I love talking with students!
How do writers turn everyday events into fantastic adventures? I’m happy to share some of the tricks and techniques I use when I visit your school or library. My presentations are fun and interactive, just right to get students motivated as you kick off a writing unit.
Below you can find the programs I have on offer. If you don’t find something that suits your needs, please reach out—I am happy to work with you to develop a program for your school or organization.
Into the Field: How Writers do Research
What does it take to research a nonfiction book? This assembly-style presentation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the journey an author takes long before they write a single word of their book. Where do authors get their information, and how do they know it’s accurate? We’ll talk about library and online sources, take a detour to discuss generative AI (and why I never use it), dive deeper with primary sources, and wrap up with some of my adventures in the field. Grades 3 and up.
The Makings of a Picture Book
In this presentation, you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how picture books go from a spark of an idea to a full-color read-aloud that can be enjoyed again and again. We’ll look at the whole process, from storyboarding and early drafts to full layouts, sketches—and eventually a book! The process is probably more involved than you realized, and every step matters to make a book you can hold in your hands and cherish for years to come. Assembly-style presentation appropriate for all ages.
Making Sense by Using our Senses
This presentation begins with an introduction to detective dogs—specially trained dogs that help sniff out invasive species that can be hard for people to find. We then dive into the five main senses to understand how each one gives us different kinds of information about the environment. Some senses work better in certain situations. How can we decide which ones to use? Students will try their hand at solving a mystery using their senses. Because of the highly interactive nature of this presentation, it can only be done with individual classrooms, rather than large groups.
Animals as Ecosystem Superheroes!
This fun, interactive, assembly-style presentation introduces students to some of the incredible critters that play an essential role in maintaining their ecosystems. With an emphasis on plant-animal interactions and ecosystem processes, the presentation reinforces upper-elementary science topics. We talk about features that make these animals powerful protectors of their ecosystems and the remarkable role of the often-overlooked “side-kicks,” including towering trees, giant kelp, and teeny-tiny phytoplankton. Available for grades 3 and up.
Solving the Mysteries of North America’s Ancient Past
Rhinos weren’t only in Nebraska! This assembly-style, interactive presentation introduces students to the idea that our continent used to look very different than it does today—but how do we know? Students will uncover the scientific mysteries surrounding the Ashfall Fossil Beds. What were rhinos doing in the middle of North America? Why did horses have three toes? And where did all that ash come from, anyway? A great way to tie Language Arts and Social Studies to Science. Available for grades 3-7 with a focus on geology and fossil evidence or for grades 1-2 with a focus on the features of ancient North American mammals.
(Re-)Writing to Get it Right
Many students dislike having to revise their work. In this presentation for grades 4-8 they’ll quickly discover that not only is revision an essential part of the writing process, but it can also be fun. Includes Revision Rules handout.
Non-Fiction Writing Workshop
In this workshop for grades 3-7, I talk about what it’s like to write National Geographic Kids’ Weird But True Ripped from the Headline books: how I found topics, how chapters came together, and how I created fun-to-read stories. Students will get to choose from an assortment of ideas and use these to practice writing Weird-But-True-style short stories. In this workshop, we will cover: how to find interesting information and be sure it’s true, hooking your readers, and making your writing fun and snappy.
Fiction Writing Workshop
This workshop for grades 3-7 starts off with an assortment of photos of wacky events—the perfect prompts to ignite the imagination. As a group, we will select one image and use it to brainstorm story ideas, then write our group story. Students will then choose their own images and practice brainstorming and writing their own stories using the techniques we covered in the first part of the workshop.
