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Talking RV to a Kindergarten Class

DeltaRomeo

DeltaRomeo

doug reeves: unfluencer
Staff member
So the yoga instructor said to me the other day, "Why don't you talk to Tate's kindergarten class about your airplane?" Idea planted. I met with the teacher this morning before class and brought a picture of Flash. Her first question was, "Would it be possible for you to talk to all the classes at once (80 kids)?" Sure! She's going to get back to me with a date/time for the talk, then I'm hoping to do a flyover the next day at a predetermined time - I'll give her my handheld radio and hold over the lake until she calls me in. She wants to coordinate with the principal to make sure it isn't conflicting with anything, but this could turn into a bigger deal than we envisioned to begin with (isn't this always the case <g>).
I want to make a good impression with the kids, especially my son's friends! I also have a sneaking feeling that I will get the chance to do this with every kindergarten class from here on out, so I want to make sure I touch all the right bullet points: safety, learning math, paying attention, etc.
My question: Is there a syllabus for a speech like this already compiled by another member (VAF, EAA, AOPA) that I can use as a start. I'm also thinking about contacting a local reporter (stories) so I can use this as an example of a positive GA story. I'll have a Powerpoint presentation on the laptop showing construction photos, photos from the air and all that. Real classy like.
What a wonderful opportunity. How many times does your Dad bring an airplane to 'Show and Tell'? Tate's sort of excited, but he thinks all families have an airplane. ;^)

Best always,
Doug
 
short and sweet

make it short and sweet. careful on answering questions. dont be distracted by the number that arent interested. focus on those that are. did you say 80 :eek: . may the force be with you. ;)
 
Those are the thoughts I've been having also. Maybe I'll just bring my acoustic and sing the SpongeBob Squarepants song <g>
 
I have the same opportunity and would appreciate the benefit of your experience and resources. Children keep us young and inventive! What about the possibility of taking your show on the road?
 
Talking to the class

Doug,

AOPA has a handbook titled "PATH to Aviation" pilot and teacher handbook. It is probably down loadable...however, I e-mailed AOPA to send me one. Its principal message is how to bring Aviation to America's Secondary Schools Students.

If it is not down loadable let me know and I'll let you borrow my copy.

Bill Pappas
 
Opportunity knocks

What a great opportunity. I only wish I had been building my RV when my kids were younger. Good for you!!
From what I remember at that age, #1 priority is to make it both funny and exciting. This accomplished and you are guaranteed 100% attention levels from all, at which point you can influence to your hearts content for the continuance and betterment of GA and especially RV's.
 
Have Fun !

Hey Doug, welcome to the world of "doing PR's" as we call it....

When I get the privilege of talking to the very young, I usually find that:

1) The ones that will ask questions will all ask them simultaneously. Don't let it snow you. Stay focused - pick one and answer. The noise will continue. Pick another and answer. It's like wading through a pool of guppies...

2) They will ask questions you have never thought of. "Can I take my pet flying?" "What happens if you fall out?" They got questions, you got answers....

3) As soon as you point at one child who has their hand raised, they will begin telling you a long story about their goldfish....there is supposed to be a question at the end of the story, but sometimes, there isn't. I like the multiple questions at once problem better....pick the ones you want!

You think I'm kidding? I am....but I'm not! That's what makes it fun. Hope you survive. ;)

Paul
 
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I just did a brief flyby and show and tell for 80 kindergarten kids last week at Fabens, a small airport (E35) near El Paso, after a teacher friend casually asked if I'd show the kids my plane (RV6A). THe FBO keyed the radio as I did a couple of high speed low passes so I could hear the kids scream and applaud. I got as big a thrill out of it as the kids did. Afterwards, we lined the kids up behind each wing and lifted them up on the wings to take a quick peek in the cockpit. I'll never forget the wide eyes and breathless expressions on their faces. I even got asked for a few autographs! THe word is already out throughout the school district and I'm afraid I'll have to repeat the experience... dagnabbit!! You'll really enjoy it, Doug.
 
