MUSH with Noggin, the Sled Dog! Have you ever wondered… What does it feel like to ride the runners behind a team of dogs, steering a loaded sled through mountainous terrain, crossing the vast Alaskan tundra, hugging the shoreline of the great Bering Sea? What does it take to care for a team of Alaskan huskies? Could my dog be a sled dog, too? Musher, Karen Land, will answer these questions and more when she and Noggin, the Alaskan husky, visit (your school/library name, date, time). Dog mushing, a traditional mode of arctic transportation, is a unique subject perfect for every classroom. From STEM (climate change and environmental studies) to literature (Gary Paulsen and Jack London) to the arts and physical education, the options for exploration are endless. Land is an Outdoors columnist, songwriter, public speaker, and three-time participant in the 1000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race as well as many other sprint and endurance races in Alaska, Canada, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Maine. Since 2000, Land has traveled to nearly every state with her dog sled, mushing gear, Arctic clothing, and beloved dogs, giving over a thousand school and public library presentations. “Tethered to my string of dogs, trusty leaders find the trail, together we are free…” —from “Into the Northern Lights,” lyrics by Karen Land

Alan Katz is the author of more than 50 picture books, poetry collections, and middle grade novels for young readers (including Take Me Out of the Bathtub, Got Your Nose, OOPS!, The Funniest Joke Book Ever for Kids, and Misty the Cloud, a NYT bestseller written with Dylan Dreyer of the Today show). Alan's program is an inspiring look at his career as a reader and writer. In a virtual multimedia presentation that includes his work as an award-winning author, TV writer, animation creator, comic book/trading card writer, theater producer, kids' radio host and more, he laughingly fosters a “hey, I can read that/I can write that” attitude. Silly Dilly singing, ridiculous rhyming and a recap of his wildly creative career make for an insightful and enjoyable presentation. (Incidentally, he's also got three-person musicals based on my Silly Dilly songbooks and on my joke book, and can bring them to your school or library...starring my son, who's now playing Peter in the Pinkalicious musical Off-Broadway!)

Emmy Award winning illustrator, author, and television star of PBS’s 1980’s children’s television series “The Secret City With Commander Mark!” And in the 1990’s “The Imagination Station!” – now on Amazon Prime Video! – Mark Kistler, presents Dare To Draw, an outstanding school assembly for grades K-12. Prepare your students to blast-off to the land of imagination with the power of a pencil! This unforgettable, 100% hands-on assembly encourages students of all ages to participate by stretching their imaginations in adding depth and perspective to their drawings. Mark Kistler will inspire your students to “Dream It! Draw It! Do It!” in harnessing the power of their imagination to make their life dreams come true. Students only need a pencil, a piece of paper, and a smiling positive attitude ready to learn how to draw in 3-D!

The Magic of Reading with Brian Richards is designed to tickle the imagination, highlight the fun of reading, and encourage children to explore the library. This elementary reading school assembly will inspire your students to open a book and start reading! Featuring magic, comedy, audience participation, storytelling, and educational fun, The Magic of Reading assembly show is a hit with students, teachers, and staff! Librarians, Teachers, PTA Presidents, Principals, Students, and Parents have and continue to give amazing reviews for this program. This elementary reading school assembly show promotes reading and the importance of visiting the library, utilizing Magic, Comedy, Storytelling, and Audience participation. The Magic of Reading will touch on reading genres and the types of books found in the library, including Fantasy, Adventure, Mysteries, Science Fiction, Horror, Non-Fiction, and more. The show features the books “The Empty Pot” and “Abiyoyo.”

Each year, our school programs serve thousands of students from Saratoga and its surrounding counties, offering activities like "Sheep to Shawl," "Native New York," and "A Brookside Harvest" for various grades and subjects. We provide in-classroom programming, field trip options to our Brookside Museum, and can customize presentations to meet the needs of your students. The Saratoga County History Center offers diverse educational programs for children and adults, expanding our distance learning options to support local schools, teachers, students, and families. We are happy to work with elementary, middle, high school, and college-level students, delivering content in Social Studies, history, and some STEM areas. We can also adapt to virtual lessons upon request. Please contact us at education@brooksidemusem.org for more information.

