Presentations:
Go behind the scenes of Luciana!
Get to know Luciana, American Girl's Doll of the Year. See her story from behind the scenes and discover the three things that surprised me the most while writing the books. Find out why hydroponics, neutral buoyancy and microbiology are important to the space program. Learn how astronauts train and what it's like to go to Space Camp.
Grades: 3-6; can also be adapted for K-2
Group size: Any!
The Truth about Being an Author:
It’s awesome! We’ll talk about what it looks like to be an author and how a book is made. We’ll also talk about how hard work and perseverance can make a dream into reality and how important it is for kids to dream big!
Grades: K-2, 3-6
Group size: Any!
Relying on Research:
Research is a crucial part of being a scientist and working in the lab, but it’s also a crucial part of writing a book! We’ll talk about the extensive research that goes into writing a book and how it can shape a story.
Grades: 3-6
Group size: Any!
Science fun:
For larger groups: A short presentation followed by a science demonstration we can do together as a group.
Grades K-2, 3-5
For smaller groups up to 30: For budding scientists looking to perform their own scientific investigation. After a short presentation, the group will be divided into lab teams to perform their own experiments, creating and testing their hypotheses. Grades 2-5
Putrid Petri Dishes: (also available by Skype!)
What are germs? Are all germs bad? We'll learn more about germs and then using the scientific method, we'll run an experiment together as a group. Where is the dirtiest, most putrid, place in your classroom? Is it the floor? The teacher’s desk? Your own dirty hands? We will make predictions and swab different areas of the classroom and watch bacteria and fungus grow on petri dishes.
Microscopic Mysteries: (also available by Skype!)
Have you ever seen a tennis ball under a microscope? What about a goldfish cracker or a sparkly tutu? In this demonstration, we’ll look at everyday household items through a digital microscope, making predictions and asking questions. A demonstration full of exploration and investigation!
Cool Science:
We'll refresh our memories about the different states of matter, solid, liquid, and gas and then take a closer look at the mysterious properties of dry ice. A fun hands on exploration of the process of sublimation.
Classroom and small group activities:
Space Scientists:
Students will break up into small groups and work together as a team of scientists. Each group will receive a rock and soil sample from a mystery planet. It's up to them to investigate their sample and determine if their mystery planet is capable of supporting life. Students are encouraged to sort their samples based on size, color, and characteristics and can further their exploration using a digital microscope. ** Goes great with the Behind the Scenes of Luciana program!
Grades: K-2, 3-5
Making Medicine: +$50 supply fee
Have you ever wondered how medicine is made? We’ll talk about what it’s like to be a research scientist, how drugs are made, and how a career in science is a great option for many kids. We’ll perform separation experiments using the techniques that scientists use in their own labs to make products that are pure and safe to use.
Grades 3-6
Write Like a Scientist:
We’ll learn how writing is important in science and we’ll practice writing our own standard operating procedures (with a twist!) that are similar to what scientists use when doing experiments in a laboratory.
Grades: 3-5
Fees:
Schools: $450 for half-day (2, 1hr presentations); $800 for full-day (3-4, 1hr presentations)
Skype: 20 min Q&A FREE!
Science skype: $200 (Microscopic Mysteries or Putrid Petri Dishes)
Skype with presentation: $150
Public Libraries: $200 (1hr presentation)
*Visits more than 60mi outside of Loudoun County, VA may require additional travel and lodging expenses.
For more information, download my School Visit Sheet.