If I'm getting the gist of this, Paul, I should:

1. Show Rudy's construction video on the big screen

2. Put on my SpongeBob Squarepants costume while they are watching it.

3. Pour a bucket of water over my head and run out the door.



This is gonna be fun. I think I'll see if I can do smaller groups - maybe I'll go to each class separately. Next day flyover around 0830 - maybe a formation pass with some of the usual suspects.



Tate asked if I could throw candy out on the flyover.



That kid is awesome .
 
kindergarten kids - a tip for the big group

Doug, you might suggest to the teacher(s) that they brainstorm a list of questions with each class, and give you the lists ahead of time. Give them a link to a website showing names of airplane parts (say hello Google).

You can have a lot of fun asking Mrs Cowabunga's class to stand up and sit down when you've answered their question. This will cut down on the stories they'll tell you about their airplane (toys) or dinosaur toy that once flew an airplane with their imaginary friend who skydived out to land at our school once. This happened to me in a small group. With 80 it'll be chaos.

I don't know about learning aids for that age group, but my daughter's school had a PWIM (picture-word induction model??? me engineer, not teacher) scenario with airport and airplanes. Perhaps Paul Rosales would be a good guy to tag for this - doesn't he substitute-teach to buy avgas?

In any group of littles I've dealt with at an exciting event, somebody had to pee, but wouldn't leave the area. Super absorbent santa suit, anyone?

I'd have an unobtrusive bucket handy to rinse off the airplane.

Good luck. I think we are all looking forward to hearing how this turns out.
 
Doug, be careful about having the teacher call you on the radio. She won't have a radio station license and, technically, it will be illegal for her to transmit on VHF frequencies.

Chances of anyone from the FCC finding out/caring? Probably slim to none. But I've been studying for a HAM license and it sure seems to me that there are some people who take this stuff seriously. Just sayin....
 
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Good point, Jeff.
I couldn't see more than me saying on 122.75 "Krash flight ready", her saying "Come on" then me saying "be there in 30 seconds".
We'll keep it brief.

b,
d


jrsites said:
Doug, be careful about having the teacher call you on the radio. She won't have a radio station license and, technically, it will be illegal for her to transmit on UHF frequencies.

Chances of anyone from the FCC finding out/caring? Probably slim to none. But I've been studying for a HAM license and it sure seems to me that there are some people who take this stuff seriously. Just sayin....
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Never had the chance to talk to kindergardeners about RVs, but I have had the honor of addressing the class in my police uniform. Talking to 5-6 year olds is not at all like talking to kids twice that age (like you don't know that.) They will all be shouting and asking questions and it will be a zoo. Don't try to hard to control it, just let kids be kids. It is a blast.

Oh, and they love gadgets to play with. Handcuffs are always a crowd pleaser, if you have yours handy;) Otherwise some kid-safe RV tools would really get a rave review (I'm not thinking side-grip clecos or right-cut snips, but an old, botched rib well deburred and a used scotchbrite wheel couldn't hurt anyone.)
 
You talked to kids?

sprucemoose said:
Never had the chance to talk to kindergardeners about RVs, but I have had the honor of addressing the class in my police uniform. Talking to 5-6 year olds is not at all like talking to kids twice that age (like you don't know that.) They will all be shouting and asking questions and it will be a zoo. Don't try to hard to control it, just let kids be kids. It is a blast.

)
Click to expand...

It is a frightening thought that your bosses let you talk to kids. All I'm picturing is Hackleberry pulling out the big gun and threatening the little tricycle motors. A PR nightmare that takes your bosses weeks to unravel. :eek:
 
Another good audience would be the Jr. High kids. I know when I was still in school, I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career. Maybe put a sparkle in some kids eyes and keep GA around for a long time.
 
My wife is a kindergarten teacher. I just asked her for suggestions:

Set ground rules right away - e.g. Raise your hand if you have a question, sit on your bottom, etc.

Bring something for them to look at - pictures :D, aircraft parts, etc.

Speak slowly and use simple words. If you use a word or term they won't understand, take a second to explain it or give simple examples.

