Presentation at an elementary school

Cathie G

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I've been asked by a local elementary school to do a presentation on tortoises....

One of the teachers followers me on FB and had her kids picking dandelions and other weeds from a safe field over the last few weeks and she asked if I'd come in with one or more of my torts and give a short talk.

My plan is to bring in a couple of my torts, a Russian or two (Chili & Persephone) and the Redfoot and the Hingeback, set them up in small fenced enclosures on the grass and talk about them with small groups of the kids for a bit, answer questions, and let some of the kids hold or touch the torts.

What things would you be sure to include, or skip, if you were me?

Thanks,

Jamie
I'm just wondering how soon your presentation will be and how you're coming along with it. I'm sure the kids will love it ☺️ no matter what goes on.?
 

jsheffield

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I'm just wondering how soon your presentation will be and how you're coming along with it. I'm sure the kids will love it ☺️ no matter what goes on.?
The presentation is tomorrow at noon, and the audience has grown a bit as the teacher I was working with talked about it... I'm excited and will hopefully have some pictures to share once it's done.

Jamie
 

Cathie G

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The presentation is tomorrow at noon, and the audience has grown a bit as the teacher I was working with talked about it... I'm excited and will hopefully have some pictures to share once it's done.

Jamie
Relax and enjoy. I can't wait to see your pictures.?
 

TaylorTortoise

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I think you should explain that the shell is actually the rib cage, and that for whatever reason during evolution, the spine moved inside the rib cage and the shell came about.

Or, that might be too much for elementary school kids. To me, it's the most bizarre and interesting thing about turtles and tortoises.
Hey I never looked at it like that. That is pretty interesting, we are used to seeing most animals with skin on their backs and a regular spine like humans.
 

jsheffield

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The presentations really well!

It turned out that the one teacher I'd spoken with talked with all of the teachers in the little building, and I ended up presenting to every kid in the school, from pre-K to grade 8, over a period of 3.5 hours in groups ranging from 8 to 16 kids, and from 15 to 30 minutes.

It was a ton of fun, they had great questions, were respectful and gentle with the torts, and promised to set me up with dandelions and hibiscus and lilac and clovers for the rest of the summer.

I was talking and walking the torts around to kids or the various pens I'd set up for the torts to hang out in for the whole time, so I didn't get to take a single photo, but the teachers took tons and I got my contact person to swear to send me as much as she could get her hands on.

I haven't talked that much or that loudly for that long in years, and my throat and mouth and face all feel tired... but it was a ton of fun.

The various teachers were really nice and said they were going to have me come back next year and to tell other schools about "the tortoise guy".

Pics to follow (I hope).

Jamie
 

Cathie G

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The presentations really well!

It turned out that the one teacher I'd spoken with talked with all of the teachers in the little building, and I ended up presenting to every kid in the school, from pre-K to grade 8, over a period of 3.5 hours in groups ranging from 8 to 16 kids, and from 15 to 30 minutes.

It was a ton of fun, they had great questions, were respectful and gentle with the torts, and promised to set me up with dandelions and hibiscus and lilac and clovers for the rest of the summer.

I was talking and walking the torts around to kids or the various pens I'd set up for the torts to hang out in for the whole time, so I didn't get to take a single photo, but the teachers took tons and I got my contact person to swear to send me as much as she could get her hands on.

I haven't talked that much or that loudly for that long in years, and my throat and mouth and face all feel tired... but it was a ton of fun.

The various teachers were really nice and said they were going to have me come back next year and to tell other schools about "the tortoise guy".

Pics to follow (I hope).

Jamie
I'm sure they'll send you probably too many pictures ? it'll be hard to pick a favorite few.? You probably gave them more than you think. While I was growing up I got to see baby turtles hatched in a river. But children today don't really get to see that. Lovely ?
 

jsheffield

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Who went with you & how are they tonight? It looks like they behaved or at least didn't get free & flee. Glad it went so well. What a great experience for the kids!!
I brought Darwin (Redfoot), Dierdre (Hingeback), and Chili & Persephone (Russians)... they were all fantastic; Persephone even ate flowers out of some of the kids' hands.

J
 

zolasmum

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That's wonderful - and every single child in every photo is looking at you and the tortoises, and concentrating - I'm sure they will be remembering your visit for a very long time! Congratulations.
 

jsheffield

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Persephine is so huge what a russian
She (along with Chili) makes a great demonstration of sexual (and regional) dimorphism... she's three times his size, plus is also clearly a different sub-species, given her flatter aspect.

It was also wonderful that she came along because there was one student who came alone, between the groups, to talk with me and see the torts... he couldn't make eye-contact and obviously had some learning and behavioral issues, but he had brought a bouquet of clover and dandelion flowers and although I told him that the torts probably wouldn't eat because of being stressed, Persephone ate almost the entire handful of flowers directly from him while he talked to her... it was lovely.

Jamie
 

Lyn W

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That's a school day they won't forget in a hurry!
They all look interested and engaged, and I'm sure it was a very rewarding day for you too.
Don't be surprised if they want you back next year!!
 

Mrs.Jennifer

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Breaks my heart to see these kids in masks.
As an educator and an aunt to children in the public and private school systems, I can honestly say that children care a lot less about masks than adults do. My adult niece is a first grade teacher, and when given the choice to play last fall outside without masks and distanced, or masked and close to one another, the children chose the masks. To them, it’s just another rule to follow and care more about play with their friends. They were probably so excited about tortoises that they didn’t even notice.

But I will definitely be happy when they don’t have to deal with a pandemic anymore.
 
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