One of our young Sumatran Orang-utans born in 2004

KS2 Interdependence and Adaptation 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

KS2 Interdependence and Adaptations Learning Objectives After attending this session, pupils will be able to: ▪ List some of the reasons that animals need food. ▪ Explain ways in which animals and plants are dependent on each other. ▪ Discuss how animals are animals are adapted for finding food and avoiding predators. ▪ Construct a simple food chain.

Lesson Plan ▪ Introduction Whole class discussion to define what a habitat is and what animals need in their habitat for survival. We will focus on the importance of food; why all animals need to eat and different animal diets. ▪ Main lesson Close encounter with a live decomposer discussing its role and importance within its habitat. The concept of adaptation will also be discussed. The class will then be divided into 5 groups, each looking at a range of artefacts from a particular animal species. Using these, each group will decide how that animal is adapted for finding food and avoiding predators. ▪ Plenary We will construct a food chain as a class and discuss the impact that various scenarios will have on this chain. We will link this with how living things need protection. Back to top

One of our Discovery Sessions in action!

Click here to download a Zoo Map Animals discussed during session Many different animals may be discussed during this session including cheetahs, tigers, pythons, macaws, zebras and tapirs. See route map below for ideas.

Curriculum links SC2 Life Processes and Living Things 5a Living things and the environment need protection Adaptation b Different plants and animals found in different habitats c How animals and plants in two different habitats are suited to their environment Feeding relationships d Use food chains to show feeding relationships in a habitat e Nearly all food chains start with a green plant

One of our Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaws

Back to top

Suggested activities to link with session Before visit (recommended prior learning - useful but not essential) Vocabulary – Habitat, Adaptation, Carnivore, Herbivore, Omnivore, Scavenger, Decomposer, Camouflage, Prey, Predator, Producer, Primary Consumer, Secondary Consumer, Tertiary Consumer. Concepts – What is a habitat, animals are adapted for finding food and avoiding predators, how to build a food chain. During visit (see map) Explorer Trails A selection of curriculum-linked self-led Explorer trails are available to download at http://www.chesterzoo.org/WhatWeDo/Education/Explorer%20Programme.a spx The KS2 Savannah Bird trail is based in the Tsavo Bird Safari and looks at how these birds are adapted to their Savannah habitat. • Focus on animals and plants from extreme habitats such as Bactrian Camel from steppe (cold desert), Amur Tiger which has to withstand very cold winters on the Russo-China border and cacti from the hot dry regions of America. • Go along to one of the 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 the Grow Zone Greenhouses or a garden area. What might eat grass? From the suggested animals pick one to visit for example zebra. What might eat zebra? Perhaps a lion? What might eat a lion? Perhaps a scavenging bird like a vulture etc. • Draw and photograph the animals perhaps focusing on camouflage and other adaptations. Pictures could also be collected in order to build food chains back in school.

Gaboon Vipers on display at the Secret World of the Okapi

Interdependence and Adaptations: Some Exhibits to Visit Tigers

Grow Zone

Bactrian Camel Cheetah

Reticulated Python

Tapir

Education Centre

Macaws

Elephants

Tsavo Bird Safari

Zebra

After Visit ▪ Animal A-Z Games (on the coach?!) Think of an animal beginning with each letter of the alphabet. Something beginning with for example ‘z a lion might eat’, or ‘a meat eating animal beginning with J’. An animal that flies/hops/swims beginning with … ▪ Letter writing – Write and tell us about your day at the Zoo. ▪ Designer Animal – Invent an animal designed to live in a specific habitat. Draw it and annotate to indicate its adaptations. ▪ 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 habitat make as many different food chains as possible (could use species only once or multiple times). ▪ Plants aren’t just for eating – How many different ways can you think of that plants need animals. Why are flowers and fruit brightly coloured? Why is fruit tasty? Why are seeds sticky and tasty? Laurels rely on Spectacled Bears for germination, sundew plants eat flies, orchids look like bees to encourage bees to pollinate them. ▪ Sign writing – Make an identification sign for an imaginary animal. Give it a name, draw it and describe its food, habits, predators and number of babies etc. ▪ ICT – Use computers to present mathematical information you have collected. ▪ RE – Noah’s Ark story can be linked to the logo of the zoo and its mission to save animals from extinction. ▪ Drama – Turn your sounds and experiences of visiting the zoo into a play or assembly. Back to top

Great Grey Owls are one of the largest owls in the world

Chester Zoo supports Black Rhino conservation in Kenya

Things to arrange prior to visit • Please check the details on your confirmation letter. If you have any queries please call us on 01244 650205 / 389444. • To arrange a pre-visit to the Zoo, contact us on 01244 650205 / 389444 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 http://www.chesterzoo.org/Visit/GettingAround/Access%20facilities.a spx

Back to top

Sheba is our oldest Asian Elephant at over 50 years of age!

The day of your trip: arriving at the Zoo • 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, Monkey Islands, Realm of the Red Ape 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

Back to top

Rainy Day Visits Aquarium

Islands in Danger

Grow Zone

Cheetah Fruit Bat Forest

Realm of the Red Ape

Tsavo Black Rhino Reserve

Tropical Realm

Spirit of the Jaguar Chimpanzees

Secret World of the Okapi

Butterfly Journey

Elephants of the Asian Forest

Monkey Islands

Ring-tailed Lemur on Lemur Island

Your teaching session • 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 01244 650205/ 389444. 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 [email protected]

Enjoy your visit!

Back to top