Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've read two of the recent posts below regarding snake presentations in schools, churches, etc. I have some thoughts to add and also would like some advice from those who have experience doing these presentations.

This was my second year doing a snake and tortoise presentation at the school where my wife teaches. Last year I did two 30 minute presentations; this year I did four. They even interviewed me for their in-school news program. Kids and teachers kept coming up to me in the halls to comment and ask questions; it was really fun.

One of the teachers, who happens to be deathly afraid of snakes (but held one anyway for the news video) approached me and asked if I would like to put together a proposal for me to travel around the district doing presentations. They said my show got more response than the field trips to the animal rescues and the animals they've brought in before.

So far, my presentations have been to second grade classes, but we're talking about a genetics-focused show for high-school biology classes. It would feature live animals from my collection that are homozygous and/or heterozygous for one or more simple recessive genetic traits. I'll be able to show how two normal parents, for example, can produce albino offspring. Also how two or more simple recessive traits can combine to change an animals appearance.

Right now I'm in the brainstorming phase. I'm trying to come up with ideas for presentations that would appeal to a range of ages.

Some thoughts are (in no particular order):

General information about reptiles (part of my current presentation)
Genetics
Safety/identification
Reptiles as pets
Conservation
Life Cycle and Food chain (part of my current presentation)
Venom
Snakes' Role in Ecology
Types of Snakes
Constrictors (Types and the mechanics of constriction, also mentioning the controversy surrounding large constrictors)

Some topics I'd like advice/feedback on:

Activities: Do any of you incorporate activities into your presentations to encourage participation? What types of activities?

Behavior: Second graders are a handful! Any tips or ideas to help keep them quiet and attentive?

Teaching Resources: Anyone know any good herp-related teaching resources geared toward different age levels that I could utilize?

What about insurance? How many of you carry insurance and where does one even start looking for that type of coverage? I generally only let the kids touch one or two of my snakes and my Sulcata, and I make sure they wash their hands with Germ-ex before AND after. I take the utmost care possible to avoid any accidents; the two snakes I allow kids to touch have NEVER bitten any human. But what if a kid comes down with salmonella or does manage to get bitten and the parents decide to sue me?

The animals I currently incorporate into my presentations are:

Honduran and Pueblan milk snakes
California, Thayeri and Grey-banded king snakes
Ball and Carpet pythons
Sulcata

I enjoy doing these presentations and I feel like this is my part to play as a responsible reptile enthusiast; that education and the positive influence of public opinion regarding reptiles, especially snakes, is a noble cause. I'm interested in hearing your feedback.

Thanks,
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http://www.mikefoux.com
http://www.cafepress.com/shedz

1.1.0 Hondurans Het Amel
1.1.0 Hondurans Anery, Het Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo, Het Anery
0.2.0 Pueblans
1.0.0 Pueblan Hypo
1.0.0 Thayeri MSP
0.0.1 GBK Blair's Phase
1.0.0 California King
0.1.0 California King Blue-eyed Blond
0.0.1 Speckled King WC
0.0.1 Jungle Carpet
0.1.0 Ball, Normal
1.0.0 San Diego Gopher, Poss. Het Applegate
0.0.1 Sulcata
0.1.0 Wife, Caucasius Mexicana

One thing I have done in the past is start off with an introduction and some quick rules. This tends to get some attention to the kids.

"Remember today that once you have touched reptiles we have a strict rule. Don't stick your fingers in your eyes, ears, mouth and most important no nose picking. If you are afraid of the animals here today feel free to sit in the back. If you scream and I jump, I scare the animal and I might get bit. If I the snake bites me, I get to bite you. Everyone who wants a chance to pet or hold some of the animals will have a chance." This has always gotten everyone's attention and I have never had a child mis-behave. Another thing that has worked well in the past is having a few "assistants". 2-3 who earned the privilege to help. Usually it is a child in the class the teacher invited me from. I tend to schedule an entire day where I incorporate all classes. But I always have a child or three to help herd the others in, hold a ball python and show it around, corral my sulcatta. It isnt a big need, but it does help and kids learned that once they got the chance to help, others want the chance and they tend to behave a LOT better.

