First Lady Michelle Obama -- still on a tour of federal agencies -- is visiting the Department of Energy on Thursday and also pitches in to help students prep for a Science Bowl contest.

On Wednesday, she marked the one-year anniversary of the election of President Obama with a program of classical music and the arts at the White House, while Obama, in Madison, Wis., told an audience how Malia was able to improve her scores on a science test.

Here's what we learned, one year after the Obama family life was transformed forever:

The president, in Madison to deliver a speech on education standards and personal responsibility, departed from his text to riff on daughter Malia's test scores and the very high expectations the Obamas have for their children. It was somewhat surprising because the Obamas are incredibly protective of their daughters and discourage media coverage of them, unless the Obamas initiate it.

(Recently, the White House photo staff revealed that on the White House Web site and Flickr, the photo-sharing site, no Obama family photo is ever released without either Mom or Dad in picture with Malia and Sasha.)

In his talk, Obama used Malia's quest for a higher grade on her science tests as kind of a universal lesson for all children. Malia attends the private Sidwell Friends School in Northwest Washington.

"These aren't in my prepared remarks, but I think it's important to note that Malia and Sasha are just wonderful kids, and Michelle is a wonderful mother," said Obama. "But in our own household, with all the privileges and opportunities that we have, there are times -- look, there are times when kids slack off. There are times where they would rather be watching TV or playing a computer game than hitting the books.

"And part of our job as parents -- Michelle and my job -- is not just to tell our kids what to do, but to start instilling in them a sense that they want to do it for themselves. So Malia came home the other day. She had gotten a 73 on her science test. Now, she's a sixth-grader. There was a time a couple years ago when she came home with like an 80-something and she said, 'I did pretty well.' And I said, 'No, no, no. That's -- I said, our goal is -- our goal is 90 percent and up.'

"Here is the interesting thing. She started internalizing that. So she came and she was depressed. 'I got a 73.' And I said, 'Well, what happened?' 'Well, the teacher -- the study guide didn't match up with what was on the test.' 'So what's your idea here?' 'Well, I'm going to start -- I've got to read the whole chapter. I'm going to change how I study, how I approach it.' So she came home yesterday, she was -- 'I got a 95' -- right? -- so she's high-fiving. But here's the point:

"She said -- she said, 'I just like having knowledge.' That's what she said. And what was happening was she had started wanting it more than us. Now, once you get to that point, our kids are on our [sic] way. But the only way they get to that point is if we're helping them get to that point. So it's going to take that kind of effort from parents to set a high bar in the household. Don't just expect teachers to set a high bar. You've got to set a high bar in the household all across America."

Meanwhile, back at the White House, Mrs. Obama was handling her fourth event in her White House Music Series, this one featuring classical music. Previous sessions put the spotlight on stars from the country, jazz and Hispanic music worlds.

White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers -- the force behind almost every event in the White House, big and small -- made a rare visit to the White House blog to write about the series.

"The greatest joy that this job affords – and there are many – is the chance to throw open the doors and invite Americans into the White House and expose them to the talents of their fellow Americans. One of the ways that the First Lady has been doing is this is through the White House Music Series. This series was conceived as a way to celebrate the arts, demonstrate the importance of arts education and encourage young people who believe in their talent to create a future for themselves in the arts community be it as a hobby or as a profession," Rogers wrote.

Among the performers: violinist Joshua Bell, classical guitarist Sharon Isbin, pianist Awadagin Pratt, and Alisa Weilerstein on the cello. They performed music by Bach, Ravel, Paganini, and Mendelssohn, among others.

At an awards ceremony on Wednesday afternoon in the State Dining Room, Mrs. Obama talked about how the arts can change lives. She hosted the Coming Up Taller Awards, which recognize outstanding after-school and out-of-school programs in the arts and humanities. According to the pool report, "The awards, an initiative of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, were started in 1998. Many of the programs reach at-risk youth, who then often end up doing better in school and going to college."

And this from the sharp-eyed pooler, Linda Feldmann, of the Christian Science Monitor: "Michelle Obama looked fabulous in a light gray flecked skirt suit, with a darker gray blouse, large brooch, and silver belt. Hair was in an up-do."

Mrs. Obama's message: "Ultimately, each of your programs is using achievement in the arts as a bridge to achievement in life. And you see all this every day, each and every one of you working so hard. You see this in your students as they become more confident and more engaged and more willing to take risks and to take responsibility for their futures. You see it when their academic performance improves, when you see improving attitudes and higher GPAs. And you see young people who never saw themselves as college material, you see them getting those acceptance letters and you see them going on to pursue their degrees. So we all know in this room the power of the arts to change young people's lives."

Following that, Mrs. Obama presided over a classical music workshop, and in the evening, the president flew back from Madison and the family regrouped -- for a classical music concert at the White House. Mrs. Obama wore a white sleeveless dress, and she sat next to Malia, Sasha and her mother, Marion Robinson.

Obama tried to make his guests feel at ease.

"Now, if any of you in the audience are newcomers to classical music, and aren't sure when to applaud, don't be nervous. Apparently, President Kennedy had the same problem. He and Jackie held several classical music events here, and more than once he started applauding when he wasn't supposed to. So the social secretary worked out a system where she'd signal him -- through a crack in the door to the cross-hall."

Said Obama: "Now, fortunately, I have Michelle to tell me when to applaud. The rest of you are on your own. "

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