“Super Heroes” Story Script © 2015 Sciencetellers

Table of Contents 1.

Introduction Experiment: Free Mason Jar

2.

Batman Mops Experiment: Styrofoam Cup

3.

The Sweet Substitute Experiment: Film Canister Rocket

4.

The Moist Sugar Cookie Experiment: Water Jug

5.

Mushrooms in the Math Room Experiment: Three-Cup Monty

6.

A Red & Blue Bird Experiment: Toilet Tornado

7.

Dotty’s Big Toe Experiment: Egg Drop

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  “Super Heroes” Story Script 

1. Introduction © 2015 Sciencetellers [Start behind performance table. Upon signal to begin, move in front of performance table, center.] How are you guys doing?! (Good!) Are you ready to get started?! (Yeah!) Well, I’ve got some bad news. We’re not getting started right now. Because before we do the show, I have to tell you what we're going to be doing. First of all, my name is ___________ and I am a Scienceteller! A Scienceteller is part scientist and part story... (Teller!) You smoosh them together and you get a Scienceteller. That is someone who uses really cool experiments to tell an awesome... (Story!) Woah, you guys are on fire! [Point to a child.] We'll put you out later! So ladies and gentlemen … [Raise your hand in the air.]​ I need a volunteer! ​ [Look around at them eagerly trying to get noticed.] Everyone put your hands down! I am going to teach you how to be picked at every show you go to from now until age —​ [Point at a kid.]​ How old are you? (Response.) — from now until you’re 16. First things first, sit crisscross applesauce.​ [Point at a kid.]​ Very saucy. Sit up straight. ​ [Point at a kid.]​ Excellent job! Smile so it looks like you’re having fun. ​ [Point at a kid.] ​ Very good! Make eye contact with the performer so it looks like you’re focused.​ [Stare at a kid.]​ Awesome job! Raise one hand in the air. Separate your fingers to get maximum coverage. ​ [Run over to kid and separate his/her fingers.]​ A little bit further, please! Now this is the more important part! Only wiggle your hand! If you wiggle anymore than your hand, you’ll look like a loose cannon or ​ [Pointing at an adult, or in a vague general direction.]​ that guy and you’ll never be picked! Finally, do not scream, “Me, Me, Me!" Instead, if you want to participate in an explosion — I mean, experiment! — I need you … to hum. HUMMMMM!!! ​ [Raise one hand in the air and wiggle it while you hum. Move around the room to find your first volunteer.] *** Experiment 1: Free Mason Jar Today we’re going to talk about the science that’s all around us as I tell you about a school where things aren’t always what they seem... where it’s suspected the teachers ​ have superpowers​ ! Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get started!

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  “Super Heroes” Story Script 

2. Batman Mops © 2015 Sciencetellers

This was no ordinary school and Mr. Zamboni was no ordinary custodian. His superpowers were in his yellow belt — he called it his utility belt — and around his belt hung bottles, pouches, gadgets and spray cans. Only he knew what was inside them. Nothing could withstand Zamboni’s arsenal. Gum? Eradicated. Pudding? Decimated. Art projects? Annihilated. (It was your own fault if you left them out!) At lunch, right there! ​ [Pointing at a spot in the middle of the crowd. Walk into the crowd and tell the kids in that spot to move over. Point to the empty spot on the floor.]​ One of the boys had slipped in a puddle of spilled milk. The loudspeaker clicked on: “Wa wa wa-wa wa waaah!!!” ​ [Aside, to adult: “Wait! Sorry, this was a peanut-free zone!”]​ Before you could say “Charlie Brown,” they heard it: the jingle of keys. Footsteps. The shaking of a spray can! Zamboni was on the scene. [Leave the crowd.]​ He aimed his super spray can at the milk. He sprayed once, twice, three times it’s out with the old spray can. The milk vanished. (Just like the Phillies in the playoffs!) Zamboni turned and glided away. And that’s when Doug did it. He ran up to Zamboni and tapped him on the shoulder. ​ [Tapping a kid on the shoulder.] ​ “You’re like Batman with a mop! What’s in your spray can that helps you fight grime?!” And for the first time ever, the students heard Mr. Zamboni speak. “Oh, this spray can? It makes things disappear.” ​ [Hovering over a kid, staring at him/her.]​ “I wouldn’t touch it.” After school, Doug slipped into the custodial closet but didn’t see Mr. Zamboni standing there in the shadows. Doug grabbed the spray can off the shelf — and disappeared from school for three whole days. *** I need a volunteer! Experiment 2: Styrofoam Cup

