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Programs

Go Wild!

A Scientific Look at the Magic in Our Own Backyard!

Join Safari Bob and his friends as they take your kids on a wild, imaginary tour of their backyards, neighborhoods, and community parks. Bob combines a unique blend of “education and entertainment” to creatively teach your young readers about the scientific process. Along the way students also learn interesting facts about animals, the environment and recycling. Using magic tricks, drama, puppets, stories, and music Bob makes reading and learning fun!

I had excited students coming in and asking for books. I love that! Thanks so much.

--Jane Evans, Media Specialist, Morgan Elementary

Using books from the Go Wild! Reading List, Bob introduces students to the scientific method. What we call the scientific method is actually a problem-solving method—one that can be used in many different environments. Once students learn how to use this method, they will have learned a valuable life skill.

Go Wild! supports standards set by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA); the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM); the Standards for English/Reading Language Arts, and the International Reading Association (IRA).

I appreciate you wanting to teach children curriculum through magic. You are one of a kind!

--Candace Birdsong; Stony Point South Elementary

Throughout the 45-55 minute presentation Dr. Bob identifies and defines important words and concepts from the Go Wild! Vocabulary List. The words are presented in context and then defined, which helps in creating a meaningful reason for the children to assimilate the information. Teachers may find it useful to include some of these words as bonus vocabulary words, spelling words, or simply weave them into other lesson plans.

"Go Wild makes learning fun. The students recall vocabulary words from the presentation for weeks following."

--Sue Erisley; Morris Elementary

In particular, the Go Wild! program allows students to experience various steps of the Scientific Method in the context of storytelling and drama. They will interact with Bob and be challenged to:

ask questions
observe situations
make a guess (form a hypothesis)
run experiments (test the hypothesis)
review the results
share conclusions

In addition to learning about the scientific process, students learn about the importance of recycling and how they can begin three simple steps to take ownership of their environment.

"Thank you for teaching us about metamorphosis, eagles, possums, frogs, and other animals. And thanks for teaching us about science, experimenting, and hypothesis."

--Dairionn; 5th grader

Benefits of the Go Wild! production:

supports statewide learning objectives in scientific inquiry
motivates children to read books
integrates science and reading with daily life
increases circulation of library books

I believe your presentation was probably the best one we've had in many, many years.

--Raimy Hester; Media Specialist, Lincoln Elementary

Top Secret

Psst! Want a great way to hook kids into reading while teaching important concepts about geography? If so, TOP SECRET is for you.

Join Secret Agent Bob as he takes young readers on an amazing mission solving clues that lead to tons of learning and fun in the library. Students will discover cryptic messages (Dewey Decimal numbers) that help them interpret maps, charts and photographs as they explore the world around them.

This program takes a subject that kids find irresistible, in this case secret agents and spy gadgets, combines it with magic, puppets, and clues to exciting mysteries, and suddenly the kids are captivated.

When Dr. Bob has their attention the subtle teaching about what is possible through reading books begins. At the end of the show the kids are all presented with their very own “Secret Agent Bookmark” which has a list of their “Training Objectives”. These objectives are a list of the subjects discussed in this program along with their Dewey Decimal numbers so the kids can find the books in the library. How many of your students currently carry around a list of Dewey Decimal numbers in their pockets? Kids who watch our programs do and they refer to them often as they try to read at least one book from each subject area.

Benefits of the TOP SECRET production:

supports statewide learning objectives in geographic relationships
motivates children to read books
integrates geography and reading with daily life
increases circulation of library books

The Arctic Express

This holiday season treat the kids to a program that’s trainloads of fun, filled with puppets, magic, storytelling, music, and audience participation. This train ride magically takes kids around the world to learn about winter holidays like: Diwali, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Lunar New Year, Ramadan, Hanukkah, and of course, Christmas.

Yes, the program is educationally significant (Dr. Bob can't help himself, after twenty years of presenting programs, he is obsessed with creating the most educational programs available without compromising entertainment value), and yes, the program strongly encourages children to read. But don’t think for a minute that the show is anything less than sheer delight for everyone, including teachers and staff. When you hear the sleigh bell ring at the end of the show, you won’t be the only one to wipe a tear from your eye.

