How to Create a Science Lesson at the Zoo
"The world is your classroom!" That's the famous quote, so let's start with a trip to the zoo. A trip to the zoo can teach children fundamental science skills: identification and classification, observation and documentation, and analysis.
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Instructions
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Do some planning. Depending on the age of the children, this can be a very hands-on project or one that requires some supervision. If the focus is on using the four steps of science--identification, classification, observation and documentation--then each of these needs to have a bit of prior planning. For identification, decide--and here is an opportunity for the kids to be involved--what types of animals they want to focus on exploring during their trip. If the kids are interested in big cats, then the focus can be on identifying the different kinds of big cats that live at the zoo. This should go on the science expedition list as Item 1. For classification, the children can do a little research before the trip and discover the classes of big cats--lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards, pumas, cheetahs and ocelots. The zoo may not have each of these, but doing the research before the trip will give kids another learning opportunity and prepare them for what they will see. These classes of big cats should be listed on the science expedition list as Item 2. For the third and fourth steps, observation and documentation, the planning stage is simple--get the notebook, camera and pen ready for the trip.
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Identify and classify animals. Decide what features will be used for identification. This can also be done ahead of time during the planning stage, but it can wait until the kids get to the zoo, see the first big cat and start their analysis. Some features to focus on as suggestions are size (lions will be the biggest, but tigers can be almost as big, so this will be an opportunity for comparing and contrasting); color and markings (big cats have distinct colors and patterns, even within the same groups, so this allows for detailed observation). How in-depth the identification process goes will depend on the children and their interests, but these suggestions should be a start. Be sure to leave the bottom section of each page blank with enough room to paste or tape a photo of an animal. Number the notes for each identification to match the photos so that there is no confusion when the film is developed.
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Consider having the kids address the following questions as they watch the animals at the zoo: how does the animal adapt to changes in the weather? Is the animal active or inactive or does this alternate? Why? What does the animal eat? Is the animal a predator? Is the animal prey for another animal? Is the animal both predator and prey? What does the animal use to protect itself? How does the animal gather food in the wild? These questions can be more involved or less detailed depending on the age of the child, but these observations should be written in the notebook, again, numbered to match the order of the photos. At the beginning of the notebook, the child can include the date, the location, the people who went on the science expedition at the zoo, and what she wants to learn on the trip. At the end of the notebook, the child can write about what she learned in general, or she can write about what he wanted to learn and if she learned it.
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Get the pictures developed as soon after the trip as possible so that the information is still fresh. Have the children review their notes. Is there anything they learned that surprised them? If so, have them write that down at the back of the notebook. Glue or tape the photos of the animals on the corresponding pages. If the children are feeling creative, let them illustrate the pages.
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Tips & Warnings
If possible, contact the zoo and ask when they have information sessions, as most zoos offer these. If there is a session about the animals the children are interested in using for their science expedition, then try to plan the trip around that time.
Check the hours of the zoo before planning your trip.
Check the weather.
Visit the website, if there is one, for the zoo to see about new exhibits or ones that are closed.