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  “Super Heroes” Story Script 

3. The Sweet Substitute © 2015 Sciencetellers

Meanwhile, in the home-ec room ... ​ [Smack the table.] … ​ Mrs. Baker was in the refrigerator! ​ [Crawl under table and stick your head out from underneath it, with the tablecloth on your head.] “Who moved my cheese?! I smell a rat!” [Crawling out from the table.]​ Kevin’s class was learning how to make muffins. They all knew Mrs. Baker had a superhuman sense of smell. Instead of tasting, she’d take her long, pointy nose and stick in your food to give you your grade. “Needs more pepper! Not enough garlic! Forgot the onions!” Suddenly, it was muffin batter testing time! Standing over Kevin, Mrs. Baker stuck her nose in. She shrieked. “Needs more sugar!” Mrs. Baker reached for the box of sugar, but just then, it happened! The door busted open with a BANG! Standing right there was Mr. Zamboni, the custodian. And in his hands he was holding ​ a giant rat​ ! Mrs. Baker screamed at the rat to stop moving her cheese. Then Mrs. Baker grabbed the baking soda and,​ thinking it was sugar​ , dumped the entire box into Kevin’s batter. “These muffins are going to be dynamite!” Kevin didn’t know what baking soda was, but he ​ was ​ baking and he ​ liked ​ soda, so... he popped the muffins into the oven, watched and waited... and waited... and — BOOM! Muffin batter exploded — ​ [Putting your hand on top of a kid’s head.] ​ SPLAT! — all over Mrs. Baker’s head. She shrieked. “Too much baking soda!” *** I need a volunteer! Experiment 3: Film Canister Rocket

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  “Super Heroes” Story Script 

4. The Moist Sugar Cookie © 2015 Sciencetellers

While everyone was heading to their classroom, Jane was hiding in the hallway. All the students knew the teachers, like all superheroes, had a secret hideout ... and Jane found it. They had tried to disguise the room with some German word: “The Lounge.” Jane slipped into the secret hideout. She could not believe her eyes. There was FOOD. Bagels! Cake! Cookies! Snacks just left out on the table! There was a note. It said: “Help yourself.” Jane reached for the last sugar cookie. ​ [Reach hand on and put it on kid’s head.] ​ She had the sugar cookie ​ IN HER MOUTH​ but thought it might be a trap to catch intruders. Jane put the cookie back. Suddenly, Jane heard footsteps outside. She started to run!​ [Run out of the room and continue talking into the microphone as you make a lap around outside.]​ As she was running she saw all the amazing things in the teacher’s room. They had air conditioning! Vending machines! A couch! Hey, is that a stack of LaserDiscs from 1982?! ​ [Re-enter room, through another door if possible. Crawl into the crowd, sitting down among the kids.]​ Then she found it, right there! It was the only place to hide. ​ [Crawling up to a kid in the audience.]​ It was behind a giant ​ vending machine​ .​ [Tell the kid to stand up and hide behind him.]​ It had a sign on the front that read: __________. ​ [Read what is on the kid’s shirt.] [Exit the crowd.]​ Then, from the shadows, Jane heard a voice. “Look! The last sugar cookie!” It was Mr. Lift, the gym teacher.​ Mr. Lift lifted up the moist sugar cookie and slowly brought it to his mouth. ​ “Up, up and away!” That’s when it happened. The water cooler spoke! GLUUUUUUGGGGG! Mr. Lift stopped and stared at the water cooler. Then he looked at the sugar cookie. The water cooler gurggled ​ and ​ glugged ​ angrily at him. “You’re right,” he said, “I don’t need another cookie.” Mr. Lift put the cookie down. “You’re so wise, water cooler.” As Mr. Lift left, Jane grabbed the moist sugar cookie. The water cooler bubbled happily at her. She popped the cookie in her mouth and exited the secret hideout. On the way to math class, it hit her. Jane knew how her teachers were so wise: they spent an awful lot of time around that water cooler. *** I need a volunteer! Experiment 4: Water Jug

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  “Super Heroes” Story Script 

