Presentation to Girl Scouts, for your review.

[MacSaorsa]

Heresy!

Agreed.

That said, it could be true if you look at the big picture. For instance, Irn-Bru is a lot more like Orange Crush than it is like an elephant, a job interview, or Norway.

[Lallans]

Agreed.

That said, it could be true if you look at the big picture. For instance, Irn-Bru is a lot more like Orange Crush than it is like an elephant, a job interview, or Norway.

IrnBru is... is... is... OK perhaps a bit like Orange Crush if it's mixed with liberal amounts of Pepsi and Dr Pepper. And of course, iron.

But seriously, that is quite a good presentation. Clearly a lot of work went into it and I want to point out that writing for children is often said to be one of the hardest things to do of all.

[Salvianus]

Well done for doing this, a great organisation to support. Additionally, well done for getting some input: I hope you find it useful.

You've made an effort to use simpler words and you have structured it logically.

I teach this age group and I'd echo the issue with overall length. That said, I've seen a two hour living history talk that held the attention of five-year olds, but that did involve some dressing up, an armoury of weapons and interesting objects, particularly the "p*ss pot" and his long discussion of how that was its proper name and by convincing them that children of the period in question would be beaten severely if they spoke or fidgeted and that he would be taking the same approach.

It was only about 12 years ago, but I'm quite sure he would be stopped and kicked out of my school these days, let alone an American one, so I really can't recommend that sort of approach.

If you want to keep interest without getting arrested, try to:

Connect it to them from the start
Ask them if any of them have been to Scotland or have Scottish family, tell them they might be able to ask you harder questions or help if you get stuck;
Give them a snapshot of each section at the start, so they know where they are and why it has anything to do with them, e.g. "and then I'll tell you why Scotsmen sometimes eat lungs and then I'll tell you what object your family use every day that was invented by a Scot... and how the Scots virtually wrote the Declaration of Independence... etc".

Make them work:
Don't tell them all those facts, phrase some as questions. "What do you call someone who lives in Scotland? Well done, but it wasn't always so, nearly two thousand years ago, most of Europe was ruled by a mighty empire, called the? And when they tried to conquer Britannia, in the farthest north they met people they called the 'Caledonians', which is still another name for Scottish people. Has anyone heard of Asterix the Gaul? Well might have been a bit like the Gauls, but not so French. Later the Romans were raided by people they called 'Picts', can you say that with the 't' in it? 'Picts' and they lived in little stone forts and left strange symbols carved in stone that we can't understand. Then there were raiders from Ireland called the Scots, does anyone's family come from Ireland? Well the Sots and Irish have a lot in common ..." You get the picture;
Say they can all have 1 (or 2 with a smaller group) questions each and they have to choose carefully what they ask. Suggest their leader rewards the best question in their own way;
Teach them to say one phrase in Gaelic at the beginning and see who can remember it after each section. Reward ditto. Tell them you'll only teach them more if they beg you;
Challenge them to ask a question on Scottish History you can't answer, but that might be known, so yes to the Gaelic for a particular phrase, or who was the last Pictish king, no to how many men have been called Jock. Ask the leader to reward whoever finds the answer for next time.

Keep it even simpler:
Drop all of the factoids contested above and half of the examples. Tell them the very bare bones and if they pick up on an area in a question then expand on it. The phrase "it's a bit complicated and people still argue about it but I believe..." is your friend.

Break it up:
by having e.g. 3 of their quota of questions at the end of each section. They might not remember the first stuff by the end. Ask their own leader to call on people so they can keep track of making sure everyone getting a question.

Hope that's helpful and that it goes well: let us know.