Real World Learning - Alexander Doniphan

School-wide

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!

Kindergarten

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

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

1st grade goes on a field trip to the apple orchard, after the field trip students make applesauce! Parents are invited come in to help students peel, cut, measure, and cook applesauce. Students even 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.

2nd Grade

Layout Element

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

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

Students learn how to go through the writing process to a published book.
Students learn where food comes from and how to grow their own vegetables. Students use this information to clean and clear the garden bed. Plant the vegetable garden.
Students partner with ESC to create a canteen that goes around to classrooms or is set up to sell snacks.
Students work with their South Valley Middle School buddies to write a "Who Would Win" book using animals of their choice.

4th Grade

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!

Students connect the importance of saving money and determining the importance of staying within/ making a budget when making "business decisionsions"

Students connect the region they live in to the other regions in the country. They can explain how the regions' geography affects the culture of the region.

Writing and debating an opinion piece helps students practice skills they use every day in real life. In the real world, people often need to share their opinions clearly, support them with reasons, and listen to other viewpoints.

People and animals both have body parts that help them survive. Just like animals use their teeth, legs, and skin to eat, move, and stay safe, we use our body parts every day to play, learn, and take care of ourselves. Learning about animal structures helps us understand our own bodies and why it’s important to protect animals and their habitats.

5th Grade

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!

The students have a hands on approach to the ecosystems in Missouri. Students learn investigative methods scientists use, apply their learning to all 3 major ecosystem in Missouri, and explore to develop a deeper level of learning.
Writing poetry. This real learning experience is allowing students to meet with HS English students to enhance their poetry writing. Through a feedback cycle focusing on vivid word choice and figurative language, students are working collaboratively with their high school partner to elaborate, revise, and edit their writing.
Human impact of the environment. This real world learning experience allows students to connect with someone in the field of focus that we are learning about. This involves a zoom call and presentation with a graduate student who is studying the impact of plastic pollution on the oceans. It gives students an opportunity to see a real world career example, and also ask specific questions.
Speaking & Listening, Writing informational/opinion pieces, reading fluency. This real world learning project involves students working to compose a school wide podcast called THRIVE IN FIVE. Students are explicitly taught how to podcast; including how to design a podcast cover, write a script, record, edit, and reflect. Students learn how to work collaboratively to make decisions with our authentic audience in mind. Each week is a different focus tied to the descriptors that align with the main domains of THRIVE.