Dr. Bennett speaks frequently to a variety of audiences. Click on the links below for details and to learn how to book Dr. Bennett for any of the following:
Elementary School Visits: Assemblies for children based on Max Goes to the Moon and Max Goes to Mars.
Teacher Workshops (primary or secondary): Space science topics including the scale of the universe; relativity and black holes; and the search for life in the universe.
Colloquia for College Mathematics Faculty: A faculty seminar on "Mathematics for Life: Are You Teaching Students What They Really Need?"
Colloquia for College Science Faculty: A faculty seminar on "Strategies for Teaching Science."
Public Lectures: Talks for the general public.
Other: Dr. Bennett's goal is to share his love of math and science with as many people as possible. If you have other ideas for engagements, please contact Dr. Bennett to discuss your idea.
Elementary School Visits
Interested in a school visit by Dr. Bennett? Here is a brief description of his programs for elementary school children. Scroll down to learn how to arrange a visit by Dr. Bennett.
Program Description:
Author and astrophysicist Jeffrey Bennett offers "interactive readings" of his award-winning children's books Max Goes to the Moon, Max Goes to Mars, and Max Goes to Jupiter. In each case, he reads the main story, while pausing for occasional interactives based on the Big Kid Boxes on the sides of the pages, followed by a short Q&A period. Kids (and teachers) love it!
Program length: Dr. Bennett generally offers two assemblies of 45 minutes each, with 10-15 minutes in between: One assembly is for lower grades (e.g., grades K-2 or K-3) and the other for upper grades (e.g., grades 3-5 or 4-6). Unusually large schools (>500 students) may request an additional assembly.
Choosing your program: All the books work well for all grade levels, but each assembly has time for just one book.
Preparing for your visit: It's helpful if you can read the book(s) with the students before the visit, so that they are prepared to learn about the science content and to ask good questions.
Facility/projection requirements: Powerpoint projection. Room should have a screen that children will be able to see and be large enough to accommodate the children on the floor.
"Everybody Wins" FREE School Visit Policy:
Recognizing limited school budgets, Dr. Bennett has instituted an "everybody wins" policy in which his visits can be based on book sales with no fee to the school. Here's how it works:
- Using an order form provided by Dr. Bennett (see sample), you offer students the opportunity to purchase autographed, personalized copies of the Max books at the discounted price of $15 (plus any applicable sales tax).
- Although Dr. Bennett has a standard fee schedule (see below) he will waive his entire fee if your book sales exceed a certain minimum (minimums vary with travel distance; see below).
FAQ 1: If we don't meet the minimum, will you prorate the standard fee based on the number of books sold? Answer: Yes.
- Even better: For all book sales above the minimum, the school keeps 20% ($3 per book). Thus, you not only get a free author visit, but you can even raise money for your school. Everybody wins because more sales mean more kids are reading, the school raises more money, and Dr. Bennett has sold more books.
FAQ 2: Should we sell books before or after your visit? Answer: Your choice. Most schools choose before, so that students get their books on the day of my visit (I bring the signed books with me). Some schools feel they can sell more after the visit, in which case I'll mail the signed books to you. Or you can do both.
- Please note: Due to time constraints and the fact that speaking to more students generally means more book sales, Dr. Bennett is only able to visit schools that commit to having all grade levels and classes attend his program, and scheduling preference is given to schools that are able to sell larger numbers of books. (Current record: PS. 117, New York City: 140 books; 2nd: Arapahoe Ridge Elementary, 135 books; 3rd: Eisenhower Elementary, 106 books.)
- Contact Dr. Bennett directly for scheduling or more information. This checklist for schools that schedule visits may also be helpful.
Standard fees and minimum book orders for free visits are as follows:
Boulder County Schools: Standard fee: $450.
Free visit minimum: 40 books.
Denver Metro Area Schools (less than 1 hour drive of Boulder): Standard fee: $450.
Free visit minimum: 40 books.
Colorado Region, 1 to 2 hour drive from Boulder: Standard fee: $550.
Free visit minimum: 50 books.
Colorado Region, 2 to 4 hour drive from Boulder (no overnight stay):
Standard fee: $800. Free visit minimum: 75 books.
Outside Colorado Region (requiring air travel): To make out-of-state visits affordable to schools, Dr. Bennett offers the following options:
* Single-day visit (two schools may share by scheduling both in the same school day): Standard fee: $1,250 plus airfare and one night hotel (if needed).
Free visit minimum (including paying my own travel up to $400 airfare): 150 books.
* Two-day visit (four schools may share by scheduling two each day):
Standard fee: $1,600 plus airfare and two nights hotel (if needed).
Free visit minimum (including paying my own travel up to $400 airfare): 210 books.
* Three-day visit (six schools may share by scheduling two each day):
Standard fee: $2,400 plus airfare and three nights hotel (if needed).
Free visit minimum (including paying my own travel up to $400 airfare): 260 books.
Contact Dr. Bennett directly for scheduling or more information.
Note: For visits with an overnight stay, Dr. Bennett will be glad to add a public lecture at no additional charge.
Teacher Workshops
Would you like Dr. Bennett to present a workshop for teachers? He has done numerous programs for primary and secondary teachers. For primary teachers, he usually does a presentation on the scale of the universe and/or presentations about his books for children. For secondary teachers he can cover a variety of more advanced topics, including relativity and black holes and the search for life in the universe. Contact Dr. Bennett to discuss potential programs and fees.
