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The Slugs are the official band for the San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program! San Mateo Schools - Free Assembly HERE
	Teacher Workshops Music is an effective teaching tool to introduce and reinforce concepts, as well as to inspire and motivate students. In this whole language approach to teaching science. The BANANA SLUG STRING BAND integrates music, poetry, drama, and movement with hands-on science. Participants will learn strategies for creating thematic science units, and gain ideas to energize and supplement their existing units. This fast-paced, interactive workshop, open to Pre K-6 classroom teachers and outdoor educators, is presented in a variety of formats:	Join the Slugs' Email List Email:

	DIRT MADE MY LUNCH: This action packed workshop is a complete unit about dirt - find out how dirt is made and how it makes all our food. We'll be singing with "Mr. Dirt," the puppet, doing the Roots, Stems, Leaves, Flowers, Fruits, and Seeds Dance, and "getting down" with decomposition. (Time: 60-90 minutes)
	SUN, SOIL, WATER, AND AIR: This full-day workshop includes the Dirt Unit, but goes on to include strategies that teach about the other three "mysteries of life": sun, water, and air We also cover plants, cycles, and food chains. Be ready to dance the Water Cycle Boogie, become a tree, and throw a cycle frisbee. (Time: 6 hours)
	FEATHERS, FUR, SCALES, AND SKIN: This workshop includes songs, poems, and activities that teach about the different animal groups, their habitats and their interrelationships. A mini-unit on the ocean is presented with songs from our award winning recording, Slugs At Sea. Come ready to do the Tide Pool Boogie, build a fish, and talk like an insect! (Time: 60-90 minutes)
	YOUR OWN DESIGN: We will collaborate with you to develop a workshop that fits your needs by combining concepts, songs, and strategies from our wide range of material. After all, our Earth is a unique design too! *Note:For outdoor educators, we have a workshop geared specifically for teaching in an outdoor setting.
	GOIN' WILD!: Sing, dance and chant in celebration of our country's first National Park "Yellowstone" and the Teton National Park. Chomp along with the beavers, dream through time while gazing at the "Stars over Wyoming" and learn the funky rhyme to "We are Wildlife Too". Go on a wild journey with the Slugs.

School Theater Programs
GREETINGS! Slug-signs up from Airy Larry and Doug Dirt of the Banana Slug String Band! We hope that your school will journey with our unique musical troupe in discovering the wonders of our world. Please choose from the following assemblies...or let us design one to fit your needs!		Ecological awareness and positive human interactions are fostered through music, theater, puppetry and audience participation in our programs. For more than 21 years we Banana Slugs have entertained audiences in a wide variety of venues including theaters, educational concerts, nature centers, zoos and aquariums.

	WE ALL LIVE DOWNSTREAM ~ All about watersheds and our role in protecting and teaching aboout them. This will engage the students, their families and communities in learning about how activities within their communities affect the quality of water that is used in their everyday living.
	LIVING WITH THE EARTH ~ A discovery of the magical relationship between animals, plants and the Earth. During this musical journey students will meet a six-foot tall Banana Slug, learn how dirt made their lunch and rap with Nature Man.
	THE AWESOME OCEAN ~ Based on the Slug's award winning Slugs at Sea, and the Project MARE Oceans week curriculum, this program focuses on the habitats of the West Coast. Favorite Slugs songs such as the Water Cycle Boogie are featured.
	A PENGUIN PARADE ~ From feathers to furs and scales to skin, this journey into the world of ecology raises awareness about the diversity of animals and their habitats. A dynamic blend of original songs, humor and amusing costumes guarantees an animated performance.
	THE 3 R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) ~ How does nature recycle and how can humans recycle? Empower children to make earth- friendly choices with an awareness of sustaining natural resources, improving the environment and recycling opportunities.
	FOR BOOKING INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Larry Graff at 831 475-5552, Doug Greenfield at 831 429-9806, email us, slugs@bananaslugstringband Or contact us with this online form.

PRAISE FOR THE BANANA SLUG STRING BAND... In my 37 years of teaching, this workshop with the Banana Slug String band has been the best I have ever attended. Atmosphere at Cape Lookout was fabulous. The activities and music by the band was awesome. A great learning experience. Betsy McIver 4th grade teacher Guilford County Schools Greensboro, NC July 2008… Dear Slugs, Thank you so much for your wonderful performance & spirits. You're the best! Pam Michael, Executive Director River of Words Connecting Kids to their Watersheds and Imaginations Though Poetry and Art February 2007… Many thanks to you for having the Banana Slug String Band perform at the District Interpretive Coordinators Workshop at the Marconi Conference Center. The interpretive coordinators and I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation on "Using Multi-Disciplinary Methods in Interpretation." Your session was well-organized, high energy, and we all gained a greater appreciation for the importance of creative methodology to convey interpretive message. Your talented musical approach to interpretation was inspirational and insightful. Donna Pozzi, Chief, Interpretation and Education State of California Department of Parks and Recreation May 2006: Dear Slugs, I wanted to take a minute and thank you once again for another fabulous week of Slug Fest! You were awesome on all accounts and we all loved the Watershed Show!!!! The Ohio Environmental Education Fund administrator, Dennis Clement, was very impressed. I am hopeful that we will continue to use that show in other local Ohio watersheds! I wanted to also let you know that the naturalist workshop was again totally magical and stocked full of inspirational ideas for all the staff! My staff loved it and they have a very heightened awareness of looking for minutes and time frames scattered throughout any possible program that we might do to incorporate those immersion focuses. The first day back on the trail at our end of the day de-briefing session almost every single staff member mentioned they had used at least one of your ideas if not more. As I peruse trails during programming it is unbelievable how I continually observe your techniques appearing from all the staff! I have seen them use "Look and Lean", "Toe to Toe", "Tree Silohutes", "Try my spot", "Silent Listening with fingers counting sounds ", "One Habitat Two Habitat", "Lay down and look underneath", "The predator/habitat game", and more...ITS GREAT!!!! Cinda Pinkerton, Miami County Park District, Ohio ... The results were overwhelming - the BANANA SLUG STRING BAND is-a huge success with both the students and the staff! The evaluations at our Institute Day of the 100+ teachers who attended your workshop were a perfect 10. And if you think the staff enjoyed and learned from the Slugs, the students' reaction was even more impressive. - Don Shlavey Assistant Superintendent, Merced City School District ...I wholeheartedly endorse their innovative approach to learning. I have observed both teachers and students respond with great excitement to Band performances at schools ... I only wish that my own education had included such music experiences as the BANANA SLUG STRING BAND offers. - Gary Appell: Co-founder of Life Lab Science Program, Capitola, California ... Wow! There Is so much to say about the effects of the workshop/performance you did for us. I have heard many stories from beleaguered school principals, wondering about the sanity of their staff singing songs of dirt making their food. You received the all-time high review score of 9.97 out of 10. - Daniel Morse Consortium for Instructional Improvement, Riverside, California ... The BANANA SLUG STRING BAND is by far the best educational children's performance group and teacher workshop presenters that I've ever seen. They were a tremendous hit at the National Marine Educators Association's annual conference where they led workshops for teachers on integrating music Into the environmental education curriculum. - Craig Strang: Director of MARE