I present a variety of programs, often centered on nature education concepts.  I create programs on themes requested by clients, such as the “Birds of Prey” presentation for the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, the “Catch the Reading Bug’ theme for the 2008 Mississippi summer library programs, and the topic of missions for the Christ United Methodist Church children’s department.

I am comfortable presenting to a variety of audiences, from a classroom of students to festival audiences of 1,000 or more. I have presented music and story programs from day care centers up to 6^th grade.  I have presented story programs for high school and junior high. The original impetus for the material was the teaching of environmental science to 5^th graders.  I now particularly enjoy working with toddlers to 3^rd grade.  I have found that the material works well with high school girl scouts as well.

The following list describes some of my favorite songs and stories:

OWL SONG - Students sing lyrics and make body movements that offer clues about the identity of a “mystery nocturnal predator.”   Students learn how to make sounds of the barred, great horned, and screech owls.  They learn some of the habits and adaptations of these local birds.  Concepts:  niche, adaptations, predator, prey

ALL GOD’S CRITTERS - Students sing lyrics, do motions and make sounds of wild and domestic animals.

INCH BY INCH (The Garden Song) - Students celebrate the wonders of gardening by singing lyrics and doing body motions.

THE GRACKLE STORY - This is the hilarious story of two birds caught together by audio cassette tape and the teller’s inept efforts to free them.  Concepts: population, limiting factors

THE MAN WHO LOVED UGLY BOTTLES - An adventure with a wise genie leads to lessons about wildlife populations and the balance of nature.  Concepts: population dynamics, ecosystem balance

EARTH DAY TWIST AND SHOUT - Participants sing, dance and rock to celebrate Earth Day.

WHY I TELL STORIES - This is the story of my first inspiration to be a story teller.  Arthur “Pipe” Montgomery rescues my sister and me (at the age of five) when our father mistakenly leaves us at the five and dime store.  Pipe quiets and comforts us by telling animal stories he inherited from generations of his forebears in western African.

THE GIRL AND BOY WHO NEVER WENT OUTSIDE – A synopsis of my children’s picture book, Read This Book Outside, this story dramatizes the perils of too much TV and video games and the joys of outside play in natural settings. 

My latest projects include 2 children’s books to be published in 2009 by BookSurge.com, an Amazon.com affiliate. 

• A, B C and U, commissioned by the Stone County Arts Council, will be a 3^rd grade level book which features wood cuts of Mississippi plants and animals by young southern artists.

• Read This Book Outside, illustrated by Mississippi artist Kelly Varner, will tell the story of a brother and sister who left video games behind in favor of free-play adventures in a forest near their home.

I am preparing song, story and face-painting adventures for young Summer Readers based on the themes of these books.

In my work with the Rankin County Environmental Learning Lab and with the Earth Lab at Gray Center, I work in the woods with student and adult groups teaching compass and GPS skills, natural systems, water quality, etc.  More information is available upon request.

Include Thanksgiving programs on Pilgrims and Indians

Presentations at civic organizations on subject of Children and Nature,

Teacher training:

Elementary music teachers:  using songs to help teach science

elementary teachers: using PowerPoint and LCD projector for lesson presentation. 

Guitar and singing workshop for shy persons (2 hours)

Arts in Education projects:  McWillie El music and art program on school history and heritage;   Oak forest music and art program on nature play and science for k-2

Libraries: summer reading programs:  book writing, face painting, bubbles, tall tales, songs and stories of nature

How to use map and compass:  RCELL and Gray Center John brings compasses to your school for warm-up skills:  then students travel to the camp to find their way through a compass course in the woods

GPS for scouts, ROTC and other groups

Music for festivals

Song writing for your school or organization:  John wrote songs for Stone County Arts Association educational project