of Teen Initiatives
Past: Dir. of Alternative Education, Boston Public Schools
Past: Dir. of Counseling and Intervention Center, Boston Public
Schools
Past: Licensed Educational Psychologist
Current: English Teacher, Charlestown High School
Current: Founder Trail Animals Running Series (largest trail/ultra
running series in the country)
Past: Calderwood Fellow, Excellence in Writing
Past: Assistant Program Director, Tenacity
Current: Travel Consultant, Education First
Past: US Teaching Assistant, Austrian-American Fulbright
Commission
Past: Broke speed record for running 2,600 mile Pacific Crest Trail
Current: Assistant Superintendent, Westwood Public Schools
Current: Adjunct Professor, Boston University
Past: Principal, Westwood High School, Westwood Public Schools
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Appendix A.
Intrepid Academy at Hale: Curriculum Map, by week, including standards for core academic subjects
Weeks 1 - 2: Community Building/Where Do We Come From?
Key Text/Resources for this inquiry: Big History
Badges worked on: n/a for this unit (although we begin introducing public speaking and leadership)
Guiding Inquiry
Questions for the
unit (listed in
order)
Where do we come from?
- As a planet?
- As a species?
- As a community?
- As an individual?
Why is it important to
understand the past?
- Universally?
- Individually?
How did Hale come to be?
- Geologically?
- Socially?
- Why is this an
important place?
- What does this
place teach us
about other
places?
Formal
Assessments
1) Daily journaling
2) Introductory interview
session with advisor
3) Create a map/visual of
Hale/the world?
(Thinking some sort of
art/creative/creation
piece, to get everyone
comfortable)
4) Something around
astronomy . . .
ELA/History Standards (The
college/career readiness standards for
history are ELA)
R-CCR1 (Read closely to determine
what text says),
R-CCR4 (Interpret words/phrases as
used in a text)
R-CCR10 (Read complex text
independently)
W-CCR1 (Write arguments to support
claims)
W-CCR 8&9 (Gather relevant
information from varied sources and
texts)
L-CCR4 (Determine and clarify
meaning of unknown words)
R-CCR2 (Determine central
ideas/themes of a text with
details/evidence)
R-CCR9 (Analyze how two or more
texts address similar themes/topics.
R-CCR7 (Integrate content from diverse
formats/ media).
W-CCR2 (Write
informative/explanatory texts)
W-CCR4 (Produce clear/ coherent
Math Standards
(focus on Modeling
and Statistics)
S-IC.1: Understand
statistics as a process for
making inferences to be
made about a population
S-IC.5: Use data from
randomized experiment to
compare two treatments,
use simulations to decide if
differences between
parameters are significant
S-IC.6: Evaluate reports
based on data.
S-CP.5: Recognize and
explain the concepts of
conditional probability and
independence in everyday
language and everyday
situations.
Earth Science Standards
HS-ESS1-1: Use informational text
to explain fusion/life cycle of Sun
and how elements/energy produced
by stars reaches Earth as radiation.
HS-ESS1-2: Describe astronomical
evidence for Big Bang
HS-ESS2-4: Describe how variations
in the flow or energy into/out of
Earth’s systems over different time
scales result in changes in climate
HS-ESS1-5: Evaluate evidence of
past/current movement of
continental and oceanic crust and
plate tectonics.
HS-ESS2-5: Describe how
chemical/physical properties of water
affect Earth materials and surface
processes.
Appendix A.
writing)
Weeks 3-5: Community Building/What Are We (part 1)?
Key Texts/Resources for this inquiry: Flourish, This is Water, Deep Survival, Into the Wild and/or Natural Born Heroes (either of these nonfiction literary pieces can become a long-term read)
Badges worked on: Public Speaking, Leadership (?)
Guiding Inquiry
Questions
What do I need to thrive?
What are univsersal
characteristics of
individuals who thrive?
Who are we as
individuals?
Assessment
1) Personal narrative
connecting/paralleling
our life stories to the
story/development of
the Earth.
2) Overnight in the
woods?
What are the forces that 3) Daily journaling
shaped us as individuals?
