I have to give a talk on Red Squirrels to 8-10 year olds. How can I make this more interesting?

Question

What might I do to keep them interested, to keep the talk lively and introduce some fun into it too? I have a few ideas but any other suggestions will be gratefully received.

Answer 1

fry one up and serve as a snack?

Answer 2

Get one of those hav-a-heart traps and catch one for a visual aid.   When the kids start to get board, let the thing out of the cage.    Instant life to the group.

Answer 3

Just a suggestion;  what about starting with their 'cousins' SKUNKS?...Their smelly power that could knock off their predators?....Then maybe you could incorporate their behavioral aspects with your 'red squirrels'?

(just maybe....)

Answer 4

This is an eager group and easily entertained with imagery. Create a possible scenarios involving the kids such as what they would do if they discovered a red squirrel in a live trap or a nest of babies that lost their mother. How would they care for them, what might they feed it(them) who would they call for help about what to do. Anyway that you can involve them would be welcomed. Encourage the artists to draw some pictures while the storytellers write possible happenings for an imaginary family of squirrels. Good luck and enjoy  your experience.

Answer 5

The red squirrel (tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is found throughout all of North America.  They are noted for being amazing problem solvers -- to the frustration of bird feeder owners across the country!

The links below have some great ideas and resources for talking to kids about the role red squirrels play in our forests -- the importance of nut gathering, tree nesting, etc.

Nature (the PBS series) once did a show on "Backyard Bandits", about how squirrels could overcome the most elaborate measures to get to bird feeders.  The kids would get a laugh watching some of these antics!  

It's thought Aristotle gave squirrels their name -- the term "squirrel" is very close to a Greek expression meaning "he who sits in the shadow of his tail."

Hope the links help!

Answer 6

1. Best way to talk about squirrel will be to find a Getup(those worn in parties where many use masks of animals, humans , heroes and warriors , so you wear the mask like thing ) of squirrel which will make you look like red squirrel. And while talking about them you move, jump, and make sounds of squirrel. This will impress your audience and your message will go straight to them.

Answer 7

If you ahve access to the internet, there are some cut e and funny videos of red squirrels, or just say 'squirrel videos'.

They're sooo funny.

Additional Edit, 40 seconds later:

I just remembered noticing in my childhood -- where there are pine trees, you could always a few "naked" pine cones. The squirrels eat all the leaf/point things and leave the "trunk". That would be ineresting, because I never could figure out how or WHY a aquirrel would eat those sharp hard cones. If you could show them a before and after --

Answer 8

MAKE IT INTERACTIVE, HAVE THE WHOLE GROUP  SEE PICTURES  AND PICK OUT THE RED SQUIRRELS AND PERHAPS HAVE SOME NUTS  OR FOOD THAT THEY EAT. SHOW PICTURES OF THEIR  HABITAT  AND  DISCUSS  THEIR LIFESTYLES AND HABITS, THEIR PEDATORS  AND SAFE PLACES TO VIEW THEM . IF POSSIBLE BORROW ONE FROM AN ANIMAL RESERVE(CAGED OF COURSE).INVOLVE EVERYONE. MAKE IT EXCITING.

Answer 9

Interesting task you have. I would suggest that you have to assign the children or group the children and assign them as a particular wild animal. Try to associate the Red Squirrels animal character  with the different wild animals. If you could produce costumes to make it more lively the better. Give them a background situationer: say a wild forest scene. then expound from this idea. The best talk you could give must not only be one-sided but participative approach. Good luck. Hope i got the idea.

Thanks for asking. Have a great day! Happy Halloween!