Topics: Education, Poetry, Science/Technology, Writing

Community: Belle Fourche

Program Types: Speakers Bureau, Virtual Program(s), Young Readers One Book

bjornestadk@gmail.com | (307) 281-1600 | kathybjornestad.com

Rhymes from the Reef
K-6 Presentation. This visual, interactive presentation introduces students to Caribbean reef animals. It explores how the reef biome is shrinking because of climate change, the reef’s importance, and what we must do to save this important biome. The presentation includes a reading from my children’s poetry book, Rhymes from the Reef.

Bugs in the Backyard
K-6 Presentation: This visual, interactive presentation explores the differences between insects, bugs, and arachnids. Through poetry taken from my book, Bugs in the Backyard, we will explore characteristics of insects found in our own backyards. Students will learn how our planet’s changing climate is affecting pollinators and what we can do to help them.

Letting Place Inspire Your Writing
This workshop aims to inspire writing ideas and explore the power of place in poetry, essay, and fiction. Using a variety of writing examples ranging from my own pieces to those of literary greats such as Edgar Allen Poe, we will explore how place can inspire plot, create mood, and build character and theme. This visual, interactive workshop concludes with an opportunity to write the start of a story, character sketch, poem, or nonfiction piece based on photograph handouts.

How to Build a Story
This visual, interactive presentation is aimed at 4th-6th grade students. Employing my own experience in writing The Amazing Sunny York, a middle grade novel, I’ll share how I used place to jumpstart an idea, then added other elements such as character and theme to build a book.

A Long and Winding Road
This visual, interactive presentation is aimed at adult participants with a curiosity about how one constructs a complete novel, edits it effectively, and navigates the publication process.