Kearney Middle School students are looking to the past as they prepare for the future.

KMS seventh-graders toured the Kearney Historic Museum during academic field trips on Oct. 12 and Oct. 15 in downtown Kearney. The tours were coordinated in part by English Language Arts teacher Kate Antos as a creative way for the school’s core applications students to learn how to take notes.

“Notetaking is one of the most important skills that our students need to master as we prepare them to succeed at the junior high and high school,” Ms. Antos said. “As a faculty, we realized that taking the kids on a field trip to our local museum would be both an engaging learning activity and a way for them to learn more about their community’s history.”

The tours were facilitated by museum Director Jerri Spencer and volunteer Liz Ivy. They led about 300 students through the museum and described the important artifacts and individuals that highlight Kearney’s history. Following the field trips, the students returned to KMS to view a slide show about the town’s past and practice their notetaking.

The entire experience is an outstanding example of the authentic Real World Learning (RWL) that is a cornerstone of the 21st Century curriculum and instruction found in classrooms across Kearney School District, according to Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services Jennifer Kopp. RWL is a valuable way of preparing students to thrive in the modern global economy.

“We are constantly looking for innovative ways to engage students in teaching and learning both in our classrooms and in the community,” Kopp said. “I’m grateful to the Kearney Historic Museum for being an educational partner and to the team at KMS for making this happen.”

KPGZ News - Ray Weikal with the Kearney School District contributed to this story