The ASPB's guidelines for Scientists regarding Education is extremely helpful!

On preparing presentations:

"I remember how I felt when I was a kid and heard about NASA. I want the public to feel like that again."

• What did you think of when you were a kid and you thought of NASA? Wow
• NASA, man on the moon, etc. Kids still have that same impression. Don't try to give too much info - if you're talking to kids, just try to talk to make sure the things you do tell them are good - don't worry about having to tell them everything, or they'll get nothing out of it.
• When speaking to adults, when they think of NASA, they think of different things - the shuttle, the trouble the shuttle program is having, space station, Hubble...usually not a whole lot more. Understand where they're coming from and what their concerns are.

"I find great pictures and I wing the verbal."

• Kids rarely take the time to read the words on the screen. In most presentations, the words aren't even complete sentences, and it's really confusing to have words on the screen which are different than what you're saying.
• Kids consider reading to be "work," and they shouldn't have to work during your presentation!! Their learning is are much more verbal than adults. Adults tend to learn better with visual reinforcement, so having written explanations in your presentation can increase your impact.

"If you work on a project, you should be prepared to talk about it."

• Personalize your presentation - people might be curious about what you do. An adult audience especially will be curious about your work.
• It's important to not just talk about the same thing the whole time. Instead of only talking about the science, an adult audience will be interested in how the project is funded, and whether there are any direct benefits to society/themselves - make sure you connect.
• Decide in advance one or two things you want them to learn or remember. Generally, people remember very little after a few weeks. Consider sacrificing a lot of the detail in favor of reinforcing the central points.

• Beware of too many technical terms! Especially ones you aren't sure you can fully explain. If you're not sure they'll be able to understand, consider dropping it.
• If you venture into "difficult" territory, try to come up with good analogies. For example, maybe they won't understand when you talk about wavelengths. However, you can show infrared or x-ray images of people, along with visible light images to show the utility of imaging in different wavelengths. A lot of the kids will have seen the movie "Spy Kids." Explain that looking at different wavelengths on the Sun is like looking at different "layers," and remind them of how they used different wavelengths of light (red and blue) to view the 3D movie. You could also mention rainbows: most people remember ROYGBIV.
• Often pictures speak for themselves. For example, the picture of the Sun with the "actual size" Earth. You don't need any science or even any explanation if you show the solar image with the dinky Earth on it.

If you're really interested in doing a lot of presentations, or if you're extremely nervous, it never hurts to take a public speaking course! Goddard has a Toastmasters Club where you can practice giving presentations and get pointers from peers..

• Move around!! Standing in the same place gets old fast - use the remote control to advance the presentation. Pointing with your hand (if possible) is much more effective to show children something than a little dot from a laser pointer.
• Be sure to show personality - be funny.
• When speaking to adults: Establish your credibility right off
• Who you are, how long, education, what you do, interests. When speaking to kids: Don't bother establishing credibility - "I work at NASA" is more than enough. Young ones won't know the difference between a scientist, an engineer, a resource analyst, etc.
• Bring something that goes onto a rocket or has actually flown, such as a nose cone or other piece of equipment.

• "I'll have to get back to you - I'd rather give you the right answer than one that's not exactly true."
• If they ask you a question and you don't know the answer, tell them you'll be happy to get back to them. The scientists do this all the time. No one can be expected to know everything, but if they're really curious, tell them you can email them (or their class) later.
• Find some questions with cool answers. Perhaps if you can't answer a particular question, you can answer a related question which is much more interesting! If they ask you how much radiation a solar storm creates, instead of feeling like you have to answer in terms of energetic particles per cubic centimeter, you can talk about how storms have knocked out satellites, and how the threat is real enough that you have radiation effects people working on each mission to protect them. Often you don't have to answer their "boring" question - come up with a more fun answer to a more exciting question! You can "tai chi" a tough question into a more interesting question you can answer.
• There are tons of FAQ pages. "Ask Dr. SOHO" has been answering questions from the public for years - send them to one of those pages, tell them they'll get a response from a NASA scientist!
• Give some examples of nifty resources - your favorite educational web pages, pages with real-time data and space weather.
• Solar Max Movies - Blackout movie - how to order, etc.
• If you're talking to teenagers or young adults, you probably will want to convince them that becoming a scientist or an engineer is a good option for a career. Be ready for them to take you up on the offer! Go to the education page to get info on NASA internships at http://education.gsfc.nasa.gov/pages/placement.html Also, check out www.nasajobs.nasa.gov if you want an idea of what jobs are currently available.

On handouts and freebies:

• If you're speaking to kids, give out the goodies at the end of the presentation.
• Bring a bunch of different posters to help decorate the classroom. If you can, check with the teacher to see if you can send them ahead of time so they'll get used to seeing the posters. (We have poster mailer tubes)
• Make sure that the materials you give aware are educational - the pens, folders and other promo materials don't usually impress the kids, contain no information, and in this case are just a waste of money. Anything you'd give away at a trade show, don't bother giving away at a school.
• Bring the business cards that list education web pages.

Ken's "hooks":

Young Kids:

For kids, talk about astronauts, moon landing - they expect it since you're from NASA! Heard it on the news later (November 1997 radiation storms)

Teenagers and Young Adults:

Try to link to their interest - especially the entertainment industry. Have you ever heard of Third Eye Blind? A SOHO image was on the album cover. All SOHO images are public domain, and Third Eye Blind decided to use it for their album cover.

Have you heard of themovie "Frequency?" They mention SOHO and space weather. References to popular phenomena are a great way to connect.

Adults/ General Audience:

• Specifics of your job, especially interesting anecdotes and stories, break up the presentation a bit and allow them to connect with you. For example, telling about the SOHO recovery effort is an interesting and dramatic tale (but not so much for little kids).
• Show a launch movie! Invite them to imagine what it was like to work for years on a mission, watch it piled up on tons of explosives and launched into space.
• Download some real-time images! Let them know where they can find Real-time images, real-time contact,the "Sun right now."
• "My PDA..." (holds up PDA) "... is more powerful than all the processors on SOHO."
• Think about what 5 years of technology means - cell phones, digital cameras, powerful laptops - pagers are almost obsolete.

As you review the available materials, please keep in mind the following:

• Your target audience: students, general public, senior citizens, special scout groups etc.
• The average age of your audience: select materials best suited for their comprehension and skill levels
• Anticipate the number of participants: some materials are better suited for individual or small groups, and others are best for larger audiences
• Amount of time you are allotted: review your content and practice your presentation to make certain you can complete everything you have planned. Often you can work with the teacher or group organizer to do some advance preparation or follow-up activities to make what would be a short 30 minute visit more of an extended activity
• Recommendations for students:
  • Preschool - 3rd graders typically have short attention spans and need assistance with activities involving small muscle coordination (using scissors, gluing or painting small objects). Do well with visuals and manipulatives as well as physical activities.
  • Straightforward slide presentations can be spruced up with a few movie clips and/or the use of models.
  • Information and new ideas are retained longer when presented in terms of real-life applications "How does this affect me? Why do I need or want to know?"
  • Let a volunteer play with a magnet, experiment with UV beads or track a sunspot. Better yet, if the group is small enough, let them each participate in some way.
  • Remember to have fun! If you are enthusiastic, they will be too!
• People of all ages love to get free NASA products: check with your project office for available goodies