This is a show children will remember for the rest of their lives.

Based on the statewide learning objectives for cultures and diversity, students also learn the importance of respect, the power of giving and the magic of sharing. In particular, the students will interact with Steve and be challenged to:

Value the similarities and differences in various winter celebrations
Recognize cultural expression through celebrations and rituals
Explain different celebrated holidays and cultural traditions
Be tolerant of the differences of others
Treat others with respect
Consider ways to give or share with those less fortunate

Benefits of the Arctic Express! production:

supports statewide learning objectives in cultures and diversity
motivates children to read books
integrates diverse cultures and reading with daily life
increases circulation of library books

Work Smarter: The Simple Machines Workshop

Available April 2007!

This hands-on workshop allows learners to handle wheels, pulleys, levers, wedges, incline planes and screws in a way that makes abstract concepts "concrete" (yes, the pun was intended!).

Bob Goodin comes in dressed as a construction worker, but the children from the audience are the ones who do the work.

Your tactile learners will come to life as they help figure out how to lift a 50 pound bucket of rocks with a 5 pound weight, and why a wedge is such a handy tool. Using levers your youngest students will be able to easily accomplish feats that NO human being can accomplish bare handed. This is a presentation that will be remembered and talked about for a VERY long time.

Teachers will have no problem tying lessons into the subjects taught. And because the program also promotes reading and media center resources, it is a program that everyone appreciates!

Throughout the program, the kids learn how simple machines help us “Work Smarter, Not Harder.”

Math-a-Magic:
Do the Impossible

Finally, an assembly program for 6th -12th graders that addresses their academic needs! Taught by a former AP Physics teacher and engineer at Hewlett Packard, this interactive program teaches your students statistics (ratios, probability, dependent events), exponents and factorials, and the concept of Pi and how to recall the value of Pi to seven digits. And the magic is tied to math books that are fun to read (yes, you read that right)! As with all of our programs, this one comes with a book list for the teacher/librarian.
And everything is taught in a fun, engaging, and stimulating way that guarantees your students will not only pay attention, but will retain the information taught. This is not a program only for the gifted students! In fact, those who have a hard time with math will get the most from this program.

As far as the kids are concerned, they see an entertaining program which features magic, tons of audience participation, and laughs. Without looking, one student correctly chooses the only red-backed card out of four choices. Three other students team up to accurately guess the one card that is reversed in a deck. Another student does a demonstration that has less than a 1 in 270,000 chance of success! But the real climax is when an effect is performed that should only succeed one time out of every 3.6 X 10^83 attempts!
Because of the interactive nature of the program, it works well when the presenter stays in one of the math classrooms and presents the program to each class individually. Or Math-A-Magic can be presented as an assembly for several classes grouped together. And remember, this program is so accurate, educational, and entertaining, that it comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. If you’re not thoroughly convinced after the program that your students have a newfound knowledge of and respect for mathematics, then you don’t pay a dime.

Click here to see the book list for Math-A-Magic

Audience age level: Middle School / Jr. High / High School Students
Length of performance: ~55 minutes

Catch the reading bug with this fun, new show

Bugs, Bees, and Circus Fleas

Bugs, Bees and Circus Flees

A Scientific Look at Living and Growing Things!

Join Safari Bob for an entertaining look at the world around us! Bugs, Bees, and Circus Fleas is a fun way to make science come to life! This exciting assembly program covers the life cycles of insects and plants, their importance to the ecosystem, how they help and harm humans, and more. Students will discover what makes the insect world the most diverse and largest animal group on the Earth.

Designed around K-5 statewide learning objectives in science, Bugs, Bees, and Circus Fleas causes students to learn while having fun at the same time. Your children will laugh at the antics of Furggie Frog (a puppet). They will be amazed as Safari Bob uses books, tricks, music and drama to illustrate fascinating things that live in their own backyard.

Bugs, Bees, and Circus Fleas is Bob’s latest educational program and will most likely be the most popular. Hurry and schedule this program early! Dates are disappearing fast.
Benefits of the Bugs. Bees, and Circus Fleas production:

supports statewide learning objectives in scientific inquiry
motivates children to read books
integrates science and reading with daily life
increases circulation of library books