4) Personal fitness
tracking (some baseline
of health/well-being)
5) Something about
family history
ELA/History Standards
R-CCR1 (Read closely to determine what
text says),
R-CCR4 (Interpret words/phrases as used
in a text)
R-CCR10 (Read complex text
independently)
W-CCR1 (Write arguments to support
claims)
W-CCR 8&9 (Gather relevant information
from varied sources and texts)
SL-CCR1 (Prepare for/participate in a
range of conversations and collaborations).
W-CCR3 (Write narratives . . .)
W-CCR10 (Write routinely over extended
time frames)
SL-CCR4 (Present findings so listeners can
easily follow)
R-CCR7 (Integrate content from diverse
formats/ media).
Math Standards
(Modeling and
Statistics)
S-ID.9: Distinguish
between correlation and
causation.
S-IC.2: Decide if a
specified model is
consistent with results
from a given datagenerating process.
S-CP.5: Recognize and
explain the concepts of
conditional probability and
independence in everyday
language and everyday
situations.
Earth Science Standards
HS-ESS3-1: Construct an explanation
for how availability of key natural
resources and changes due to variations
in climate have influenced human
activity.
HS-ESS2-4: Describe how variations in
the flow or energy into/out of Earth’s
systems over different time scales result
in changes in climate
HS-ESS2-2: Analyze geoscience data to
make the claim that one change to
Earth’s hydrosphere can create
feedbacks that cause changes to other
Earth systems.
Appendix A.
W-CCR2 (Write informative/explanatory
texts)
W-CCR4 (Produce clear/ coherent writing)
SL-CCR5 (Make strategic use of digital
media/visual displays)
Weeks 6-8: What Are We (part 2)?
Key Texts/Resources for this inquiry: Flourish, “White Spaces, Black Faces”, Amazing Maps, Metrocosm, Geostata, Poverty, Inc. (movie)
Badges worked on: Digital media production, Public Speaking
Guiding Inquiry
Questions
What does my community
need to thrive?
How can communities
support/learn from each
other?
What are universal
characteristics of strong
communities?
Assessment
ELA/History Standards
Math Standards
(Modeling and
Statistics)
1) “Documentary”/
interviews with people
in “home” community
and in the
Hale/“Outdoor”
community that
compares the similarities
and differences between
what makes these
communities thrive.
R-CCR1 (Read closely to determine what
text says),
R-CCR4 (Interpret words/phrases as
used in a text)
R-CCR10 (Read complex text
independently)
W-CCR1 (Write arguments to support
claims)
W-CCR 8&9 (Gather relevant
information from varied sources and
texts)
SL-CCR1 (Prepare for/participate in a
range of conversations and
collaborations).
W-CCR3 (Write narratives . . .)
S-IC.1: Understand
statistics as a process for
making inferences to be
made about population
parameters based on a
random sample from that
population.
2) Artwork/
collaborative mural,
perhaps echoing
Gauguin’s work,
S-IC.3: Recognize the
purposes of and
differences among sample
surveys, experiments, and
observational studies.
S-IC.6: Evaluate reports
Earth Science Standards
HS-ESS3-1: Construct an explanation for
how availability of key natural resources
and changes due to variations in climate
have influenced human activity.
HS-ESS3-2: Evaluate competing design
solutions for minimizing impacts of
developing and using energy/ resources,
and conserving and recycling those
resources based on economic, social and
environmental cost-benefit ratios.
HS-ESS2-2: Analyze geoscience data to
make the claim that one change to Earth’s
hydrosphere can create feedbacks that
cause changes to other Earth systems
Appendix A.
capturing the history of
student’s community . . .
3) Cost/benefit analysis
of a proposed
community
project/relevant piece of
legislation (likely
combine 3 and 4)
W-CCR10 (Write routinely over extended
time frames)
SL-CCR4 (Present findings so listeners
can easily follow)
R-CCR7 (Integrate content from diverse
formats/ media).
W-CCR2 (Write informative/explanatory
texts)
W-CCR4 (Produce clear/ coherent
writing)
SL-CCR5 (Make strategic use of digital
media/visual displays)
based on data.S-CP.5:
Recognize and explain the
concepts of conditional
probability and
independence in everyday
language and everyday
situations.
