KS2 Habitats : Rainforests Information and guidance for teachers

Transcription

1 KS2 Habitats : Rainforests Information and guidance for teachers Contents Lesson plan Plan a route Suggested activities to link with session Things to arrange prior to visit The day of your trip: arriving at the Zoo Your teaching session We have a group of over 30 chimpanzees here at Chester Zoo

2 KS2 Habitats Rainforests Lesson content outline Introduction Whole class discussion supported by PowerPoint presentation to define what a habitat is and the characteristics of the rainforest habitat. Extension Why are rainforests special? Predict the kinds of animals living there? Main lesson Introduction to the layers of the rainforest and close encounter with a live invertebrate discussing adaptations to its rainforest habitat. Group work exploring a range of exciting animal artefacts and feeding back deductions about the layer they belong to. Whole class construction of a food web followed by group work constructing food webs using the artefacts of a specific layer. Plenary Whole class discussion supported by PowerPoint presentation about the threats to the Rainforests and how Chester Zoo is involved in conserving rainforest animals. If time allows classes may be taken to visit The Spirit of the Jaguar exhibit. One of our Discovery sessions in action!

3 Plan a route Click here to download a Zoo Map Animals discussed during session Stingray, Anaconda, Emerald Tree Boa, Arawana, Jaguar, caiman, Capybara, tapir, macaw, poison dart frogs, Buffy-headed Capuchin Animals to visit before session (or after session if at 10.30) Ideally visit animals that will be discussed during the session, with the exception of Spirit of the Jaguar if you would like this to be part of your session. Capybara - between the Twilight Zone (bats) and Spectacled Bears. Make sure to look at their feet (they are partially webbed) they might give you a clue to where they spend a lot of time! Tapir - with the Capybara. Make sure to look for any youngsters with a stripy and spotty pattern. Macaws a variety of species at the back of the Tropical Realm opposite the Education Centre. Stingray Twilight Zone (all Pupils must be accompanied by and adult). Arawana Asian Elephants exhibit. In the Tropical Realm (near Chimps and giraffes ) you will find Buffyheaded Capuchin, Anaconda and crocodile (we do not have Caiman but these are similar). In the Spirit of the Jaguar are leaf-cutter ants, Emerald Tree Boa and poison dart frogs. In the Arara Picnic Lodge you will find a display of artefacts collected from tribes of the rainforest. Continues on next page. Can you spot one of our five Jaguars?

4 Some other rainforest species you can find at Chester Zoo: One of our young Sumatran Orang-utans born in 2004 South American Coatis, Marmosets, Tamarins, Black-faced Spider Monkeys, Plumed Basilisk,sSurinam Toads, Smoky Jungle Frogs, Bush Dogs. Other species found in rainforests worldwide Elephants, Okapi, Congo Buffalo, Babirusa, Red River Hogs, Sulawesi Crested Macaque, Philippine Spotted Deer, Eastern Bongo, Anoa, Mauritius Kestrel, Blue Crowned Pigeon, Brown Lory, Great Hornbill. Red Bird of Paradise, Chimps, Orang-utans, Lemurs, Mandrill. Animals to avoid before session The Spirit of the Jaguar exhibit (unless you would rather visit this without a member of Education Staff at the end of your session). Rainy day plan B indoor enclosures Capybara, tapir and macaws have undercover areas large enough for a small group. The Twilight Zone, Tropical Realm, Spirit of the Jaguar, Asian Elephants and the Arara Picnic Lodge are indoors. Other exhibits with indoor viewing include; rhinos, orangutans, Aquarium, Monkeys, Chimps, giraffe, Congo Buffalo, Babirusa, Other exhibits with undercover viewing include; Miniature Monkeys (marmosets and tamarins), Red River Hog (space may be limited at these enclosures).

5 Suggested activities to link with session Before Visit (recommended prior learning useful but not essential) Vocabulary Forest floor, understorey, canopy, emergent layer, adaptation, habitat, equator, Amazon Visit the Tropical Realm at Chester Zoo to see our magnificent reptiles During Visit Visit The Spirit of the Jaguar exhibit and use your senses to find: Food Smell, there are smell panels around the building that include chocolate and vanilla. Touch and sight, there are colour models of potatoes, peppers and more outside the building. A jaguar Smell, panel of Jaguar wee. Touch and sight, footprints, poo, scratch marks (in the indoor rainforest side). Sound, sound board include the sound of a Jaguar. Other rainforest animals Sight, there are living exhibits of poison frogs, snakes, fish and ants Sound, the sound board includes the sound of several other animals. What it is like in the rainforest Feel the heat and damp, humid air. Smell, the damp earth and the plants. Listen to all the noises. Visit other rainforest animals (see list above) What do they eat? What eats them? Whereabouts in the rainforest do they live? Continues on next page.

