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Summer is when green blooms on the trees
How do you invite young children into knowing their relationship to the natural world? How do you invite them into inquiry that begins to support…
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Book Love!
We have been talking a lot about "book love" in Opal 2 lately. You know, those special books that you just can't get enough of,…
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Opal School Children Design a Playground
Each year, graduating Opal School students give a gift to the Portland Children's Museum. In this video, fifth graders explain the process they used to…
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Traveling Through Time to Rethink the US Constitution
This post will offer you windows into the Opal 3 classroom (children ages 9 – 11 years) as they travelled through time as characters of…
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Simple Materials Can Hold Complex Ideas
As educators we believe that young children have the right to use a variety of materials that facilitate opportunities for exploration, experimentation, discovery and creation.…
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The Principles of Playful Inquiry
Adapted from What About Play? The Value of Investing in Child’s Play by Susan Harris MacKay, 2010 What is the role of adults in playful…
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Mapping Our Hearts
Our most important work in the first few weeks (and months) of school is getting to know one another. Learning new things about one another,…
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Playing with History
It is a widely held belief that play is the work of young children. I think this statement has evolved because, as a society, we…
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Welcome New Readers!
If you're visiting the Opal School Blog for the first time because you've linked from the story that includes us on the Edutopia blog, welcome! We're glad…
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Diving Into Story
So we can see the power of story. But what exactly is a story, anyway? That is the question posed today by GB — not…
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