You Can Do a Graphic Novel, Comic Book, Meme, or Zine Categories: Creative Writing, Visual Arts Curriculum. Costs VIRTUAL PROGRAMS (ZOOM) One-hour interactive classes, unlimited participants: $500.00 LIVE IN-PERSON PROGRAMS One day: $1,200.00 Four days: $3,800.00 Eight days: $6,500.00 For venues more than 40 miles from Hudson, NY travel cost of $0.50 mile will be added. For venues more than 40 miles from Valatie, NY travel cost of $0.50 mile will be added. Available year-round. Program Theme: Students learn how to create a graphic novel beginning with a six page comic. It doesn’t matter if they can draw. Stick figures are an expressive way for the reluctant artist to begin. Participants are encouraged to bring their sketchbooks and characters they may already be working on. They will learn about The Creative Process, how to write a Character Study, focus on the beginning, middle, end and twist of a story, and Create Layouts. If the program is an assembly, Barbara talks though the program with on-screen illustrations of the process. The school is to provide a computer, projector and screen. Program Description: Each program is custom tailored to the grade, number of students in the class, and number of sessions. If there are four or more sessions per class, the program finishes with a Graphic Novel Exhibition (see below). The Creative Process: 20 creative tips. Creating Characters: Participants complete bio sheets with the character’s name, age, best friend/side kick, powers (if any), biggest fear, life goal, etc. Plotting: Learning how to plot challenges the student to complete a story. Too many begin the story and throw it out somewhere in the middle. The student learns to plot by color code, a method used by film/tv/graphic novel writers. Layout: Participants learn about panels, thumbnails, dialogue balloons, sequence, and making a page pop. Rather than drawing “talking heads,” they draw a close-up, pull back for a long shot, followed by interior, exterior, bird’s eye views. Everybody works at their own pace. Some are advanced artists/writers while others are beginners. It doesn’t matter where they begin as long as they get going. I hand out a “character bible” sheet and encourage them to think about the beginning, middle, end and twist of their story. The twist is what makes the story interesting. I bring in samples of character bibles from Marvel comics which they can keep, and scripts written by professionals. Feedback is an important part of the program. It usually begins when I hold up a student’s drawing and ask them to suggest a name, age, or character trait. The student can take the suggestions or discard them, however, it opens up discussions. In the first session, students are sometimes quiet/shy with other students but by the second, they open up about their characters and stories. After the last workshop, the doors open to parents, friends, relatives, the community, and the local press. Students show and talk about their work…where they got their inspiration for characters/story. The “Graphic Novel Exhibition” attracts a lot of attention and often results in newspaper articles. Having artwork in the newspaper is great for a student’s self-esteem and for their portfolio. Copies of Barbara's textbook You Can Do a Graphic Novel can be ordered for the school library, and discounts are available from the publisher for class-size orders. http://youcandoagraphicnovel.com/students1.htm

Misty Yarnall is a writer and teaching artist. She actively teaches creative writing and theatre workshops through libraries, homeschool co-ops, and nonprofit organizations. She is passionate about creating brave spaces for people of all ages to share their stories. A few examples of workshops she has led in the past are included below. World Building 101: Do you love reading adventure books with fantastical settings and magical elements? Have you ever wanted to write a story set in a place you’ve never been? In this workshop, students will master the layout of the land within their stories, no matter what genre. Students will take inspiration from real plants, animals, and cultures, and apply what they've learned to their made-up worlds. Writing for the Screen: Have you ever wondered how your favorite TV show got to the screen? Want to try your hand at writing a script made for TV? In this workshop, you will learn to write your own screenplay and collaborate on a pilot episode for a TV series. We will generate ideas, learn to use the three-act structure, and operate as if we were in our own TV writers' room. Playing with Plays: Through movement-based improv games and collaborative writing prompts, students will better understand how plays go from the page to the stage. We will learn about character motivations, use of props, scene structure, and understanding of performance. Students will end the workshop with a new play to showcase. Guided Journaling: Have you always wanted to start journaling, but aren’t sure where to start? Have you been journaling for a while and want a community to write and share with? In this workshop, participants will complete writing prompts geared towards eliminating the daunting, listy idea of journaling and replace it with interactive, fun activities for all ages and backgrounds. No prior journaling or writing experience necessary!