HS-ESS3-3: Illustrate relationships among
management of natural resources,
sustainability of populations and
biodiversity.
S.MD.5: Weigh the
possible outcomes of a
decision by assigning
probabilities to payoff
values and finding
expected results.
Weeks 9-11: How Are We Connected?
Key Texts/Resources for this inquiry: Flourish, “White Spaces, Black Faces”, Silent Spring, Amazing Maps, Metrocosm, Geostata, Classic environmental
texts, “mosquito project”, Omnivore’s Dilemma
Badges worked on: Digital media production, Public Speaking, Leadership
Guiding Inquiry
Questions
What does the planet
need to thrive?
Should all land be
public? (may not
include this one, but
links directly to Hale)
Assessment
ELA/History Standards
1) Propose an
environmental policy
and/or innovation
that would benefit the
regional and global
communities.
R-CCR1 (Read closely to determine
what text says),
R-CCR6 (Assess how point of view or
purpose shapes content/style)
R-CCR10 (Read complex text
independently)
W-CCR1 (Write arguments to support
Math Standards
(Modeling and
Statistics)
S-MD.7: Analyze decisions and
strategies using probability
concepts.
S-CP.5: Recognize and explain
the concepts of conditional
probability and independence in
Earth Science Standards
HS-ESS2-6: Describe cycling of carbon
through the ocean, atmosphere, soil,
biosphere and how increases in CO2
concentrations due to human activity have
changed the atmosphere and climate.
HS-ESS3-1: Construct an explanation for
Appendix A.
How should natural
resources be utilized?
2) An analysis of an
economic/social
policy
3) Cost/benefit
analysis of a
community project
(likely combine 3 and
4)
4) Letter to the editor
and/or politician
about an area of
concern to the local
community.
claims)
W-CCR 8&9 (Gather relevant
information from varied sources and
texts)
SL-CCR1 (Prepare for/participate in a
range of conversations and
collaborations).
W-CCR10 (Write routinely over
extended time frames)
SL-CCR4 (Present findings so
listeners can easily follow)
R-CCR7 (Integrate content from
diverse formats/ media).
W-CCR2 (Write
informative/explanatory texts)
W-CCR4 (Produce clear/ coherent
writing)
SL-CCR5 (Make strategic use of
digital media/visual displays)
everyday language and everyday
situations.
S-ID.9: Distinguish between
correlation and causation.
S-IC.1: Understand statistics as a
process for making inferences to
be made about population
parameters based on a random
S-IC.2: Decide is a specified
model is consistent with results
from a given data-generating
process.
S-IC.3: Recognize the purposes
of and differences among sample
surveys, experiments and
observational studies.
how availability of key natural resources and
changes due to variations in climate have
influenced human activity.
HS-ESS3-2: Evaluate competing design
solutions for minimizing impacts of
developing and using energy/ resources, and
conserving and recycling those resources
based on economic, social and
environmental cost-benefit ratios.
HS-ESS3-3: Illustrate relationships among
management of natural resources,
sustainability of populations and biodiversity.
HS-ESS3-5: Analyze global climate models
to describe how forecasts are made of the
current rate of global or regional climate
change and associated future impacts to
Earth systems.
Weeks 12-14: Where Are We Going?
Key Texts/Resources for this inquiry: Visit to Greentown to talk with innovators their (Alteros Energy), Elon Musk/Tesla case
study, case studies into nature-based design (ex: http://thelongandshort.org/spaces/hot-desks-stockholms-school-without-walls)
Badges worked on: Digital media production, Public Speaking, Leadership
Guiding Inquiry
Questions
Can technological and
social innovations
remedy human-
Assessment
ELA/History Standards
1) Analysis of the social/ R-CCR1 (Read closely to determine
environmental
what text says),
impact/potential of a
R-CCR6 (Assess how point of view or
Math Standards
(Modeling and
Statistics)
S-MD.7: Analyze decisions and
strategies using probability
concepts.
Earth Science Standards
HS-ESS3-1: Construct an explanation
for how availability of key natural
resources and changes due to variations
Appendix A.
created problems?
