February was an exciting month for families engaged with Turning the Page! This month in The Family Room, we wrapped up our Spectacular Tentacular Word and Picture Play Hour series with Candace Fleming and Eric Rohmann, and took a virtual field trip all the way to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Families that attended our events had the opportunity to learn all about aquatic life, both by practicing their writing and drawing skills with Candance and Eric, and by going scuba diving into a predator tank with a reef educator.
Giant Squid
We started out the month by hosting our last interactive workshop with Candace and Eric. In this final event, the duo walked us through their process of creating a nonfiction book. Candace and Eric shared that they were particularly interested in researching the mysteries of the deep sea for their book Giant Squid. The two explained that we only learn about this elusive creature from the clues that the squid leaves behind in the water, leaving scientists to piece together it’s story. After teaching us more about the giant squid, Candace and Eric walked families through drawing their own version of a giant squid. Attendees got creative and used their imagination and new giant squid knowledge to tell their own story.
The Great Barrier Reef
The following week, TTP took a record breaking number of families all the way to Australia to see a coral reef microcosm and to swim with some sharks! Thanks to the Australian Embassy in Washington D.C., families had the opportunity to learn all about the robust aquatic life in the Great Barrier Reef at the Reef HQ Aquarium in Queensland, Australia. In this scuba diving adventure, led by Reef Education Officer Craig McGrogan, TTP families shared an up-close and personal view of a variety of sea creatures. Craig answered many of our families pressing questions about the marine animals and left us with an encouraging reminder to do our part in taking care of our natural environments. It was a pleasure to be able to take families around the world in this virtual underwater experience.
There is never a dull moment in The Family Room! Turning the Page is honored to have welcomed such wonderful educators into our space and into the homes of families around the country. Thank you to all of our partners that have contributed to The Family Room. We look forward to hosting more events as the year progresses including a COVID-19 Vaccine Town-hall with the Deputy Director of the Illinois Department of Health, Garth Walker.
We can’t wait for you to join us!