Let award-winning author Jennifer Swanson engage and inspire your students. She’ll help them to become creative writers, independent thinkers, and will encourage their imaginations to SOAR WITH SCIENCE through her interactive programs. All programs can be tailored to fit audience level..

PRICING

All visits are correlated to Florida State Sunshine Standards, Common Core, and the Next Generation Science Standards.

21 Ways to Fund Author Visits by Carmen Oliver

 

SCHOOL PROGRAMS

In Person and Virtual – scroll down for programs for younger audiences.

Footprints Across the Planet!   **New presentation**

Grades 2-8  45 minutes, serves up to 150 students

Take an exciting and interactive journey with award-winning STEM author Jennifer Swanson and learn how every organism, big or small, leaves an imprint on our planet— with their feet, their words, their actions– even YOU! Whether human or animal, voices or activity, each mark has a purpose. But what does that mean? And how can we help to ensure that our impact will make a difference? Through activities such as — NAME THAT PAWPRINT!-  and interactive discussions, together we’ll discover that it’s up to every one of us to decide what type of imprint we will leave behind.

 

How Do You Live in Space?   ** new presentation**

Grades 2-8  45 minutes, serves up to 150 students

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to sleep in space? Do astronauts eat special food? Why do they grow taller and how do their eyes change in space? These are all really interesting questions. Based on my Spacecare book with Mayo Clinic Press Kids/Smithsonian, we’ll explore all of the COOL things that astronauts do while living in space. With interactive activities, awesome pictures and videos of real space tech and astronauts, this presentation will give you some out-of-this world fun facts about what it’s like to live in space!

Do YOU have what it takes to be a HUMAN Crash-test Dummy?

Grades 2-8, 40 min, serves up to 150 students
Based on my award-winning Save the Crash-test Dummies book, this program introduces students to STEM, specifically engineering principles and history as they learn about the ways in which cars are made safer. STEM/STEAM tie-ins to history, engineering, as well as ELA as we talk about how best to present this information to others. Very interactive and TONS of fun!

Astronaut or Aquanaut?

Grades 2-5, 40-45 min, serves up to 150 students
Why do we explore? And which is better, space or under the sea? Let’s debate. With interactive questions and lots of pictures, students will compare and contrast the benefits of each extreme environment. Then we’ll put that knowledge to the test with a debate! This exciting program will spark their imagination to have them soaring into space or diving deep into the ocean of exploration and writing.

Brain Games!

Grades 2-8 45 minutes, serves up to 150+ students
This exciting, interactive program focuses on what makes you YOU- your brain! Uses examples and activities from the award-winning book and TV show help students understand the supercomputer housed inside their head. So Fire up your neurons and hang onto your hippocampus, you’re about to take a rockin’ ride on a cerebral rollercoaster. A hugely exiting time for all!

Get Outside and Get Inventing!

Grades 2-8 45-50 minutes, serves up to 150+ students

Sticky feet that climb anything. Trunk-like robotic arms. Super-sensitive hearing. What is this? Some kind of new superhero? No! These are all examples of REAL technology made with bionics/biomimicry. In this FUN and interactive presentation by children’s science author Jennifer Swanson, you will get an inside look at many awesome inventions being created by engineers right now! All of these are based on animals, some of which might live right in your own backyard. Then it’ll be YOUR turn! You’ll get instructions on how to go outside, find an animal, observe it, and draw your own bionic invention. What will YOU design?

Digging Deep into Research

Grades 3-8, 40 min, serves up to 100 students
Robots, Brains, and Nanotech…oh my! Discover the secrets of how a nonfiction author chooses interesting and unique topics and fun facts that make you go “Hmmmm….”. Students will help come up with interesting and unique titles, subjects, and put them to the test with a vote. Keys tips for research and revising are all covered in this instructive and enlightening program. Lots of examples and interactive questions for students.

 

Fact or Fiction?

