Edward Myers's School Visits - Specific Programs

Here's a sample of my programs:

1. Book-oriented programs.

I have four main programs that use my books as a starting point; each with variants depending on the class size, kids' reading levels, and so forth.

Survival of the Fittest

Starting with slideshow of my research trip to the Peruvian rainforest, I demonstrate the tasks I undertook to start work on my most recent middle-grade novel. Students are invariably intrigued by the mystery and lushness of the rainforest ecosystem and its inhabitants; the discussion of this exotic setting then leads to a discussion of plot, characterization, and the writing process.

Grade level: 4-6
Duration: 45 minutes to one hour
Audience: up to 100 students, though it' especially effective for groups of 20-60 kids.

Climb or Die

Starting with a display of mountain climbing equipment—ropes, crampons, ice axes, chockstones, etc. I interweave two strands of discussion: 1) survival issues, and 2) how writers combine their own experiences and fictional events to create a story. I tell tales about my own mountaineering adventures and how I adapted them to write Climb or Die.

Grade level: 3-6
Duration: 45 minutes to one hour
Audience: up to 100 students.

Hostage

I begin with either a) slides of Dinosaur National Monument (located on the Colorado/Utah border) or b) a show-and-tell session about my fossil collection, which includes Jurassic and Cretaceous plants, shellfish, snails, and dinosaur eggs, eggshells, teeth, and bones (including T. Rex bone). I then shift from paleontology to a discussion of desert survival and storytelling. As with the Climb or Die program, the discussion interweaves strands regarding survival skill with strands regarding how writers take preliminary ideas and build a plot and characters.

Grade level: 4-6
Duration: 45 minutes to one hour
Audience: up to 100 students.

Forri the Baker

This program has two major variations:

Program 1: I start with a "show and tell" display of 10-15 different kinds of bread from around the world. This demonstration leads to a reading of Forri the Baker, the tale of a village baker whose creative powers save his people from disaster.

Grade level: K-1
Duration: 25-35 minutes
Audience: up to 100 students, though it's especially effective for 20-60 kids.

Program 2: Resembling the other Forri program, this one starts as above but delves into a discussion of how authors (and kids) can use their imaginations to create stories. I sometimes describe how I got the idea for the book and developed the story line. I can adjust the program according to the children's age level and reading level.

Grade level: 1-2
Duration: 30-40 minutes
Audience: up to 100 students, though it's especially effective for groups of 20-60 kids.

2. Issue-oriented programs.

The Life Story of a Book

Kids often believe that writing is an ability that's almost beyond their grasp, and that professional writers somehow create books as if by magic. This program demystifies the process of making a book. By recounting my own efforts to write, I show students how a professional writer struggles with the task of storytelling, breaks the process into manageable tasks, and takes a book idea from the initial inspiration all the way to the final published product. I provide ideas, tips, and reassurances throughout that help kids with their own writing.

Grade level: 3-6
Duration: 45 minutes to one hour
Audience: up to 100 students, though it's especially effective in smaller groups.

Poetry Workshop

As a practicing poet, I'm intrigued and delighted by the fresh eye that children often bring to the task of writing poetry. At the same time, I'm aware that kids can quickly become excessively swayed by adults' perceptions (and misperceptions) about what poetry is and isn't. My poetry workshop stresses an openness to poetry as the most powerful form of verbal utterance. I encourage students to explore poetic forms, styles, and moods as a way of exploring the world itself. All workshops include playful word-games and "exercises" that open children's eyes and minds to the wonders of poetry.

Grade level: 3-6
Duration: 30 minutes to one hour (depending on age group)
Audience: 10-30 students per workshop.

Story Workshop

Similarly, I present a story workshop in which kids can explore the delights of writing their own narratives. My emphasis is similar to what I present in my poetry workshop even though the medium is different: writing is a way of exploring the world. Games and "exercises" help kids see themselves as the natural storytellers they are.

Grade level: 1-8
Duration: 30 minutes to one hour (depending on age group)
Audience: 10-30 students per workshop.