Opal School Blog
The role of questions
Unanswerable questions should be a source of comfort. They ensure that you will always have something to think about! But why do puzzlements provide satisfaction?…
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How can materials support standards based learning?
As the anchor teacher in Opal 3, I have a somewhat unique challenge in guiding project work in the classroom. Our work must align with…
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Beginning the homework project
Opal 3 Homework Project January – February 2011 An intention we have for social studies work in Opal 3 this year is to dive into…
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Bon Voyage to the H.M.S. Opal 3
Oh, the week we have had in our classroom and it was only a four day week! In those few days we have been transported…
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Imagining Life Underground
We wanted to catch you up on some of the Project Work that came out of our work this fall. The children’s energy focused a…
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Six Word Memoirs, Treasure Windows, and Gifts to the Community
Just before winter break, Opal 3 did a genre study in Literacy Studio on Six Word Memoirs. The idea of a six word memoir is…
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Project Work Projections
Opal 1's big idea this year is our connections to the natural world. Over the years the teachers at Opal have noticed that this seems…
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Mental Sticky Notes
From Mary Gage Davis, Curriculum Specialist: In Opal 2, we’ve been paying attention to our thinking as we read and explore comprehension strategies. During a…
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A Study of Bugs
In second and third grade this year, the “big idea” we are studying is the concept of interdependence. This idea of each living thing having its…
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Thinking about thinking
In their earliest years at Opal School, students are introduced to the big word, metacognition, with the simple meaning: thinking about your thinking. This is…
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