6 Cross section through a Rainforest Take photos or make sketches of South American rainforest animals. Back at school draw a large class picture of the rainforest including all the layers, river, forest floor, understorey, canopy and emergent layer then stick your pictures on in the right place. Pictures could also be collected in order to build food chains. Compare the rainforest to another habitat We have savannah animals (giraffe, lion, zebra etc), aquatic animals (in the Aquarium, Tropical Realm and twilight zone) we even have British animals and a Wildlife Garden here at the Zoo. Presenter talks Check out the times and topics of talks. Some talks include animal feeds. All presenters are happy to answer individual questions after their talk. Food Chain Treasure Hunt Start from a Rainforest plant such as those in Spirit of the Jaguar. What might eat it? Perhaps a Tapir, visit the Tapirs. What might eat a Tapir? Perhaps an Anaconda, visit the Anaconda etc.

7 After Visit Why do we need rainforest? Collect the labels from food eaten that have ingredients from the rainforest and create a collage (e.g. chocolate, peanut butter, pineapple, cinnamon, peppers). Make a Poster The rainforest is being destroyed create a poster/leaflet/letter etc to let people know what is happening. Who lives in the Rainforest? Investigate the people who live in the rainforest, where they live, what they eat, where they get their food, what the children learn, what they wear etc this could include face painting, music, food tasting and a whole lot more! Create a rainforest Create a mural of a cross-sections of the rainforest (emergent trees, canopy trees, under-storey plants, rivers forest floor) Add pupils drawings or zoo photos. Designer Animal Invent a new animal designed to live in a rainforest. Draw it and annotate to indicate its adaptation. Food Chains From photos taken in the zoo build food chain wall displays. Make animal masks to make living food chains with pupils. From a long list of species from a rainforest make as many different food chains as possible (could use species only once or multiple times). Asoka Chester Zoo s male Asiatic Lion

8 Things to arrange prior to visit Tree frogs are great climbers just look at their feet! Please check details on confirmation letter, any queries please call Arrange a pre-visit to the Zoo, contact us for details Arrange appropriate number of group leaders and collate contact details. Assign pupils to a group leader, ensure pupils and leaders know the running plan for the day, have staff contact details and map of the Zoo (these can be downloaded from the website at Ensure group leaders have a plan for the day including; pupil names, time and location of teaching session (e.g. a copy of the confirmation letter) and where to meet, if necessary, after the session as well as a map of the Zoo. Identification wrist bands are available for 5p each, and can be sent to you in advance. For more information please contact Running plan for the day Time and location of teaching session Time and location to meet for teaching session Time and location to meet for lunch Time to visit Twilight Zone (all pupils under 16 must be accompanied through the Twilight Zone) Time for pupils to visit the gift shop (the shop at the entrance is open all year round, opening times of the other 2 shops vary throughout the year) All pupils under 16 should be accompanied in the gift shops Time and location to meet when leaving the Zoo

9 The day of your trip: arriving at the Zoo Please help us to make your entrance to the Zoo as smooth as possible. Sheba is our oldest Asian Elephant at over 50 years of age! 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. Pupils 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 pupils 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 plan: indoor enclosures Snakes, insects, birds and other reptiles are in the Tropical Realm. The Tropical Realm is situated near to the Education Centre in the East Zoo. The Twilight Zone contains free flying bats as well as insects, fish and mammals. The Twilight Zone is situated just past Monkeys in the West Zoo. Monkeys, Chimpanzees and Jaguars all have good indoor viewing Other enclosures with indoor viewing include; Rhinos, Elephants, Orang-utans, the Aquarium and Islands in Danger.

10 Your teaching session Sessions are run in 3 classrooms all located in the Education Centre next to the Spirit of the Jaguar exhibit. Please be aware that it can take 30+ minutes to cross the zoo particularly at busy times of year. 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 (Arara Picnic Lodge) past the Spirit of the Jaguar exhibit. There are toilets opposite the Spirit of the Jaguar house just past 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 education@chesterzoo.org Meeting Beaky the quail during a Discovery session