Author Visits / Presentation Descriptions

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How to tell your own story
Grades K-2
50 minutes
Audience: limited to 100 students
This presentation is lively and interactive. Through play acting and slides, Ben shares his adventures of raising his bear named Buffy and teaches the children how to tell their own stories.

Becoming the Author of your own life
Grades 3-6 or 6-8
1 hour (if wanted -add 15 minutes for questions and answers)
Audience: limited to 250 students
By recounting his own struggles to become a writer, author Ben Mikaelsen empowers students to realize their own potential. Ben's goal is to motivate students to try reading and writing on their own. He finishes this talk with a slide show offering a humorous look into a day in the life of an author. If students have not had the opportunity to hear Ben speak before, this presentation is a must!

Writing is Story Telling-a writing workshop
Grades 3-6 or 6-8
1 hour
Audience: limited to 50 students
In a humorous, hands on way, Ben teaches the art of storytelling. From story construction to character building, Ben teaches methods and techniques that help a story come alive. Because writing is story telling, the goal is to help students come away with a better understanding of how to create a stronger story. This talk is aimed at the student who already loves to write and tell stories.

Positive Teaching Methods
Adult/Educator Workshops
2-3 hours
Audience: any size
Ben's travels have taken him from elite private schools and large inner city schools to Athabascan villages in the Yukon. These experiences have brought Ben to ask how we can create positive children in a negative world. Ben examines three questions educators need to ask: What are we teaching? Why are we teaching? How are we teaching? During this motivational and thought provoking presentation, Ben examines the greatest challenge that educator's face: How to help children become the authors of their own lives.

Working with At-Risk Students
Adult/Educators Workshops
2-3 hours
Audience: any size
In this presentation, Ben discusses his difficulties as a child learning to read and write English as a second language. Growing up in South American boarding schools gave Ben first hand experience with educational systems where rote knowledge and absolute discipline were revered. Thirty years of escaping the attitudes and limitations instilled during this rigid period gave Ben a new perspective on education. His insights will help teachers and librarians to better understand the needs of their At-Risk students.

Censorship
Grades 9-12 or Educators Workshops
1-2 hours
Audience: any size
From an author's viewpoint, Ben discusses his experiences and insights into the censorship issue. How does it effect the writer, the educator, and most importantly, the child's education?

Research: Finding the Heart of a Story

Grades 9-12 or Keynote speech for Conferences*, Luncheons, Dinners, etc.

1-2 hours
Audience: any size
 Ben discusses the challenges faced in creating his books. A slide presentation allows a wonderful view inside Ben's research as he tries to uncover the "soul of a story". These experiences include raising a 700-pound black bear, living with the homeless, working with Dolphins, attending Space camp, going undercover with Drug Enforcement Agents and living with the Maasai in Africa. The diversity of Ben's writing and research is what has made his books so appealing to students. This presentation is both informative and entertaining.

Writers Workshop
Grades 9-12 and Adults
1-2 hours
Audience: any size
Designed specifically for aspiring writers, Ben discusses methods and techniques to help bring a story alive. He talks in depth about both the writing and publishing process. Ben encourages writers through his own experiences of rejections and perseverance.
*Ben also has other talks that can be tailored to the specific needs of a conference.

For information regarding conferences
                  or school appearances contact:                  ben@benmikaelsen.com
phone/fax: 406-587-3068