Children's Programs
Do grasshoppers have teeth?
How can a water spider breathe underwater?
How have some animals adapted to live in treetops?
Why do some caterpillars bungee jump?
How does a starfish eat?
Is that slime alive?
Darlyne Murawski is offering school programs to children in grades K through 12. The programs are designed to enhance school science curricula while drawing on Darlyne's years of work as a biologist and widely-travelled nature photographer. Each program is individually designed for assemblies and classroom visits and may include Q&A sessions, a short project, and book signing.
"The students were very impressed with the photographs. They had tons of questions and added their own knowledge. The teachers were pleased with how well the students were engaged. Darlyne worked hard to answer all questions. She had command of their attention. Great day for all of us." — Barbara Lovely-Lin, Barbieri Elementary School, Framingham, MA
"Perfect! It actually connected very well to our science-ecosystems unit. Kids loved her and her photos. They were very into the creepy crawlies and had lots of questions." — 5th grade teachers, Ambrose School, Winchester, MA
"[The children] were fascinated by Darlyne's slides and presentation. She kept their attention and interest the whole time. There were many younger children also in attendance. The adults were so attentive, interested and impressed—as evidenced by the comments received after the program. What fantastic photos—accompanied by an interesting and informative presention." — Pat Lutz, Librarian, Northborough Public Library, MA
"A lovely, gentle down to earth soft-spoken presenter. [Darlyne] is very devoted to the kids and signed their books at the end of the day. Educational quality: excellent. Artistic interaction with the students: excellent." &mdash Comments from the BOCES Arts in Education School Evaluation, MTP/ Columbus Avenue Elementary School, NY
"It was awesome! The photography is incredible - the presentation very well planned. It was science. It was literature. It was writing. I can link this into many areas of my curriculum." — Fifth grade teacher, Craneville Elementary, Dalton, MA
"You could see the children really enjoyed the presentation by the look on their faces, by their questions, and by their excitement. Great reinforcement to my rainforest unit. A wealth of information was provided." — L. Iafrate, St. Philip School, Greenville, RI.
"Darlyne was fabulous! First of all she is brilliant and talented but she is also so in love with what she does that she naturally engages the students!" — E. Plouffe, St. Philip School, Greenville, RI.
Program Descriptions:
Butterflies, Moths and Their Caterpillars (K–8, modified for age) starts with the life cycle and examines how butterflies and moths live, what they eat, and how they sense their environment. Students are challenged to "think small" and imagine how butterflies and moths deal with deadly predators and parasites. Part of their arsenal of defenses includes bungee-jumping on a silk thread, spitting acid, mimicking snakes and playing dead. A few favorites include meat-eating inchworms, the "sandwichman", and the beautiful clear-wing butterflies from the American tropics.
Coastal Life (grades 2–8) explores the intertidal regions of both U.S. coasts and Hawaii, examining what lives in sandy tidal flats and rocky tide pools. Children will see starfish, horseshoe crabs, urchins, anemones, snails, tube worms, sponges, crabs, clams and more. They will discover how organisms live, compete and feed in their ever-changing environment. What on earth are those things that wash up on the shore? Get the answers with a hands-on display of various shells, egg cases, and the shed skins of young horseshoe crabs!
Insects and Spiders (K–8) brings children eye-to-eye with insects and spiders to learn how their bodies work and how they sense the environment. Metamorphosis, web-making, self defense techniques, and even parental care of certain young insects and spiders comes to life with dramatically vivid photography. The "happy-faced spider" and various insects with amazing "faces"—both real and phoney—always get a reaction from children.
Nature Photography and Writing (grades 5–12) delves into how a story comes to life in National Geographic from the idea stage to completion of the article. Keeping notes on ideas, researching the topic, proposal writing, budget consideration, photographing, writing, editing, interacting with editors, researchers, and layout people. What it takes to be a team player and how to give an article a certain "look."
Nature Up Close (all ages) Invites young people to take a close look at nature. Whether in the field or under a microscope, real life can be MUCH more amazing than fiction. By turning over leaves, rolling over stones, opening up a rotting log, they can find a wealth of fascinating creatures. Stories of ecological interactions and scientific discoveries are woven into the program.
Tropical Rainforests (K–6) takes children on a journey through rainforest habitats and introduces them to the awesome diversity of plant and animal life found there. A look at the forest's physical structure reveals layered canopies, buttressed and stilt roots, woody vines, and plants called epiphytes that live on other plants. Students will learn how scientists study treetop life by tree-climbing, walkways, balloons and cranes; and learn how some animals are adapted to life in a treetop environment. They will also see how people, animals and plants cope in an annually flooded forest in the Amazon.