Lecturing Kids

[DestinyLynette]

Hey guys! So a few months ago, for the spring semester of school, I gave the entire second grade class of a local elementary (where I was currently volunteering) a lecture on snakes. I went around, one class at a time, and talked to the kiddos for a 20 or so minute span each. Afterwards, we did a Q&A, and then I let the kids touch my live-demonstration partner, my adult normal BP, Rosca. The kiddos applied Germ-X before and after, and did a "two finger touch" pet while her head was over my shoulder. Even the kiddos that were afraid at first eventually came over and pet her. Everyone enjoyed it, and they thereafter referred to me as "snake lady" in the halls and asked me about Rosca, or brought "snake stuff" up to me that they found in books, etc.

So, given the success then, and it now being the fall semester of a new year, I was going to go around to *all* the local elementary schools and maybe the upper elementary as well and talk with the principals to see if they'd be interested in that. Now, with that said, and with me having many new additions to work with, I'd like to put my lecture plan up here for critique. Now, understand, I don't know if, like last time, I can go class-to-class and work in small groups, or if maybe one school might want me in front of a lot of kids in a gym. So this is a loose construction. I don't intend to use power points, just speech and snakes. Speaking of snakes, here are my players:

Rosca: my largest snake, 5' 2700g female, used to be a classroom pet, great for attention and "ooo" factor of the kids
Zerok: 2013 bumblebee male, hatched in January and fairly small, EXTREMELY sweet and is a great snake if I want to let kiddos (in a small setting) actually hold a snake by themselves, and also a good comparison of "Rosca used to be this little"
Persephone: 2012 pastave, gentle but squirmy, really just a highlight because she's pretty.
Striker: Would not consider bringing, reserved, not at ease with being handled
Rabbit: pastel het ghost, would be good for demonstration, since he NEVER stays still, good comparison of male vs female size, sweet tempered
Serendipity: red tail boa baby, getting her tomorrow, would really just be a "this is a different species" thing, probably won't bring her, don't even know her disposition yet.
??: getting a baby hognose in the future, wasn't really considering bringing, just a "oh look how tiny, this is a different species, and...", etc.

Dippy and ?? would still be in their own QT when the time comes around; Rabbit will be out of QT at the start of November.

Now, this is what I'm looking at:

First few minutes: Hi, my name is Miss Destiny, and this is [introducing snake, species]. Either I start with a little snake, like Zerok, and then pull Rosca out early on, or I start with Rosca. At that point, I tell Rosca's story briefly [Hurricane Katrina rescue; someone tried to hack her up with a shovel / hoe after the storm] and then talk a little bit about BPs [place of origin, how they live in the wild]. This whole bit should take about 5-7min.

Next: start to talk about snakes in general. starting with basic reptile traits [cold blooded, scales, etc] and going into "snakey stuff", such as scenting by tongue, the heat pits, etc. This should take another 5-7min.

Closing: snakes and humans, what to do if you see a snake in the wild, basic human-snake interaction.

At the end, I'd introduce any other of my crew I might have brought, allow for a Q&A (I got some real questions and silly questions... you'd be surprised), and depending on setting, allow pets etc.

Keep in mind, I know how to put stuff in kiddo-language to keep it interesting.

So, input on this, something I should add, make sure I say, something I shouldn't do, etc?

Oh, and I have no clear glass display cages, just snake bags and tubs and I can pick up a clear plastic carry-tub for the smaller snakes if I bring multiple. And I have no intention on going to several schools in one day.

[MootWorm]

Sounds like an awesome plan! Of course you probably already know this, but I'd keep it short and sweet to keep everyone's attention. I think clear acrylic containers would be an invaluable addition, especially if you end up bringing a look, don't touch species. If you can find one of the small, clear tarantula enclosures, they're pretty cheap and would be perfect for a baby hog. I'm a huge fan of hognose, I think they're so cute and tiny that they make the perfect ambassadors for introducing snakes to squeamish people (or kids!) Just my .02

[DestinyLynette]

Yeah, definitely short and sweet. And actually I saw a micro-keeper or something in the pet store the other day... good idea!

[Badgemash]

I like the idea of having a mix of see through tubs for the no-touch critters, but keeping others concealed until you're ready to show them. If they're curious about what is going to come out next it helps keep attention from wandering. I would be a bit hesitant about letting kids hold Zerok unless you trust them. I let one of the neighbor kids hold spooky dude on saturday, I said "be very gentle and don't touch his head." Not five seconds later the kid pokes poor spooky in the face.

[Bluebonnet Herp]

When doing things like these, it's recommended that you use multiple species, and start from small and go to bigger snakes. Also, keep dialogue short and sweet, and keep in mind that they are elementary children and not college students.
Now, what kids love are giant, slow and friendly snakes (a grande finally) and turtles. Boy, do kids really love turtles. (If you can manage it.)
The way I was told to do it was to begin with turtles and/or lizards then move on to snakes, gradually increasing in size. Usually a collection needs time to be prepared for such an occasion- especially if you still need to obtain the animals. (Like in my case.) You would need to observe your animals' demeanor and behaviors over a long period and only bring your calmest animals. Don't bring anything that would strike from inside an enclosure as that could be a startling experience. Actually, don't bring anything you wouldn't intend to handle.
Just my tips. I plan on doing these myself next year once my ole folks stop being such an obstacle.