Author Programs

Inviting author Adele Porter into your classroom brings the Wild About books to life. It's an exciting way to motivate students to read and explore science and writing. The programs are flexible and accommodate group size, ability level, and special needs. All lessons contain elements that meet one or more of the National Science Education Content Standards.


     On-site Programs - See full descriptions under the On-site Levels
      Pre-Visit Packet
      Classroom Connections
      Complimentary 10-15 minute pre-and post-Skype author visits
      Cost: Contact Adele to arrange time and cost

     Skype-Only Author Sessions
      Skype-only visits include a complimentary 10 minute introductory session prior to
      the scheduled 20-30 or 40-50 minute session.
      Pre-Visit Packet
      Classroom Connections
      Cost: Contact Adele to arrange time and cost
                                          Bring Adele and your students together at school
                                        or meet at a natural area via Skype!
Take your students to the Mississippi River to view birds staging by the thousands for fall migration. Turn their day into an adventure with a real-time take on the predator-prey balance in a prairie-oak savanna ecosystem. Pull on your virtual parkas and trek through the snow of the northern forest to follow the tracks and signs of winter wildlife with author, Adele Porter as your guide. 

Adele's new lesson additions take your students onsite to natural areas via Skype connection. Curriculum is provided with pre and post lesson sessions to support the concepts and goals of the lesson.


2012 SKYPE PROGRAMS

On the Move:  Spring Migration and Wildlife Movements
By the time ice is beginning to melt in our Northern lakes, marshes, and rivers, wildlife is making its move toward nesting and homing areas.  What are the signs?  What markers in the natural world provide clues to when, where, and how wildlife is reorienting to the change of seasons?  What can we look for in our schoolyards and backyards?  Go on an exploration with author, Adele Porter to investigate the answers to these exciting questions!

The Survival Game of Predator & Prey
Scientific inquiry abounds in this lesson that investigates the relationship between birds high in the prairie-oak savanna ecosystem food chain and that of their prey lower in the food chain.

Students are guided in posing questions and designing investigations to examine this relationship. Students then go live with Adele Porter via Skype to Carleton College's Cowling Arboretum* to discover the overnight movement of small mammals in the roosting area of an avian predator. With the use of ultraviolet dust, the live footage of small mammals, and the evaluation of the contents of predator pellets and other evidence at the natural site, students draw conclusions about the relationship of an oak-savanna avian predator and its prey.

Classroom Connections provide keys to identifying the physical and behavioral characteristics of the birds of prey and small mammals (insectivores and rodents) that typically inhabit prairie and grassland habitats. Lesson extensions provide a framework for you to explore the predator-prey relationships near your school in an urban or rural setting. Adele is available to guide you through the process of a lesson extension.


PLAN AHEAD TO WINTER 2013

Winter Wildlife:  (offered December - March)
Trekking through the North woods with author Adele Porter via Skype brings your students to the wonders of winter - without the below zero temperatures!  Adele straps on snowshoes or skis and takes you live to the snowy winter world of Minnesota and its wildlife.

Prior to the live session, students project possible ways that wildlife adapt to survive the harsh conditions of northern winters. While live and online via Skype, Adele guides students through the woodland, prairie, and riverside habitats at Carleton College's Cowling Arboretum* to investigate the answers firsthand.

Classroom Connections prepare your students for interpreting the signs of wildlife in the snow covered deciduous forests and open prairies. Lesson extensions provide a framework for you to explore the wildlife near your school in an urban or rural setting. Adele is available to guide you through the process of a lesson extension.


The on-site Skype programs from Cowling Arboretum are provided by Adele Porter through a collaborative
agreement with Carleton College.
* Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota:  Ranked among the nation's top liberal arts institutions, Carleton is a private, co-educational college of 1,900 students located 40 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul. High academic standards, an excellent teaching faculty and a diverse student body contribute to Carleton's outstanding reputation. Cowling Arboretum: http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/arb/


For more information about scheduling for the 2012-12 school year contact Adele Porter.