Grades 2 and up 40-45 minutes, serves up to 150 students
Think you know the facts? Think again. Sometimes what you think you know and what is actually true are two very different things. In this interactive presentation, students will be challenged to discover true facts vs. fiction and learn how important research is to a nonfiction author. Includes 5 steps to making your writing sparkle regardless of what which genre you write and examples of actual application in a nonfiction book!

 


Pre-K to Grade 1 Programs

Footprints Across the Planet!

30 minutes

Take an exciting journey across the planet with award-winning STEM author Jennifer Swanson and learn how every organism, big or small, leaves an imprint on our planet— with their feet, their words, their actions– even YOU!

Whether human or animal, voices or activity, each mark has a purpose. With a fun book reading and a hands-on activity (NAME THAT PAWPRINT!), together we’ll discover that it’s up to every one of us to decide what type of imprint we will leave behind.

Astronaut or Aquanaut?

30min, serves up to 90 students
This version of the Astronaut or Aquanaut presentation is geared especially for the younger crowd. Through interactive participation they will learn what astronauts and aquanauts do. Vivid pictures. Lots of movement, and emphasis on reading involved in this fun activity. Kids will leave wanting to be a great explorer!!

The Science All Around You

30 min, serves up to 90 students
How does a science writer think? Let’s find out! Students will take a nature walk with your mind. With vivid pictures, students will learn to dissect images and see how authors get ideas for books just by walking around and noticing things. Includes talk about notebooks and tips for active, exciting writing.

What Does an Author Do?

30 mins
Using great examples from popular books, students will learn the difference between fiction and nonfiction. They will peek inside the mind of an author and see how they come up with ideas. Then, in an interactive twist, students will come up with ideas of their own.

 

 

 


WORKSHOPS for Students

Writers’ Workshop

Grades 4- 8, No more than 50 students
Small groups of students join me for an in-depth look at writing, focusing on point of view, setting, voice and choosing a topic.

 

The Science of Revision

Grades 3 and up , No more than 50 students
Deep dive into a manuscript and see what really happens when an author starts writing. Follow the path of the seemingly endless edits, and learn how writing it “wrong” is actually a good thing. Research tips, Selection of topics, Voice, and language all covered in this interactive talk.

 

WORKSHOPS for TEACHERS 

Continuing the Curiosity

Nonfiction picture books pique a child’s interest in a nonfiction topic, igniting their interest in learning more about it. Once they’re ready to dig deeper, how and where do they find similar books that are being published for kids? As kids advance as readers, their curiosity expands and they want more information, better explanations, and even ways that they can connect these topics to their own lives. In this talk led by award winning nonfiction author Jennifer Swanson,  attendees will walk away with pairs of picture books for younger and older readers and ways to connect picture books with topic-related long-form books.

 

STEAMing Up Your Classroom

Want to use more science books in your classroom but aren’t sure where to start? In this FUN and interactive workshop, Jennifer Swanson will discuss how exciting texts can be used to ignite curiosity within your students. Topics will include the role of research in nonfiction writing and ways to explore research elements with students. Participants will leave with reading lists and hands-on activities to help students embrace their natural curiosity as they fall in love with reading. We’ll take the discussion of nonfiction to a whole, new level – complete with audience participation.

Teacher Workshops — $400 an hour –either virtual or in person, however, in person must include a school visit if school is not within 50 miles of Jacksonville, FL


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PRICES

2023-2024 school year

Virtual School Visits

One 30-40  minute presentation for grades 1 – 8 : $300

Full Day (up to three presentations) : $825

Free 15-minute Q and A (ONE per school)

For homeschool or family-style virtual visits (multiple families are welcome): $300/hour

 

In Person School Visit

For more information and to book a school visit NOW please fill out the form to the right or contact Jennifer Swanson VIA email

Feel free to coordinate with other schools in your area, as I will be glad to pro-rate travel expenses if an Author Visit is scheduled in the same area within the same week.

Half-day visit (within 50 miles of Jacksonville, FL ONLY) — 2 presentations-  $1000
Full-day visit Up to 3 presentations maximum– $1500 plus travel