Bonnets and Blizzards: Storytelling Makes Teaching Fun...and Effective!

A meteorologist walked into a meeting called “LauraPalooza” (for real!) in 2010. She broke down the weather and climate data supporting the Laura Ingalls Wilder book The Long Winter and gained an attentive audience of Lauriati from all walks of life – teachers, authors, historians, scientists, and devoted Laura fans and scholars. She has appeared at every LauraPalooza meeting – 2010, 2012, 2015, 2017, and 2019 – each meeting highlighting a different lesson drawn from the weather and climate nestled among the Little House stories. Along the way, she has gained leadership in the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder research, as well as friendships, collaborators, and more than one instance of karaoke with fully dressed Laura Ingalls Wilder reenactors. She has yet to don a bonnet while giving her presentations, but there is a first time for everything. Among the lessons learned: Storytelling and narratives bring weather and climate information to widely varying audiences, even if they were not actively seeking it. Becoming a trusted storyteller opens up audiences to even difficult lessons. Storytelling works when speaking to peers and colleagues as well as with children and publics, and it works in teaching and science-sharing (research presentation) applications. What is your story, and how can you find it?