What factors hinder
innovation?
How does the past
influence our future?
How do we become
active/engaged
citizens in our
communities/the
world? (Students
begin their personal
inquiries/projects)
new technology/
initiative that students
meet with the company
about (could be Fitbit,
Green tech, community
organizers, Powisett
Farm, etc.).
2) Narrative describing
how personal choices
can have a broader
impact.
3) Concrete inquiry
question that student
will pursue for
remainder of semester.
4) Plan of how to
complete personal
inquiry project.
purpose shapes content/style)
R-CCR10 (Read complex text
independently)
W-CCR1 (Write arguments to support
claims)
W-CCR 8&9 (Gather relevant
information from varied sources and
texts)
SL-CCR1 (Prepare for/participate in a
range of conversations and
collaborations).
W-CCR3 (Write narratives . . .)
W-CCR10 (Write routinely over
extended time frames)
SL-CCR4 (Present findings so listeners
can easily follow)
R-CCR7 (Integrate content from diverse
formats/ media).
W-CCR2 (Write
informative/explanatory texts)
W-CCR4 (Produce clear/ coherent
writing)
SL-CCR5 (Make strategic use of digital
media/visual displays)
S-CP.5: Recognize and explain the
concepts of conditional
probability and independence in
everyday language and everyday
situations.
S-ID.9: Distinguish between
correlation and causation.
S-IC.1: Understand statistics as a
process for making inferences to
be made about population
parameters based on a random
in climate have influenced human
activity.
HS-ESS3-2: Evaluate competing design
solutions for minimizing impacts of
developing and using energy/
resources, and conserving and recycling
those resources based on economic,
social and environmental cost-benefit
ratios.
HS-ESS3-3: Illustrate relationships
among management of natural
resources, sustainability of populations
and biodiversity.
S-IC.2: Decide is a specified
model is consistent with results
from a given data-generating
process.
S-IC.3: Recognize the purposes of
and differences among sample
surveys, experiments and
observational studies.
Weeks 12-17: Get Smart To Do Good
Key Texts/Resources for this inquiry: Students’ ideas, Internet, connections to local non-profits/businesses.
Badges worked on: Digital media production, Public Speaking, Leadership
Guiding
Inquiry
Questions
Assessment
ELA/History Standards
Math Standards
(Modeling and
Statistics)
Earth Science Standards
Appendix A.
How can I impact
my school,
community,
planet?
What do I do with
my knowledge and
skills?
1) Intrepid TALK
prep
Will touch on all of the relevant standards,
especially the continued research project.
Will touch on all of the relevant
standards.
Will touch on all of the relevant
standards.
2) Conferences
between advisor and
students
Week 18: Intrepid TALKs and Final Overnight
Key Texts/Resources for this inquiry: Students’ ideas, Internet, connections to local non-profits/businesses, audience at sending
school.
Badges worked on: Digital media production, Public Speaking, Leadership
Guiding Inquiry
Questions
Assessment
1) How do we share our
knowledge
1) Intrepid TALK
presentation
2) How do we
successfully return to
“regular” school?
2) Reflection of time
at Intrepid Academy at
Hale
ELA/History Standards
Will touch on all of the relevant
standards, especially the continued
research project.
Math Standards
(Modeling and
Statistics)
Will touch on all of the relevant
standards.
Earth Science Standards
Will touch on all of the relevant
standards.
Appendix B.
Name:_______________________________
Date:________________________________
*Sample Benchmark Tracker. The full versions will have each content area and more
standards/benchmarks for each content.
Intrepid Academy: Science Benchmark Tracker (Sample)
Standard/
Benchmark
What it requires of you
2. ESS1-5
Evaluate evidence of past/current movement of
continental and oceanic crust and plate tectonics.
3. ESS2-5
Describe how chemical/physical properties of water
affect Earth materials and surface processes.
4. ESS3-1
Construct an explanation for how availability of key
natural resources and changes due to variations in
climate have influenced human activity.
5. ESS2-2
Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one
change to Earth’s hydrosphere can create feedbacks
that cause changes to other Earth systems.