Be ready for anything. I was in her class talking about computers and asked if there were any questions. A little guy raised his hand and said, "What's you favorite color shirt?"

Have fun.
 
Keep it simple

Doug,

I've done a lot of these presentations with the art thing , I learned to keep my side of the presentation as simple as I could because I could always bet that the kids would complicate it very quickly. Good idea to show Rudi's video I know it fascinated me for a while.I'm sure You'll do just fine.
 
Doug,

My wife is a kindergarten teacher (which is why she and I get along so well...).

She says use lots a visuals - pictures, a model, airplane parts, etc... She said if you try to just talk to them you'll lose 'em almost immediately.

LOL - I just saw Jim posted the same thing...
 
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I thought that rule went out ages ago, or is it the case that pilots no longer need the license, but non-pilots do?

DeltaRomeo said:
Good point, Jeff.
I couldn't see more than me saying on 122.75 "Krash flight ready", her saying "Come on" then me saying "be there in 30 seconds".
We'll keep it brief.

b,
d
Click to expand...
 
visual aides

I'll bet you could find 26 volunteers to create an aluminum A, B, C,... each 4-5 inches tall. Some might even be riveted together. These could be passed around and left as a memento.

I'd sign up for something easy like an "L" and leave Q, R, S etc for someone more artistic.

Let me know if I should get out my stencil. I'd even have MY kindergartener help.

Carter
 
Dgamble said:
I thought that rule went out ages ago, or is it the case that pilots no longer need the license, but non-pilots do?
Click to expand...

technically, jeff is correct. you don't need a station license for the transmitter in your airplane unless you are flying out of the country. you also don't need the restricted operator's permit that used to be required (was when i got my private). but to operate an aircraft band transceiver not mounted in an aircraft requires a station license. (fcc rule, not faa)

however, as jeff also said, the odds of being charged with a violation for this use are extremely small, barring some over-zealous or anal-retentive newby. now, if you were using a handheld to try to redirect a commercial airline, they'd add this violation to the others you probably committed.
 
johnp said:
technically, jeff is correct. you don't need a station license for the transmitter in your airplane unless you are flying out of the country. you also don't need the restricted operator's permit that used to be required (was when i got my private). but to operate an aircraft band transceiver not mounted in an aircraft requires a station license. (fcc rule, not faa)
Click to expand...

I think this is one of those "It ain't illegal unless you get caught" rules. I seriously doubt the FCC has its triangulation vans sitting around your neighborhood right now...
 
We've had about 60 first-graders to the airport for show and tell. Naratives lost their attention, visuals caught it. What really rivited them was any participation of their familiar adults, the teachers. For sure get a teacher to operate the "stick and rudder", even if you gotta do it with a broomstick and chair. In their little minds the teachers are real people; they are fascinated with the idea that old Mrs Bilgewater could actually be a pilot and thus they could too.

Some say that KG and first grade is too young. My Mom (still the best!) bought me a ride in the back seat of a Cessna when I was 5 years old. That was 46 years ago and I still remember bits of it. It sticks.
 
Hook 'em, Young....

DanH said:
Some say that KG and first grade is too young. My Mom (still the best!) bought me a ride in the back seat of a Cessna when I was 5 years old. That was 46 years ago and I still remember bits of it. It sticks.
Click to expand...

Yup! My first ride was as a five-year-old in the back seat of a Cessna float plane on Lake Bemidji - I can still remember every detail, right down to the way it smelled!

Paul
 
Just a little off topic, but a co-worker's wife was telling me about the time the police officer came to the kindergarden class she was substituting for in a not so nice area of Fresno.

The officer really played to his audience, and had them all wound up. He said, "All right class, what phone number do you dial when you need to talk to the police in an emergency?" The kids all yelled back, "911!". He continued, "OK, now when do you call 911?" There was a pause for a while, then a little boy said, "When Mommy stabs Daddy", then another kid yelled, "Yea, when my uncle gets shot!".

Needless to say, the officer changed the subject quickly.

