Teachers TryScience

It's All Happening at the Zoo

Apr 20 2011

Source: Jeanne

Summary Information

Keywords:

animal adaptations, habitat, build, create, design, ecosystem, environment, energy, food chain, habitat, producer, consumer, predator, prey, shelter, exhib

Topic:

Biology

Workplace Skills:

Raising Questions

Problem Solving

Investigation Design

Secondary Research

Discussion

Teamwork

Estimated Time Required:

3-5 hours

Target Grade (Ages):

Grade 5 (Ages 10-11)

Diversity Indicators:

This lesson is appropriate for all learners.

Tab Wrapper

LESSON

Goals and Prerequisites

Goals:

The purpose of this design project is:

To allow students to understand and research the habitats of specific animals
To allow students the opportunity to apply their knowledge of animal adaptations
To design a habitat at a zoo that will provide the chosen animal with all its needs
To encourage students to use design-based problem solving skills.

Prerequisites:

Knowledge of needs of living things
Knowledge of different ecosystems

Instructional Objective(s)

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Observe, identify, and record the components of an ecosystem
Classify populations of organisms as producers, consumers, or decomposers by the role they serve in the ecosystem (food chains and food web)
Research and identify a specific animal’s adaptations
Research and identify a specific animal’s needs in its natural environment
Determine how these needs can be fulfilled in a zoo habitat
Design a zoo exhibit that addresses the specific animal’s needs throughout the seasons
Utilize design-based problem solving skills of brainstorming, framing the problem, generating possible solutions, and editing and developing ideas for a final exhibit design.

Instructional Resources

Background:

Students should have knowledge of habitats and animal adaptations that allow animals to survive in specific habitats. Check out the National Geographic website for information and lesson ideas.

A habitat is a place where a plant or an animal lives. Not all organisms live in the same habitat. Organisms can only live in habitats to which they are well suited. Organisms have special characteristics called adaptations that enable them to obtain the resources they need for survival in their particular habitat. Each organism must meet certain needs to remain alive, and these needs are met in their particular habitat.

What special features do fish have? Gills to get oxygen from the water; fins to swim in the water
What special features does a water lily have? Floating leaves and flowers, roots stay in the mud

An animal adaptation is a feature or particular behavior that makes an organism better able to survive in a particular habitat.

Vulture—long, sharp beak to eat its prey
Squirrel—able to quickly and easily climb trees
Turtle—hard shell for protection
Cactus—able to survive in dry conditions for a long period of time
Rabbits—have fur to keep them warm

Materials:

Posterboard, construction paper
Pencils, crayons, markers
Cardboard, shoe boxes, various boxes
Clay
Wood scraps
Metal scraps
Pipe cleaners
String
Wooden craft sticks
Plastic animals, plastic plants
Pebbles, rocks, soil, sand
Other materials depending upon the needs of student groups
Worksheet: Animal Research Question Guide
Worksheet: Field Research Question Guide
Worksheet: Zoo Rubric
Websites and video clips listed in the "Further Information" section

Animal Research Question Guide (pdf)

Field Research Question Guide.pdf

Zoo Rubric (pdf)

Procedure:

LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION TO HABITATS AND POLAR BEAR ZOO EXHIBIT DESIGN

A Whole Class Project

Begin the first lesson with the following questions: What do you know about animal habitats? What are some differences between a natural habitat and a man-made one? Students will compare and contrast nature’s habitats and human constructed habitats. Discussion points can be charted using a Venn Diagram or a T-chart. Discuss the basics of animal needs and how animal adaptations serve to allow a species to survive in a particular natural environment. When discussing zoo exhibits be sure to discuss living and non-living components, shelter needs, plants and water features, and protection from visitors as well as how visitors must be protected from the animals.
Visit the Central Park Zoo Web site. Introduce students to polar bear facts by reading the information on the website. During and after reading, teacher and students will take notes on polar bears’ adaptations. Use the Animal Research Question Guide to assist in gathering information. See Further Information for other websites on polar bears.
Watch a few, short video clips on Gus, the polar bear at the Central Park Zoo, and discuss some of the exhibit features that are visible in the videos:

Depending upon the population of students, discuss some of the issues surrounding the exhibit for Gus, regarding the animal's need for exercise, recreation and stimulation. For more information, you can review this story that appeared on CBS news.
Ask the following question and allow students to work individually first, then brainstorm in partnerships. Based on the polar bear’ s adaptations, what will the polar bear need in its zoo habitat?
In partnerships, draw a sketch of plans about the ideal zoo exhibit for the polar bear.
Discuss how students can represent their ideas visually. What kind of materials will you need to construct the exhibit? What will be included from your drawing?
Share ideas and drawings as a whole class discussion. The projects are not fully developed at this point, just the sketches and ideas for a 3D model are finished. Ideally, the teacher can provide an example of an entirely executed project.

[See Extension section for ideas regarding a zoo field trip that would ideally take place between Lesson 1 and Lesson 2. Please see Field Research Question Guide.]