How/When Demonstrated
(must be demonstrated at least
three times for mastery, unless
otherwise noted).
Intrepid Academy: Humanities Benchmark Tracker (Sample)
Standard/
Benchmark
What it requires of you
Read closely to determine what text says
1. R-CCR 1
2. W-CCR 1
Write arguments to support claims
3. W-CCR 8&9
Gather relevant information from varied sources and
texts
3. SL-CCR 1
Prepare for/participate in a range of conversations and
collaborations
How/When Demonstrated
(must be demonstrated at least
three times for mastery, unless
otherwise noted).
Appendix C.
A Day in the Life at Intrepid Academy
Traveling to Hale:
Juliana wakes up at 7:15AM, the time she used to report to school. At 7:45AM she is out the
door – it’s a 20 minute bus ride to Forest Hills T station, where at 8:30 AM, one of the
“Intrepid buses” picks her and her classmates up and transports them to Hale. During the
ride, she and her peers watch a video with Dr. Rhonda Patrick, a biochemist and science
communicator. The video illustrates how vitamin D controls over 1000 different
physiological processes, including the rate at which our chromosomes degrade. Juliana takes
notes on a couple of questions she has and is surprised by how often she finds herself thinking
about the function of her cells.
Morning Fitness & Conditioning
Once at Hale, she greets her advisor and joins her advisory group for 10-15 minutes of
Shinrin- yoku, or “forest bathing” and moving meditation, which to visitors looks like a short
hike, but is a way to focus the mind for the rest of the day. It is May, and Juliana notes that
the sun is already high in the sky. She has become increasingly aware of such natural
phenomena since she began practicing mindfulness at Intrepid Academy. Her thoughts
wander to her future, to her newfound calling: a career in the medical field.
MD...RN...PA...NP...PT...these initials race through her mind...she becomes self-aware,
realizes she has disengaged from the moment and brings her attention back to her breath,
back to the present. As she climbs a rocky outcropping, known as Cat Rock, and moves out
from the cover of trees she feels the temperature of the rock rise, the intense rays of the sun
warming her skin. She imagines her body synthesizing vitamin D, like Dr. Patrick discussed
in the video, and smiles as she watches her classmates reach the top. A few minutes later,
they reach the covered pavilion along the shore of Noanet Pond.
All School Welcome & Check In
A chorus of birds provide a soundtrack for Juliana and her peers who spend ten minutes
journaling at Noanet Pond. After journaling, the group shares their thoughts for the day.
Juliana describes her increasing desire to enter the medical field, and shares she has a
newfound interest in statistics to help her understand the complex data from Dr. Patrick’s
videos; even though math has always been her most difficult subject. Each student highlights
what will be their toughest academic work for the day ahead.
Core Academics – Environmental Science
During their first class, students tackle a current event: mosquitoes and the Zika virus.
Students inquire about what good humanity could possibly find in a creature that is at best
an annoyance, at worst a transporter of deadly diseases. To pursue this inquiry, students
examine a vernal pool of stagnant water - a haven for mosquitoes. One student suggests
dumping bleach in the water, but Juliana reminds him that other species depend on the pool
as well. The conversation then turns to the fact that we never know a mosquito is biting us
until the damage is already done, which leads to another round of conjectures about how this
might be possible.
Appendix C.
To investigate further, the group captures mosquitoes in jars and takes them to Powisset
Lodge for an interactive lesson. Students study the proboscis of a mosquito under a
microscope and observe what appears to be a single structure made up of many moving parts.
Students draw what they see and describe it in words, including conjectures about what the
function of the form of the proboscis might be.
Class Transition
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum, course content frequently overlaps,
however Juliana and her peers take advantage of the fifteen minute break to get outside and
briefly walk a short trail that loops up to Powissett Pond. She and her friends always use this
time for a walk because they know that a little physical activity and the time outdoors
provides the perfect stimulation for their bodies and minds – perfect before going to the next
class.