Mark
 
Recent experience here

I just did the Kinder deed a few weeks ago. My son's class teacher asked me to talk about my RV. I just brought my picture book of construction images, an access hole cover, piece of angle, and a cleco. Kids seemed to really like it. Just kept it simple and short. Now every time I drop off or pick up my son from school, the kids say, "hey look, it's Skyler's airplane daddy!"

They DO remember, and I enjoyed it!
 
Talking to Students

Doug,
What a great ambassador for GA and RV's you are!

Here's a link to Boeing's web site that I often use in schools.

Perhaps you or someone else will find this useful. Be sure and click on the "Flash" link to see an interactive graphic of how an airplane flies.

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/safety/how_airplanes_fly.html

Don

P.S. Wernher von Braun used to go into schools here in Huntsville and talk to school children. He encouraged his engineers to find the time to do likewise. NASA now has a group of volunteers who continue this practice. Doug, be sure and tell us how it went with Tate's school group.
 
Little Humans

Doug,

Young humans are all about touching and seeing. They will have a very short attention span for anything coming out of your mouth unless it’s shocking or “very cool”. I would stay away from construction data except some basic ideas like number of parts, number of total hours. I would mount some of your coolest pictures in 11X14 format on cardboard so they can pass them around the room. There is something about holding it in front of your face in your own little hands that makes it more real for them.

Start with something off the wall to grab their attention like “ Do you know we all live in soup!” then get them to fan one hand in front of the other so they can feel the soup. Maybe do a short gravity demonstration with an apple and a feather. Of course, the King Daddy demonstration would be if you could load them all into a bus and take them to an airport where they can touch and see the plane and maybe another in construction like the previous poster.

Good Luck, remember…. See….. touch……. shock and awe. :eek:
 
Wonderfu

Be ready for the "Crash Question" and bring a model of Flash or of another plane (Try to find a soft one , i.e. toy).. Kids like to touch and feel when explained too.. Please do not do the "death by powerpoint". Just show pictures and no text. Do not dwell keep it moving. Also if you the have a video and audio of Flash flying would be wonderful.


Enjoy

I do KG classes for NASA occasionally. Talking about Rockets...
 
Let the fun begin :>)

Doug,
You have been given some good advice. As a Previous elementary teacher (Computer apps.) I can tell you that your head may start swimming if you open it up to questions. The Keeping it short and sweet will work best as their attention span is shorter than mine...hard to believe. Also, you could get the brocures mentioned put out by AOPA...but I would call and try to get the plastic pilot wings. They will be a hit. The papers will prbably be over their heads.
Dan Billingsley
 
but I would call and try to get the plastic pilot wings
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Yeah, my wife said if you give any doodads out then at the beginning promise to give one to whichever kid is the best behaved - then at the end tell them you've got one for everybody & you're giving them to the teachers to pass out.

Careful with those wings - not sure if they have pins on them but if so, I'd ask the teacher first.
 
Plastic wings

Doug,

I may be able to dig up some plastic wings. Just let me know where to send them.
 
This is a great service Doug...I hope you have lots of fun!

Actually, I had my kindergarten class (when I was in it) take a field trip over to the local airport, and my father had his Cessna Cardinal there for show-and-tell as well. It was a lot of fun and both students and teachers loved it!

As an instructor at Ohio State flight school, I did several dozen tours for kids ranging in age from preschool to high school. It's always fun, and here would be a few tips that I picked up:

1. Preschoolers attention span is about .0002 seconds without something to look at. Like was already mentioed, have pictures and toys.

1a. I've taken the time before to make paper airplanes for all the kids as a reward for paying attention. If you can get the wife and/or some friends and make some paper airplanes, the kids will love them.

2. Have help. We finally came up with 1 adult for each 15 kids. 80 is way too many to handle by yourself.

3. Make sure they know not to touch anything. I always hated seeing kids banging on the tail or hanging from static wicks when I looked at the group.

3a. Make sure adults know not to touch too. I always hated seeing adults in the front swinging props on their own.

4. Keep it moving (and short). They aren't going to understand what a cherry max rivet is, they want to know how fast it goes and how many people it holds. The simpler it is, the better.