Colloquia for College Mathematics Faculty
Dr. Bennett developed one of the nation's first courses in Quantitative Reasoning at the University of Colorado. As a result, he has spoken to faculty from dozens of colleges and universities about his course and the needs of students in general education mathematics courses. Below is a title and short abstract for his seminar.
Title/abstract: Mathematics for Life: Are You Teaching Students What They Really Need?
Make a list of mathematical skills and concepts crucial to daily life in modern society. Does it match the content of your core mathematics requirement for liberal arts students? Sadly, most college professors answer "no." Moreover, even when course content does seem applicable to daily life, many students don't seem to see the importance. We can trace the roots of these problems to two simple facts: First, most liberal arts students are still thrown into courses that were originally designed to prepare students for further work in mathematics (such as college algebra or developmental courses), when in reality this will almost certainly be the last mathematics course they ever take. Second, most of the students in these required courses will self-identify themselves either as "math phobics" (they're afraid of math) or "math loathers" (they don't like math). Clearly, such predispositions are an impediment to teaching. Fortunately, the solution to both problems is equally simple, at least in principle: Create a course that focuses on concepts and skills that your students will actually use for the rest of their lives, and teach it in a way that shows them the context and relevance so clearly that they cannot help but become engaged. The particular course that I will describe, which I originally developed for the University of Colorado, fits both the AMATYC standards and MAA guidelines for quantitative reasoning. Note: This talk is updated and adapted from an article I co-authored in AMATYC Review.
Fees/Scheduling: Please contact Dr. Bennett if you are interested in this seminar. Notes: (1) Normally I require travel expenses and any standard departmental honorarium; however, in some cases I can pay my own way if the visit is linked to a potential adoption of one of my textbooks. (2) I appreciate efforts to maximize use of my time during my trips, such as by coordinating with a science department for my science seminar or setting up an evening public talk during my visit. (3) In some cases I may also be able to make a morning visit to a local elementary school to offer a presentation on Max Goes to the Moon.
Colloquia for College Science Faculty
Dr. Bennett has developed many innovative strategies for teaching science to non-science majors and has written leading textbooks in both astronomy and astrobiology. As a result, he has spoken about strategies for teaching science to faculty at many colleges and universities, including the University of Kentucky, UCLA, San Diego State, Emory University, BYU-Idaho, SUNY-Stonybrook, Rice University, Charleston College, Indiana/Purdue, and many more. Below is a title and short abstract for his seminar.
Title/abstract: Strategies for Teaching Science
No matter whether you are teaching school children, undergraduates, or colleagues, a few key strategies are always useful. After an introduction on teaching philosophy, I will discuss five key strategies for teaching science, all designed to help non-science majors learn about the nature of science and key scientific ideas. The ideas are easy to implement and apply across the science curriculum, although most of my examples will be drawn from astronomy and physics. Note: This talk is updated and adapted from an article I wrote for Mercury, Nov/Dec 1999.
Fees/Scheduling: Please contact Dr. Bennett if you are interested in this seminar. Notes: (1) Normally I require travel expenses and any standard departmental honorarium; however, in some cases I can pay my own way if the visit is linked to a potential adoption of one of my textbooks. (2) I appreciate efforts to maximize use of my time during my trips, such as by coordinating with your mathematics department for my mathematics seminar or setting up an evening public talk during my visit. (3) I may also be able to guest lecture in some astronomy or astrobiology classes if you are interested. (4) In some cases I may also be able to make a morning visit to a local elementary school to offer a presentation on Max Goes to the Moon.
Public Lectures
Dr. Bennett speaks frequently to the general public at colleges, science museums, and planetariums. Currently he can offer either of the following three presentations, each lasting approximately 1 hour.
Beyond UFOs: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and its Astonishing Implications for Our Future
Is there really life beyond Earth? Astronomer and author Jeffrey Bennett will talk about why this question has become a hot topic of scientific research, and discuss how scientists are searching both for microbial life and extraterrestrial intelligence. Along the way, we'll also see why the possibility of life beyond Earth has profound implications to the future of our species, even in the unlikely event that we are alone in the universe. Children are welcome; those over about age 10 should be able to understand most of the talk, and younger children will still enjoy the pictures. Note: This talk is based on Dr. Bennett's forthcoming new book Beyond UFOs (Princeton University Press, 2008); he is also the author of Life in the Universe, the leading college textbook in the field of astrobiology.
On the Cosmic Horizon: The Top Ten Mysteries in Astronomy Today
Do you enjoy the astronomical headlines, but wonder what they really mean? Astronomer and author Jeffrey Bennett will help you put it all into context with his personal "Top 10" list of the biggest mysteries in astronomy today. Along the way, he'll discuss how solving these mysteries may change our perceptions of ourselves and of our home planet Earth. Children are welcome; those over about age 10 should be able to understand most of the talk, and younger children will still enjoy the pictures. Note: This talk is based on Dr. Bennett's book On the Cosmic Horizon (Addison Wesley, 2001).
The Scale of the Universe
If you could hold the Sun in your hand, where would we find the planets and other stars? Astrophysicist Jeffrey Bennett will discuss the remarkable scale of the universe in both space and time, so that you'll see what it REALLY means when we say that something is "astronomical" in size. Note: This talk largely centers around the Voyage scale model solar system that is now a permanent exhibit on the National Mall in Washington, DC; Dr. Bennett proposed the exhibit and served as co-PI during its development.
Booking a Public Talk: Please contact Dr. Bennett for information about scheduling and fees.
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