LESSON 2: RESEARCH IDEAS FOR A ZOO EXHIBIT

Partnership Projects Begin

In partnerships, students will select and research an animal, learn about its habitat, needs, and adaptations. Students can use the Animal Research Question Guide to assist in the research process. Also, check out the links to websites on animals.
Partnerships will answer the question, based on the specific animal’s adaptations, "What does the animal need to survive and thrive in its zoo exhibit?" Students can utilize the Wildlife Conservation Society's “Zoo” Tube on YouTube to peak at parts of the animal habitats at the zoo.
Partnerships will brainstorm lists and sketches about a successful zoo exhibit for the chosen animal.
Students will brainstorm how they will represent their habitat ideas visually in 3-D. Students will discuss the kinds of materials they need to construct this habitat, and what will be included from the sketch of the animal exhibit.

LESSON 3: CREATE A ZOO EXHIBIT

Students will continue to develop and complete their design for the animal exhibit.
Students will work on a presentation to share their ideas with the class. The presentation will include a labeled diagram of the exhibit and a 3-D representation or diorama.
Students will develop a written report to communicate their exhibit ideas to the class. The written report should explain the particular features included in the design, and how these features meet the needs of the animal.

LESSON 4: PRESENTATION OF ZOO EXHIBIT

Students will present their zoo exhibit designs.
Students will include the following information: What are the needs of the animal you selected? Why did you include particular features in your animal's exhibit? How does your design meet your animal's needs?

Animal Research Question Guide (pdf)

Extensions

Zoo Visit

Ideally, students should take a field trip to a local zoo to study the exhibit of their selected animal. This would take place between Lesson 1 and Lesson 2. Before the field trip, student partnerships would select an animal exhibited at the zoo and do some preliminary research on the animal. During the trip, students would take field notes on their animal and its behavior, note physical features of the exhibit, take pictures, videos and draw sketches. If possible, the class may schedule a tour with a zookeeper to speak about their experience and answer questions about animal care, animal needs, animal behavior, challenges particular to the animal and/or its past or current exhibit, and exhibit maintenance. Even better, some zoos may allow a behind-the-scenes tour of certain exhibits.

Differentiation

This project can be executed to meet the needs of many student populations, as well as many grade levels, though it is intended primarily for 5^th graders.

Suggestion for Students with Special Needs, English Language Learners, and Lower Grades

In Lesson 2: Research Preliminary Ideas for Zoo Habitat, the research can be guided as a whole class project. Students can select and vote on a single animal to research and share their findings on the animal’s needs. Instead of partnerships, groups can be formed to allow for a greater exchange of ideas. These groups can than brainstorm sketches for an animal exhibit and follow along with the procedure as described above.

Suggestion for Gifted and Talented Students and Higher Grade Levels

Students can make greater considerations about animal needs within a zoo setting. The exhibit design may include ideas about different animal areas: the public areas and the behind-the-scenes private areas. A great resource for real world zoo exhibit considerations is the Tiger Handbook from the Minnesota Zoo.

Assessments and Rubrics

See the attached Zoo Rubric to assess student's work.

Animal Research Question Guide (pdf)

Field Research Question Guide.pdf

Zoo Rubric (pdf)

Zoo Rubric (XLS)

External Resources

International Zoos (compiled list of zoos): http://www.zoos-worldwide.de/zoos.html
World Association of Zoos and Aquariums: http://www.waza.org/en/site/home
Habitat: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geography-action/habitats.html
More on Polar Bears:

http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/choose-a-species/mammals/bears/ursus-maritimus

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Ursus_maritimus.html

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/polar-bear/

Polar Bears Exhibits at Zoo:

http://www.zoolex.org/zoolexcgi/gallery.py?filter=Polar%20Bear

http://www.centralpark.com/guide/central-park-zoo/polar-bears.html

Zoo Exhibit Design: http://www.zoolex.org/
Zoo Exhibit Design Considerations for Extension Activity:http://www.mnzoo.org/education/TICadve
All About Animals: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/?source=NavAniHome
Short animal Videos from the Wildlife Conservation Society “ Zoo” Tube on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia. (Search Google for on-line programs like KeepVid that allow you to download and save YouTube at home for viewing in school http://keepvid.com/ .)
Videos on Gus, the polar bear at the Central Park Zoo:

http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia#p/search/3/CZ4lkBtSHo0

http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia#p/search/0/q89pqQwblK0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKc5U47yU_8

Article on Gus, the polar bear at the Central Park Zoo regarding issues of meeting the needs of animals in zoo exhibits: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/01/19/breeds/main151194.shtml

Credits

Lesson: Zoo Habitat Design - Jennifer Manglicmot
Photo credit for Hagenbecks Tierpark in Hamburg, Germany: Tim Hunkin (http://www.timhunkin.com/a137_zoo-clock-words.htm)

RESOURCES