Then I tend to go into the schpeil about the rescue (which is why I am there in the first place) Its very hard to work in a great amount of info. I go into who lays eggs and who is live bearing. Show differences between boa and python, talk about endangered species. But I tend to spend no more than 5 mins per animal for smaller children. With an average 30 mins per group, I get through probably 5 animals with questions allowed during each animal.

I also offer activity/coloring books with a little info about my rescue in the back for the kids to take home. Shameless self promotion.
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Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

...for the advice and kind words! I'm going over everything you said and working toward some new and improved presentations.
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http://www.mikefoux.com
http://www.cafepress.com/shedz

1.1.0 Hondurans Het Amel
1.1.0 Hondurans Anery, Het Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo
0.1.0 Honduran Hypo, Het Anery
0.2.0 Pueblans
1.0.0 Pueblan Hypo
1.0.0 Thayeri MSP
0.0.1 GBK Blair's Phase
1.0.0 California King
0.1.0 California King Blue-eyed Blond
0.0.1 Speckled King WC
0.0.1 Jungle Carpet
0.1.0 Ball, Normal
1.0.0 San Diego Gopher, Poss. Het Applegate
0.0.1 Sulcata
0.1.0 Wife, Caucasius Mexicana

I would check with the schools where you would be doing a presentation in regards to insurance. You may be covered under their policy. Just a suggestion. Good luck.

>>I would check with the schools where you would be doing a presentation in regards to insurance. You may be covered under their policy. Just a suggestion. Good luck.

Very good point.

I try to keep things light with the kids and pointing out something that makes most people giggle (picking their nose) helps keep the kids hands out of their mouth.
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Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

I did forget to mention that the morning of the show everyone going gets a bath. With johnsons baby soap and honest to goodness bath!
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Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

I missed this post for along time apparently.
I've done talks for boy scouts and cub scouts before, and currently volunteer as a docent at our city zoo. So I've got some really neat experiences doing this. Most of the kids in the zoo that I talk to are in the younger crowd--they come up to my thighs! Tiny things.

For young kids, work humor into your presentation. Try to keep the time spent on each topic pretty short (5 minutes or so works well for me). They don't have huge attention spans, or huge stores of knowledge to draw on. So keep it brief and basic. I like to cover (if I'm talking about a specific critter) where they are from, what they eat, how big they get and how long they live. I usually let them touch an animal, but I hold and control the animal. I keep the head near me, have them touch the back 1/3 of the critter--that way if anyone gets bit it's me.

Kind of an example spiel about ball pythons that I use at the zoo.

"This is our ball python. He's about 12 years old, and we've had him since he was a baby. He can live up to 40 years! So if you think about getting one, remember you'll still have it when you're as old as your dad!. Ball pythons don't get much bigger than this (he's about 3.5', maybe 5 pounds). Does anyone know why they might call them a ball python? (listen to usually weird answers). They call them that because if they're scared, they ball up and hide their head. This one isn't doing it right now because he isn't scared; he's used to people. They come from Africa, where they eat small rodents like gerbils and African rats. Does anyone know how they find the rodents? (then point out heat pits and talk about the tongue)."

I also like to have sheds and skulls available; I have a very big Argentine boa constrictor that I save the sheds from when I can. He's about 8' and the sheds are about 10-11' now, so it makes a great visual to demonstrate how big some snakes can get. I couldn't let Yoda wrap around a kid--for one thing he weighs as much as some of the younger ones--but that way they can see how the larger snakes compare to humans. Once my retics get bigger I'll probably use their sheds too. We also have replica skulls--they can be affordable, we get them from Bone Clone or Skulls Unlimited. Some of the larger ones are pricey (the big gator skulls are several hundred bucks) but the snake and lizard skulls aren't bad. That way I can safely show them the teeth and how the jaws are built. It also lets you work in lame but usually appreciated jokes ("See, this is the safe way to see a snakes teeth!".

At the zoo the only animals we have for touching right now are a Burmese we don't usually bring out (just cause it takes 2 people to control), the ball, a cal king and a rosy. We're raising up some more animals; geckos, a couple of kings, some other stuff.

On my personal presentations I keep the same rough formula--I bring my ball python, Yoda, and my albino retic and a tiger salamander. I just bought a speckled king and I'm going to buy some Trans Pecos rats to show people some local stuff as well. I think bringing stuff they might see locally is neat, it's just I don't personally have much and I don't do presentations enough to really build a collection just for them.