Classroom Speakers-Extensions and Option

Classroom Guest Speakers

Options and Extensions for Teachers

There are many options for classroom guest speakers who can talk to your students about natural disasters and health risks. It is also an excellent way to infuse career information into your natural disaster topics.

911 operators can talk about some of the calls they get during disasters (edited, of course) and some health issues that are related to disaster threats in your area. They can give the students valuable tips for calling 911 and being more effective in talking to a 911 operator. (911 operators say even adults don’t get this right.) They can emphasize the importance of knowing what to say and how that will result in getting help more quickly.

Also see the How to Make a 911 Call activity on this site.

Emergency personnel (EMTs) can talk about some of the emergencies they see due to disasters or other environmental threats.

Firefighters can present information on fire safety, what to do in case of a fire, and what to do so fires aren’t accidentally started. This is especially relevant if students live in a wildfire-prone area.

Health department officials can talk about health issues of the local area and what the health department does to keep the community safe.

University experts. Tap into local university or community college experts on any of the disaster or health topics. For example, geologists can talk to your students about volcanoes or atmospheric scientists may talk about tornadoes, hurricanes or other severe weather events. Nursing faculty can demonstrate first aid techniques and proper monitoring of vital signs or discuss healthy lifestyle practices.

TV meteorologists may visit your classroom and talk about severe weather events. They can explain in simple terms what causes them and what students can do during a specific severe weather event. These experts are often “personalities” in the community and the students will like meeting and talking with them. (Also, TV meteorologists are likely to agree to make a school appearance and most will already have been on school visits.)

NOAA officials. Find out if there is a NOAA office near you. A meteorologist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may visit your classroom to discuss severe weather events. You can find a map of National Weather Service Forecast Offices at https://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/marine_map.htm

Even if there is not an office in your town or city, a NOAA official may be willing to come to your classroom. (It never hurts to ask.)

USGS officials. Find out if there is a USGS field office, laboratory, or center near you. A scientist from the United States Geological Survey may visit your classroom to discuss a variety of topics, depending on the location. USGS offices include seismological labs, water science centers, climate adaptation centers, fish and wildlife research units, coastal and marine life resource programs, and many more.

Find a complete list of 325 locations throughout the U.S. at

https://www.usgs.gov/connect/locations

Class visit to a TV station. Students will be able to see how the weather is predicted and delivered during the news broadcast. Students will likely come away with something from the station. (Field trips may be limited in times of covid or other viral outbreaks.)

Consider having 2 guest speakers at the same time. Maybe partner a disaster “field” specialist with a health official or emergency responder so each can give their perspective on the event. Of course, you will have to coordinate the two guest speakers’ topics and make sure both are comfortable with presenting this way. A meeting prior to the scheduled event is helpful.

A good way to work this one is to arrange for one guest speaker and then ask that speaker if he/she has any ideas of someone else who would present with them. Describe what you have in mind. They will probably know of a colleague that will be willing to present with them. This way, you know the speakers will be completely comfortable with each other. You will get a better experience for the students and a better experience for your guests.

Now that you have a guest speaker…..

► Having a guest speaker at your school and in your classroom is a great opportunity to address many goals you have for your students. Attention to a few details can greatly improve the chances that you’ll have a wonderful experience for your students and the speakers and ensure that the next time you ask the speakers to come, they will be eager to visit again.

► A guest speaker can talk to your students about career paths in their chosen fields, the education or training they had to have to attain their position, and even something about salaries or wages.

► Having a guest speaker also allows you to bring the community into your classroom. Students find out how organizations in their community work to keep them safe or how professors at local universities or community colleges do research.

► It also allows your school to be more of a focus for community professionals. Some of the speakers may be mostly unaware of the educational programs offered by your school. They will enjoy getting to meet your students and becoming involved in your classroom activities.

A little preparation goes a long way….

► Have students submit a question to ask the guest speaker. You may want them to submit it first to you for approval. Tell them, in this way, they will be interviewing the guests.

► To extend the “lesson”, have the students write the answer to their question on a card during the presentation. When all the questions and answers are displayed together on the classroom bulletin board or in the hall, the class will have a complete interview of a community official or professional.

► Make sure your guest speakers know that a key part of their presentation to your class will be about careers in a related science/disaster topics/etc. If your guest speaker does not bring the subject up him/herself, simply say “I know all the students want to know how you first got interested in _____ and how you started your career.” Questions from the students and discussions from the speakers should flow from there.

► With any guest speaker, you should take pictures to post to school news or to simply hang in your classroom to remember the event. (Remember to get Model Release forms signed by anyone who visits your classroom if you take pictures.)

► Make sure your students know they should thank the speakers for taking their valuable time to talk to their class. Thank-you’s and appropriate applause will make a good impression of your students’ behavior and interests and of your classroom management.

Other Extensions

“Partner” schools
Contact a school in another area that may have been affected by a disaster and ask if they will connect to your school to share stories. The partner school could be in another state that experienced a different disaster or it could be a school that has been affected by the same disaster event that affected your school.

A video connection would be particularly powerful. The students in each class could discuss the disaster event, share stories, and learn how things worked out in each community.

Your students can discuss their work on the Natural Disasters & Health program and present short summaries of any activities they have done.

“Regular” class discussions

Has a student in the class lived somewhere else and experienced a different disaster or had a different risk? Do they want to talk about the differences? Health problems or concerns?

Include all students in the discussion. Students who experienced a disaster or emergency will have stories to tell. Encourage them to relate what they learned from the experience, such as what they could do to stay safe to prepare for the emergency.

WARNING: If you know that a child in your classroom has experienced a major loss from the disaster or emergency, you may not want to encourage them to talk about it. A child may have lost relatives or pets or even their home in a disaster and will be further traumatized if they have to relive it.

Listening to other students’ accounts, however, may help them deal with theirs. Be particularly aware of how your students are reacting and decide when to stop the lesson without calling undue attention to their strong feelings.