Core Academics – Human Geography
Juliana practices analytical reading of nonfiction text, starting with an article related to the
morning’s inquiry: how researchers and engineers in Japan designed pain-free needles based
on the mechanics of a mosquito’s biting mechanism. Juliana wonders aloud about how other
“pests” might inspire innovative solutions to problems. Her teacher recommends an article
on biomimicry and how green architects designed an energy efficient office complex on
principles gleaned from termite mounds. The group adds the topic to a list of potential areas
for future inquiry.
Lunch/Exploration
Juliana appreciates that Hale provides foods that are not only tasty but healthy, in keeping
with the school’s focus on student well-being. She also appreciates that students can eat
lunch inside or outside, and use some of their lunch time to explore the nearby woods.
Advisory/Academic Support
After lunch Juliana meets with her advisor. For some of these sessions, she has met with her
advisor for up to 20 minutes to focus on her personal learning goals in all areas of study
offered at Intrepid Academy. The small advisory group of ten to twelve students means there
is time to receive guidance from the instructor and from peers to help identify areas of
opportunity, interest and growth. Today, she does a brief five minute check in and then
devotes her time to refining her ideas for her end of semester INTREPID Talk. The stakes
are high, as she will deliver this talk before friends and family at her home school and for
professionals in her area of interest. She also knows the talk will be filmed and uploaded to
the Intrepid Academy at Hale
YouTube channel, viewed by future students. Her talk will focus on how physical fitness
improves cognitive and emotional well-being, and she wants to use some powerful statistics
to emphasize her points. She knows statistics can put an audience to sleep so she spends the
block analyzing effective infographics that make math visually engaging and designing her
own infographic to enhance her INTREPID Talk.
Appendix C.
Movement Lab
After Advisory, Juliana and her peers begin to warm up for their most intense bout of
exercise of the day; the Noanet Pond loop. In February, walking a single loop was nearly
impossible, but today the group is going for two, combining running and walking. Forty
minutes later, mind cleared, Juliana and her classmates analyze their workout on a
smartphone app that tracks mileage, pace, and heart rate, comparing it to the first time they
completed a single loop. The amount of time Juliana exercised was the same, but she covered
twice the distance and her average heart rate was 10 beats per minute lower, indicating a
tremendous improvement in aerobic fitness. She also chose to finish with a few bursts of
high-intensity running this time, something she’s learned is especially potent at priming her
mind to learn, and something she never thought she would actually enjoy doing. She had
thought of body and mind as separate until she learned about the theory that aerobic exercise
improves cognitive function earlier in the semester, complete with links to our evolutionary
past. She is finding that the more she puts theory into practice the more she affirms that her
own experience aligns with what the research predicts - a lesson she will take with her into
her next class, but also to college and beyond.
Core Academics - Math
Today, math begins with a lot of energy. Students enter the Trading Post for class bursting
with enthusiasm about the success of their two laps around Noanet Pond. The teacher takes
advantage of the groups’ focus and, utilizing the Wi-Fi connection, takes student data from
the smartphones to share creative ways to display numbers in various visual forms – which
starts her thinking about info graphs for her Intrepid Talk. For Juliana this is incredibly
interesting given her emerging goal of a medical career, as well as an increasing intrinsic
interest in how we can use math to understand and improve the world. Her group in math is
focused on algebra and after the teacher’s displays using the workout data, students begin
utilizing their personal technology to progress through the curriculum. Juliana loves being
able to proceed at her own pace, watch demo videos as needed, and not have to worry about
holding up the class. She has found that while math had been her most-dreaded subject of
the day, she is now able to complete double the volume of work she was capable of in a
similar period, and is even pushing herself further than that.
End of Day – Travel Home & Homework
At 4:30 PM, the school day is complete and it’s time to head back to city. Juliana takes the
bus back to Forest Hills and is home in time to help prepare dinner for her younger siblings.
Although she’s tired from a long day of physically and academically challenging work, she
experiments with infographic design a little more because she’s eager to show her advisor a
draft presentation tomorrow. After emailing her advisor some questions that will help guide
her work the following day, Julianna heads to bed. She sets the Sleep Cycle alarm clock
(used by all students) which helps track length and quality of sleep, and turns off her
smartphone. All students studied the impact of quality sleep on physical, emotional and
cognitive performance at the beginning of the semester and are now working towards
implementing their learning into their personal lives.