Real World Learning

Mini Golf Real-World Learning  Project 

Our school is working together to create an on-site mini golf course for our playground based around the theme of habitats.

The mini golf school-wide project  involves designing, prototyping, and even constructing mini golf elements. This school-wide project helps cultivate problem-solving, critical thinking, and pride in student work — all these  themes support  real world learning.

Check out our prototypes in the video on this page!

At Doniphan, we believe in providing real world opportunities to ALL students including our littles in Kindergarten. Here are some some ways we bring the real world to the class room in Kindergarten. 

Classes invite presenters from different cultures will come in an do a presentation. Students will have a chance to ask questions and make connections.

Students will learn about the KC water cleaning services. We will tie into plant and animal needs.  

Students learn how to present in front of peers/adults by performing readers theater. 

1st grade is full of real world learning opportunities including some of the following:

• After the 1st grade field trip to the apple orchard, students make applesauce! Parents are invited come in to help students peel, cut, measure, and cook applesauce. Students event get to take orders from school staff and then delivered their applesauce type. 

• 1st graders  engage in an SEL unit on gratitude to connect to community helpers and showing gratitude. In this unit, students make cards and signs to show thanks - police and fire. They also collect goodies to stock their break rooms! To top off the unit, students go to the Fire Station to deliver our gratitude donations/cards and learn about a community helper.

Our 2nd grade loves coming up with innovative ideas each year to helps students grow real world skills! Here are some ways we do just that:

Students get to present thier aftifacts and writen comparisons to thier parents and school community in a museum.  They get to see the impact Native Americans have had on the lives of people in our region today. 

Students will travel to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art to explore mythical creatures from around the world. They will create one at the museum lead by a lead art instructor. they will take thier artwork back to school and create a narrative with their creature as the main character. 

Students will read and learn about the 7 continents. We will have guest speakers from different places around the world. The will ask speakers questions and learn about the geogrpahy of the continents. 

Studensts will choose a good or a service to create to sell on store day. They will write a persuasive opinion that they will turn into a commercial or adverstisement for thier product or service. 

3rd grade loves getting students out and involved in the community in real world learning!

• 3rd grade takes field trip to Harvesters. In addition, a speaker from City Union Mission came to talk with 3rd graders. After these experiences, 3rd graders participate in Project Based Learning (PBL) over hunger in our community.
• Students also join hands with South Valley Middle Schools IMACT Team members to make a change and build positive mentorship relationships.

In 4th Grade, students have the opportunity to build skills they will use in the real world and engage with people out in the real world to bring their standards to life!

• Map reading and navigation... what a necessary skill for the real world! Fourth graders use geometric shapes and spatial relationships while using maps to find directions. (points, lines, and angles as they navigate through a map). 
• Students have the opportunity to hear from a guest speaker ( Law Student ) to help 4th graders better understand the Bill of Rights and see why it's relevant to their lives!

Our oldest students at Doniphan have ample opportunities to bring learning to life. As they prepare to leave for middle school, these students take their learning a step further with many activities and projects!

• 5th graders had pen pals with students from Liberty Oaks. They then took a field trip to that school to meet their pen pal. While on the trip, they got to Zoom with a person who actually worked on the Mars rover after we are done our read aloud. 
• The Kansas City Water Water Department comes out to do a lesson on litter and debris in water from runoff!
• 5th grade is participates in School of Economy where they have the real world experience of applying for jobs, working, setting prices, selling goods etc.
• 5th grade is participates in career fair in which they teach the students of Alexander Doniphan about different career opportunities out there!