The Unique Game Show uses multi-media trivia and team-building activities to combine team spirit, character education, and curriculum enforcement into one program. This multi-purpose assembly is perfect for any subject because you can customize the program if you wish! The Unique Game Show can be customized based on your school’s curriculum. Math, Science, English, Reading, Social Studies and History, Drug and Alcohol Awareness, and Character Education are only a few subjects to which we can tailor the show. The most popular curriculum show, however, is built around the core subjects of history, science, English, and math. The entire assembly is divided into teams (red, yellow, blue and green.) The game begins with a curriculum-based reading question; followed by a video question about pop culture trivia with large-screen video projection and music enhancement. Each round finishes with an audio bonus question. Teams can generate points not only by answering correctly but also by demonstrating good sportsmanship and team spirit. The team-building part of the game includes activities such as physical challenges and team karaoke. This program is a great way for your students to work together while reinforcing their studies.

Rogue Bear InterACTIVE Adventures produces captivating, hands-on educational enrichment programs in which the KIDS are the STARS of the SHOW! In our History Mystery Adventure Quest, kids build knowledge, observation, and research skills as they hunt for a priceless historical artifact just like Indiana Jones or Carmen Sandiego! They follow mysterious trails, uncover hidden clues, solve baffling riddles, decode secret messages, and overcome challenging obstacles to recover a priceless artifact, identifying historical landmarks, employing deductive reasoning, and utilizing knowledge about history along the way! Everyone contributes and each child has a role, making everyone feel important and valued throughout the activity. In ComicCrafting 101 kids learn to create their own comics using simple storytelling and illustration techniques. They design characters, choose settings, and develop the plot - then bring their stories to life both visually and with words, turning simple lines and shapes into fantastic scenes and images! No previous story writing or illustration experience required.

Rachel’s Challenge provides school presentations that inspire kindness, connection, and hope. Our assemblies for students and staff address bullying and violence prevention while equipping schools with practical tools to improve culture and strengthen relationships.

The Schenectady County Historical Society shares stories, inspires dialogue, and encourages understanding of the history, people, and cultures of New York's Capitol Region. Founded in 1905, today we bring history and culture to life through exhibits, programs, and community events. Many teachers know us from the fantastic field trips we offer at our historic sites, like the Mabee Farm. However our programs can be brought to the classroom by our expert educators. Using engaging slideshows and real historic manuscripts, we can bring to life any topic in the K-12 social studies curriculum.

I offer four topics for my School Assembly Programs. Below are details about my Reading, Dental Hygiene, Ocean Sciences and Social Awareness Programs. 1. Sugar Bug Showdown: Elementary schools that engage my services for the ‘Sugar Bug Showdown‘ performance consistently request my return every third year to do it again. They want to be sure each child in kindergarten through 3rd grade gets the benefit of this unforgettable lesson in good dental hygiene. Your students will learn the right way to brush their teeth (even adults get it wrong!), why dental hygiene is so important, and much more. Dental Hygienists can give the facts, but nobody will motivate or help them remember those facts like Pipsqueak! To ramp up the fun, we demonstrate flossing using kids dressed as teeth. Another segment features caped cavity-defenders in an epic battle against sugar bugs. Here are some additional highlights: How much toothpaste to use How often to brush and proper techniques How cavities & plaque form How “sugar bugs” hurt your teeth Why a healthy diet matters 2. Reading is an Adventure: This program is perfect for PARP (Pick A Reading Partner) or Read Across America incentives. Specific children’s books are referenced & highlighted. My job with this show is to get your students excited about reading. I periodically change the lineup, but the main messages are: Curiosity fuels invention Reading is an adventure Readers are leaders 3. Kindness Quest: This program fits Respect Week and Character Education incentives like a glove! The following key themes are woven throughout: Friendship Kindness Respect Appreciating differences Sharing 4. Waves of Fun: Oceans of Possibilities is a STEM school assembly that sparks an interest in learning about ocean sciences. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade will be motivated to learn about the amazing things that can be found in the ocean. The program is curated to add more advancing educational content at upper grade levels with marine biology, geology, and ecology professions showcased for the 5th grade. We’ll even use your own school library books in the magic performance! Laugh your way through the “silliest, goofiest, wackiest treasure hunt in the world!” Meet a very intelligent seal who does tricks. Of course, Vern (the bird) will make an appearance. This program is unique and so much fun! It is designed for students K-5th grade.