KS2 Habitats Tropical Rainforests Information and guidance for teachers

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1 One of our young Sumatran Orangutans born in 2004 KS2 Habitats Tropical Rainforests Information and guidance for teachers Contents Learning objectives Lesson plan Curriculum links Suggested activities to link with session Things to arrange prior to visit The day of your trip: arriving at the Zoo Your teaching session Last updated: January 2011

2 Learning objectives KS2 Habitats Tropical Rainforests After attending this session, pupils will be able to: Describe what a rainforest is like and how it differs from other habitats Discuss the different living things in a rainforest and the layers that they may be found in Create a rainforest food chain Discuss the ways in which rainforests are being damaged and what is being done to help Lesson plan Introduction Whole class discussion to introduce the concept of habitats and to describe what rainforests are like and where they are found. Main lesson Class is divided into a maximum of five groups. Each group will be given a tray activity based on the idea of rainforest layers. Each activity will revolve around artefacts that the pupils will be able to handle and talk about. Following this there will be a short activity based around rainforest food chains. Plenary Whole class discussion: How rainforests are being damaged by human activity and how the work of Chester Zoo is trying to protect rainforests. One of our Discovery Sessions in action!

3 Click here to download a Zoo Map Animals discussed during session Many different animals may be discussed during this session including snakes, birds, Leaf-cutter ants, tapir, capybara, capuchins, caiman and Jaguars. See route map below for ideas. Curriculum links Sc1 Scientific enquiry: Considering evidence and evaluating. Sc2 life processes and living things: Different plants and animals in their habitat How animals and plants are suited to their environment The use of food chains to show feeding relationships in a habitat Ways in which living things and the environment need protection One of our Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaws

4 Suggested activities to link with session Before visit (recommended prior learning - useful but not essential) Vocabulary Habitats, rainforests, conservation Concepts Basic understanding of food chains and rainforest layers During visit (see map) Rainforest animals There are many rainforest animals in the Zoo. Near the Education Centre there are three main buildings that house rainforest animals (Realm of the Red Ape, Spirit of the Jaguar and the Tropical Realm). Also, you can see the Brazilian Giant Otters (near the Aquarium), Fruit Bat Forest, capybara and tapir (behind Monkey Islands). Gaboon Vipers on display at the Secret World of the Okapi

5 Habitats Tropical Rainforests: Some Exhibits to Visit Realm of the Red Ape Brazilian Giant Otters Bush Dogs Fruit Bat Forest Education Centre Spirit of the Jaguar Tropical Realm Okapi Elephants of the Asian Forest

6 After Visit What comes from rainforests? Encourage pupils to look in the store cupboard at home and collect food labels from products that may have come from rainforests. Discuss how they were produced and how they got here. Great Grey Owls are one of the largest owls in the world Make a poster Think about the threats that rainforests are facing and then create a poster or leaflet to let people know what is happening. Who lives in the rainforest? Explain that it s not just exotic animals that live in rainforests, people do too! Investigate their lifestyle - what are their homes like, what do they eat, where do they get their food, what do the children learn at school and what do they wear? This may give the opportunity for dressing up, making jewellery, face painting and maybe even sampling new cuisine! Rainforest collage Use the pictures and photos from the visit to create a rainforest collage, encouraging pupils to think about where different animals are found i.e. underground, in the trees, around water etc. You could also use these pictures to build a food chain for a wall display. Food chain fun Make masks of rainforest animals and use these to create living food chains with pupils! Think about how these food chains are affected by factors such as hunting and habitat destruction. Design a creature Pupils could invent and draw a new animal designed to live in the rainforest, adding notes to show how it is adapted to its habitat. What would it eat, whereabouts would it live and how would it protect itself from predators?

7 Things to arrange prior to visit Please check the details on your confirmation letter. If you have any queries please call us on / Chester Zoo supports Black Rhino conservation in Kenya To arrange a pre-visit to the Zoo, contact us on / for details. Arrange appropriate number of group leaders and collate contact details. Assign students to a group leader, ensure students and leaders know the running plan for the day, have staff contact details and map of the Zoo (click here). Ensure group leaders have a plan for the day including: student names, time and location of teaching session (e.g. a copy of the confirmation letter) and where to meet, if necessary, after the session and at the end of the day. Group leaders may also find a Zoo map useful. Special Educational Needs We welcome pupils with special needs. Please notify us of their requirements in advance, so that we can tailor our programmes to your pupils' needs. Additionally, please inform us of any wheelchair users in the group or any specific allergies that we should be aware of. For more information on disabled access please refer to the Zoo website at spx

8 The day of your trip: arriving at the Zoo Sheba is our oldest Asian Elephant at over 50 years of age! Please help us to make your entrance to the Zoo as smooth as possible Allow plenty of time to get to and into the Zoo. It can take over 30 minutes to enter the Zoo and reach the Education Centre, particularly at busy times of year. On arrival the group leader only should approach the Main Gate with the confirmation letter. Students and other staff should remain on the coach. This provides an ideal opportunity for another member of staff to run through itinerary for the day with students and helpers, to hand out work sheets, information, maps, talk times etc. Once the paperwork has been completed the group leader can collect the group from the coach to be counted into the Zoo by Gate Staff. There are toilets at the main entrance both inside and outside the Zoo. Rainy day indoor enclosures The Aquarium, Tropical Realm, Fruit Bat Forest, Spirit of the Jaguar, Islands in Danger, Realm of the Red Ape, Monkey Islands and Butterfly Journey are all heated, indoor exhibits. Additionally, Macaws, Chimpanzees, Giraffes, Elephants of the Asian Forests, Tsavo Black Rhino Reserve, Tsavo Bird Safari and Miniature Monkeys all have undercover viewing. See map overleaf for location of exhibits

9 Rainy Day Visits Aquarium Islands in Danger Grow Zone Cheetah Realm of the Red Ape Fruit Bat Forest Tsavo Black Rhino Reserve Tropical Realm Spirit of the Jaguar Chimpanzees Secret World of the Okapi Butterfly Journey Elephants of the Asian Forest Monkeys

10 Your teaching session Ring-tailed Lemur on Lemur Island Sessions are run in 3 classrooms all located in the Education Centre next to the Spirit of the Jaguar exhibit. On arrival at the Education Centre please wait outside the appropriate room (Cook, Columbus or Cousteau), as stated on your booking confirmation, for an Education Officer to greet you. Please don t block doorways to Education classrooms as there may be classes about to leave. Each teaching session will last approximately 50 minutes. There is plenty of open space for lunches outside the Education Centre. On rainy days there is an indoor picnic area next door to the Arara Café near the Education Centre. There are toilets opposite the Spirit of the Jaguar house, just past the Education Centre. Some Discovery Sessions may include a live animal and/or a selection of bio-artefacts. Please inform us in advance of any allergies or phobias that may be affected by this. An antibacterial foam hand-wash will be offered to students at the end of the session. In order for this to be effective, teachers are asked to ensure that all students have clean hands on arrival at the Education Centre. If you are delayed for any reason and may be late for your teaching session please contact / We may be able to help! If you have found this information useful or think there is something that we could add to help your day run smoothly, please let us know at learning@chesterzoo.org Enjoy your visit!