On-Site Program Levels


Early Elementary
Designed for the fun, energetic, and short attention spans of Pre-K through Grade 1 students, these 20-30 minutes programs are best presented in groups of 20-25 students or less.

What Makes a Bird – A Bird
Birds in Our Backyard
Beginning Bird Watching (Level 1)
Bringing Birds Close: Creating a Bird Observatory Outside Your Classroom (Level 1) Includes the gift of a nesting structure or bird feeder for your new outdoor observatory
Telling a Story: How a Book is Made
Being an Author: My Story, Your Questions
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Middle Elementary
Reading and writing opens the world for Grade 2 – 3 students, especially when it comes to science.
These programs involve students in all three areas while making their own book pages and more.
Program Length: 40 – 50 minutes

What Makes a Bird – A Bird (Level 2)
Beginning Bird Watching  (Level 2)
Dinosaurs to Dippers: Writing about Science
Bringing Birds Close: Creating a Bird Observatory Outside Your Classroom (Level 2)
Being an Author: My Story, Your Questions


Upper Elementary - Middle School
Discovering new ways of seeing, asking questions, and designing ways to answer
them is an exciting venture for Grade 4-6 students. Author programs for this age
group incorporate developmental concepts through exploring science and writing.
Program Length: 50 – 60 minutes

The Science of Birds – For Kids
Beginning Bird Watching (Level 3)
Dinosaurs to Dippers: Writing About Science (Level 2)
Bringing Birds Close: Creating a Bird Observatory Outside Your Classroom (Level 3)
Being an Author: My Story, Your Questions

Family & Me Programs
Exploring science is great fun as parent-child, grandparent-child, or with the entire family.
Family & Me programs are designed to bring families together through hands-on activities that set you
on your way to exploring science and the great outdoors.

Bird Watching Basics
Bird Feeding Fun: Cooking for the Birds
Outdoor Journal & Book Making
Meet the Author: Group Skype Session (Being an Author: My Story, Your Questions)


Adult Programs
The Science of Writing – The Writing of Science
Writing nonfiction has its moments, some inspiring, some daunting, and some downright hilarious. Adele shares her experiences of writing science guides and gives you a taste through a brief challenge.

Taking Flight: Bird Watching for the Adult Beginner
They all look the same, those things with wings. Until, you come beak to nose and discover that there is an entirely new world flying beyond your white-splattered windshield. This program provides a peek into the fascinating avian world.


*Individualized programs that parallel your particular classroom curriculum or group needs are available on request.



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Adele Breton Porter is an educator with an extensive background in the natural sciences. Her enthusiasm for science carries over into school, library, and public author programs
that involve students in active learning.

Scheduling
From one to five programs can be scheduled per site, per day. When you plan your schedule, please allow a minimum of 15 minutes between presentations. Adele is glad to remain at the end of the school day to finish signing books. She is yours for the day and thoroughly enjoys spending time with students and staff!

To inquire about details or to arrange a visit contact Adele through the online request or adeleporter@gmail.com.



Classroom Connections

Classroom Connections will help you:
  • Build up your author visit with activities

  • Prepare students for a rich, meaningful experience

  • Create a link between the Wild About book and your classroom curriculum

  • Utilize the author presentation as a touchstone for linking national standards and environmental concepts into your classroom and curriculum.



Checklist for a Successful Author Visit

  • Classroom Connections: Lessons

  • Skype Directions

  • Book Ordering Information

  • Sample Letter to Parents

  • Sample Press Release


To prepare students, it’s important to read portions or all of one of Adele's books with your class or have students read it independently prior to the program. Reading and talking about the book will help your students have a richer, more meaningful experience when they meet Adele.
    

     Birds for Kids™ is an online resource for kids, parents, and educators with focus on the
      science and exploration of North American birds and ecological stewardship.