5. Mushrooms in the Math Room © 2015 Sciencetellers

The kids in Mr. Seymour’s class were odd. There were 13 of them, they were all — ​ [Aside, to audience member: “How old are you?” (Response.)]​ — ## years old, and they believed their teacher had the power to read minds​ . That’s because Mr. Seymour always knew when you were thinking about something other than school. Then he would purposefully call on you. Every. Single. Time. Having a teacher with that kind of superpower was very rare. [Point at a kid.]​ “Shara, what’s the answer?!” Shara was thinking about mushrooms again.​ He had read her mind! Mr. Seymour looked around the room at his students. One at a time, he read their minds: ​ [Pointing at individual audience members as if they were students in the story.]​ Crystal was thinking about lunch. Arthur was thinking about dance class. Shara was STILL thinking about mushrooms! Suddenly, without warning, Mr. Seymour ran to his desk and grabbed not one, not two, but three plastic cups. He filled up one of the cups with water. Then he held one of the cups right above Shara’s head. “If I turn this cup upside down, what are the odds that Shara will get soaking wet?” Shara started to sweat. Slowly, with a turn of his wrist, Mr. Seymour tilted the cup. Shara screamed! That’s when it hit her. (Not the water; the answer!) She blurted out: “One out of three!” “Ohhh, I get it!” said the class. One at a time, he read their minds. They were all thinking the same thing: that Mr. Seymour was a ​ fun guy​ . Now the whole class was thinking about mushrooms! *** I need a volunteer! Experiment 5: Three-Cup Monty

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  “Super Heroes” Story Script 

6. A Red & Blue Bird © 2015 Sciencetellers

Bright and early that morning, Bonnie’s eyes shot open. It was show-and-tell. Bonnie knew exactly what she was going to bring in. But first, she had to make it. By breakfast time, Bonnie was holding in her hands the perfect little paper airplane. Show-and-tell wasn’t until after recess but Bonnie brought her plane outside to test it out. With all her friends watching, Bonnie took a running start and tossed it into the air. That’s when it happened. A gust of wind picked up the airplane and carried it higher and higher into the sky. The kids screamed. “It’s headed straight toward the roof! Nooooo!” They chased after it but there was nothing they could do. Bonnie watched her perfect little paper airplane crash right on top of the school roof. It was stuck. Bonnie started to cry. Until someone pointed up at the sky and shouted.​ [Pointing at an adult in a chair.]​ “Is that a bird?! By your plane?! No, it’s Mr. Lift!” [To adult: “I need to borrow your chair right now!” As you stand on the chair, tell the adult: “Catch me if I fall!”] ​ Mr. Lift was the gym teacher. Bonnie recognized him because he was wearing his red-and-blue track suit. He bounded across the rooftop, picked up the airplane, and with the power of a locomotive, launched it into the clouds. ​ [Climbing down from the chair and running around the room.] ​ The airplane shot across the entire playground, dove into a zero-gravity roll and soared effortlessly through two vertical loops. Everyone cheered as the perfect little paper airplane floated gently down, right into Bonnie’s hands. She knew Mr. Lift was super strong, but it wasn’t until that day when she saw him ​ on the roof​ that Bonnie realized he had another superpower: Mr. Lift could fly! *** I need a volunteer! Experiment 6: Toilet Tornado

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  “Super Heroes” Story Script 

7. Dotty’s Big Toe © 2015 Sciencetellers

Meanwhile, in the cafeteria, it smelled like feet. Gary looked down at a steaming heap of spinach. Before he could say “No thank you,” he was staring at a mountain of liverwurst and brussel sprouts, and a hard-boiled egg. “Enjoy your lunch!” said Dotty, and she handed him some ketchup. Dotty was everyone’s favorite lunch lady. Her real name was Etta Agnes Tabitha Schmidt but everyone just called her Dotty. Like all grownups at the school, Dotty had a superpower: she could move fast. Super fast. One second she was mixing the meatloaf, the next she was chopping carrots and scrubbing dishes at the same time. All of a sudden, Gary stepped right into a puddle of milk! He slipped! He fell! His food flew up into the air! No one saw Dotty dart across the room, but suddenly there she was, tray in hand, catching the food before it hit the ground. The liverwurst! The brussel sprouts! The spinach! All safe and sound on the tray. But wait! The EGG! It was plummeting toward the floor! In the blink of an eye, Dotty grabbed a cup of water from a very thirsty kid. She spun around and held out the cup and at the last possible moment — ​ [SFX]​ — the egg landed gently in the glass of water. Gary turned to say “thank you,” but Dotty was already busy husking corn and waxing the floor. Smiling, she waved to him with her foot. Then, with her big toe, she pointed to something right there, above his head. Gary put his hands up in the air just in time to catch it … the ketchup! Gary, his lunch and the day were saved! *** Are you guys ready for the grand finale?! Experiment 7: Egg Drop

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