If you were a high school aged Launchpadder, how would you challenge Middle School Eagles  to learn Biology? By flipping through a textbook?  By listening to a lecture? Not hardly.  For an Acton Academy Biology Quest must have challenges, rewards and fun.

To launch the first week of the Biology Quest, each Eagle pitched to stand in the shoes of a Biology Hero in a Nobel Prize acceptance speech, explaining why he or she had become a world class scientist.  Some participants had to pitch three or four heroes to gain entry into the Cell, Plant, Animal or Biosphere team – meaning Eagles were exposed to dozens of heroes and experiments during the week long series of pitches and critiques.

Each team also will have to create hands-on experiments, videos and artistic displays to showcase their scientists and area of concentration.  The speeches and displays will be showcased in a public exhibition at the end of the six weeks, along with a Biology Bee where participants will compete to give the clearest, most accurate and compelling descriptions of different biological theories and processes – only seconds after having their question pulled from a hat.

During the six week Biology Quest, each subsequent week be led by the Launchpadder who designed it, focusing on Cells in week two; Plants in week three; Animals (and evolution) in week four; Humans (and DNA) in week five and the Biosphere in the final week.

So what is the picture above?  For that answer, you’ll need to dive into Week Two’s Cell Quest – the subject of tomorrow’s post.