Zoo School was an INCREDIBLE week of learning! We had demonstrations, up-close animal encounters, behind the scenes tours, and so much more! Come share in our journey!
TUESDAY
We jumped right into learning with animal observations! Tasked with sketching and labeling, we observed the cuddling lemurs ...
... and then the mischievous gibbon!
We began the challenge of Zoo Bingo! This became a weeklong task that we eagerly worked together on:
WEDNESDAY
Today was all about animal adaptations!
We observed several skulls, focusing on the teeth. We enjoyed predicting if an animal was a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore (like us!). Herbivore teeth tend to be flatter while carnivores teeth are sharp. We loved examining skulls from a beaver, tiger, owl, lemur, wolf, and even an elephant!
We met a milk snake named Nouvel, who eats mostly mice. She is a non-venomous snake with some interesting patterning. Her bright colouring mimics the patterns of a venomous snake to scare away predators.
Next came Chutter, a burrowing owl. She spends most of her life on the ground, eating insects and mice.
Meeting Frodo the tortoise was a highlight for many! He was surprisingly speedy and curious, and we were challenged to sketch such an active little fella!We ended the day drawing comparisons between the adaptations of a tortoise and the adaptations of a sea lion! What a joy to experience these sleek swimmers!
THURSDAY
Our focus today was training!
We learned about why the zoo trains animals to learn behaviours. We observed Hula the harbour seal and saw some of her trained skills. Her keepers even trained Hula to have her teeth brushed and receive eye drops!
We practiced training eachother using clickers and targets, much like animals at the zoo are trained. Trainers use positive reinforcement to teach behaviours that are helpful for the animal to know, especially behaviours used in feeding and health care.
We visited the commissary, the kitchen that feeds all the animals at the zoo. We learned about carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, and more! We were excited to see the foods the zoo uses to feed the animals, peek at the animals' menus, and examine the meat cart and fridge. Can you spot the primate "cookies"?
We crossed paths with Lucy, the Asian elephant. Being almost 50 years old, Lucy is fully retired and is not out on exhibit for public viewing. She does go for walks to exercise and we were lucky enough to catch her special stroll!
Mystery animal artifacts got our brains thinking! There was lots of wondering, discussing, observing and sketching. We saw an elephant hair bracelet, zebra fur, bald eagle talon, Lucy's baby tooth, a beaver tail, and Lucy's poop!
FRIDAY
Off the bus and straight to finishing our Zoo Bingo!
We had an encounter with the reindeer. Their adaptations are amazing! Can your child tell you about their hooves? It looks a little like the reindeer are wearing high heels. Their feet spread out and act like snowshoes!Using snow and veggies, we made enrichments for the chickens in the Urban Farm. Enrichments stimulate the animals' senses, challenge them to problem solve, and add to their quality of life. We were such wonderful ambassadors of our school that we were allowed a whirl on the newly restored carousel!Zoo School was truly amazing, and we came home absolutely exhausted every day! Yes, all of the walking was tiring and we also got heaps 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, the incredible zoo staff, and our students, who rose to the challenge each and every day!
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