This was an INCREDIBLE week of learning! We had demonstrations, up-close animal encounters, behind the scenes tours, speakers, and so much more! Come see our adventures!
MONDAY
We arrived in our zoo classroom and kicked off the day observing and sketching Phoebe, the eyelash gecko! She has an incredible ability to camouflage to avoid predators, and licks her eyeballs to keep them moist!
We broke into small groups for our daily animal observations! This group had a blast meeting the meerkats: The afternoon was busy! We got super up close and personal with the reindeer! They have many adaptations that help them to survive. Did you know they can stay warm in up to -50C weather? Cool!
After an alphabet scavenger hunt around the zoo, we relaxed and met Emelda the ball python. We saw her forked tongue, excellent for smelling, and looked at the skin of a snake that had already been shed.
TUESDAY
Mystery animal artifacts got our brains thinking! There was lots of wondering, discussing, observing and sketching. We saw a wallaby fur, a peacock wing, rhino skin and shoes made of sea turtle.
We were very fortunate to visit Lucy the Asian elephant! She is 46 years old, and loves pedicures, tummy rubs, and popcorn. We asked her keeper so many questions!
We had a discussion about tusks and ivory, how elephants are endangered, and how we can make choices that can help endangered species. Then we examined some unique elephant artifacts ... and we touched poop!
We even squeezed in visits with Zuri the Kenyan Boa and Pepperoni the Blue Tongued Skink:
Today was a beautiful day to learn!
WEDNESDAY
Today we headed to the commissary! This kitchen feeds over 400 animals. We learned about carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, and insectivores, and examined skulls to see the types of teeth each kind of animal would have to eat the foods they enjoy. We were so excited to see all of the foods the zoo uses to feed the animals, including the meat cart and insect room!
Before we could eat our lunch, we got to see river otters Bow and Missi enjoy theirs!
The afternoon was all about comparisons. We had a ball comparing Frodo the tortoise to Scarp the armadillo. We were in awe watching them move and explore. The sun shone, we had fun, and we learned so much!
THURSDAY
Today we focused on animals and their senses!
We made an "enrichment" for the takkins today. Takkins are muscled, hairy mammals that reminded us of musk ox, bison and cows mixed together! We made them a little St. Patrick's Day food puzzle to stimulate their senses. They loved finding their veggies in our decorated boxes!
We headed in to the nocturnal room and learned more about the adaptations of these nighttime animals. We got an awesome peek when we turned on dim lights, and were excited to spot the bats, sloths, and porcupines!
We welcomed Poppy the hedgehog and discovered this insectivore has excellent sense of both sight and smell.
We made MANY miles today all over the zoo and had such a wonderful adventure!
FRIDAY
Our last day was fabulous! We learned about why the zoo trains animals to learn behaviours and even did a little target training on one another, with clickers and pompoms on sticks. Then we were off to meet Hula the harbor seal and see some of her trained behaviours. Her keepers have even trained Hula to have her teeth brushed (with fish-flavoured toothpaste!).
We met two animals who both lay eggs, Vega, the Eurasian eagle owl, and Pumpkin, the bearded dragon.
Zoo School was truly amazing, and we came home absolutely exhausted every day! Yes, all of the walking was tiring and we also got a tonne of fresh air, but a huge part of WHY we were so tuckered was because of HOW we learned. We explored, wondered, compared, observed, problem solved, predicted, and learned so very much.
As we prepare to return to our classroom, we are so thankful for the opportunity we had to learn at Zoo School. Thank you to all of the adult helpers to supported our week, Teacher Kay who led our learning, and our students, who rose to the challenge each and every day!
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