[learn]

Working on a unit for ocean/water habitats for kindergarten. Our team would love for a speaker to come talk to the kiddos about the ocean, pond life etc. Have any of you done this? If so, any experience on what examples the speaker can bring for it to be exciting for the kiddos?

Thank you in advance.

[Mrs.Lilbit]

Any time I have invited a guest speaker to my classroom, they have had kid appropriate presentations and activities already prepared. They bring everything they need and I have never had to do or provide anything. I live in an area where local museums, the zoo, and the university provides guest speakers on various topics.

When I studied ponds with my 1st and 2nd graders, we took a field trip to a local nature center, where the children used butterfly nets to catch insects around the pond. An entomologist was on hand to help the children identify the kind of insects they found. Then we took a hike around the pond and discussed the various flora and fauna we observed. They had a lot of fun doing that.

For our shark study, our local museum conducts a discovery lab activity all about sharks. They conduct a slide show about sharks, have sharks' teeth, shark eggs, and preserved shark specimens for the children to touch and observe.

I guess my only advise is to see if there are any similar resources available in your area.