5. If you have a handheld radio, turn it on to unicom/tower/whatever is available. That'll keep their attention too.

6. Make sure people are watching all the kids. I've seen bored kids try to wander out onto the ramp without anyone watching...could be a bad day!

7. As someone already stated, all you're going to hear is how each kid has flown on Southwest to Disneyland...be ready for lots of stories when you ask for questions. It may be best to have questions in the end.


Good luck and let us know how it goes :)
 
Current plan...

...is to show Rudi's video and pass around a piece of a flap. Answer one or two questions then have them do the AOPA connect the dots pictures of famous airplanes.

The next day I'll do a flyover of the school yard with the kids outside (maybe turns into a couple of formation passes).

Great fun planning this!

b,
dr
 
Gary Bricker

I did this for a second grade advanced class last fall. The teacher had already been teaching about airplanes and what makes them fly. I took a RC high wing to class and talked, with a powerPoint also, about all the parts she had been teaching about so they could relate. At a later date she brought them to Pecan Plantation for a field trip and I had several fellow pilots bring different aircraft to our parking area, including a helicopter. I had them look at my 7A under construction also. This was very entertaining and enlightening on what these young folks know already.
 
let um squeeze a few rivets. Or bring a tank of air and let them buck a few. I have done a riveting seminar at a few aviation events and the kids just can't get enough of it. make sure they wear the hearing protection.
 
Everybody know where the tank sump drain is located on a J-3, middle of belly, just in front of the gear legs?

Put an unsuspecting teacher in the front seat. Brief her on moving the stick and rudder pedals for the demonstration, plus how to "pull up on this hose when I give you the signal". Sometime later in the show and tell, like at the end of "preflight inspection" ask the kids 'What is the last thing your mom makes you do before a long ride?" Give the teacher the signal.

Trust me, first-graders think the sight of a J-3 taking a leak is hilarious <g>
 
The trip sounds like fun. I've done quite a few "show and tells" for my kids and kids at an elementary our company "adopted". But I'm just not too sure about kindergarten. 3rd grade+, and they might be interested for 10-20 minutes with lots of visuals and some action. K-2, IMVHO, they're still just a little young.

One of the more successful visits I made was giving a demo and some hands-on to 4th & 5th graders with an RC plane. They each got about a minute of stick time with a buddy box. The grand finale was me dropping a load of candy out of the bomb bay of the plane. The plan was, drop the candy over the open school yard (away from us), land, then the kids go get the candy. When they saw the candy drop, they took off like a herd of stampeding cattle! Bad idea on the candy drop...

Best wishes and good luck!
 
DeltaRomeo said:
..

The next day I'll do a flyover of the school yard with the kids outside (maybe turns into a couple of formation passes),
dr
Click to expand...

Hey let me know when you do that ...I'll play hookey to watch. And maybe have the wife who's been subbing there watch as well so she rememebers what a great idea this airplane build is :D
 
Hey Doug,

Here was my daughter's class doing their Transportation field trip. They came out to the airport and everyone got to "fly" the plane!

2004-05-12_08-31-55.jpg
 
Hey Doug,

I got to do this with all 4 of my kids when they came through 4th grade. Each student gets to be "Star Student" for a week, and the parents get to come in and do something special with the class. I brought in construction photos of the RV, pieces of aluminum (deburred) and fiberglass, as well as 4130 tubing and some fabric, a non-functional turn coordinator and compass, old sectionals, and a wooden prop. I had transparencies (for the overhead projector) of different kinds of airplanes, and we talked about how they were used for different reasons (military, cargo, transport, sport, business, etc.) I touched briefly on aircraft construction, weather, navigation, and the instruments in the panel. Cockpit photos of a 172 are available from Sporty's just for asking, and are great for illustration and for handouts.

At the end of the class, I invited them all to come to the airport the following Saturday for a Young Eagle ride! About 1/3 of them came out, and it was a great day for everyone. I even got to give the teacher a ride - complete with aileron rolls!! One of the parents just sighed and said, "Great, how am I going to top that when my son is Star Student....."

Good luck,

Danny Kight
"Speedy"
 
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