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Web of Life Field Trip Package

Table of Contents

Package Overview 1 - 3 Food Chain 12

Information Guide 4 - 6 Animal Crossword Puzzle 13-14

Picture Book Suggestions 7 – 8 Animal Word Search 15

What Animal Is It? 9 Flashcards 16 - 25

Coastal Rainforest 10 How Are We Interconnected? 26

Arctic Tundra 11

Description Students will learn about biodiversity, the roles specific species play in a food web, and develop an understanding and appreciation of the checks, balances, and interconnectedness of a healthy ecosystem.

This package contains a variety of different activities and resources that educators can use to enhance students’ learning about the web of life. There are also activities included that educators can print out and use during their field trip to the Greater , as well as pre-and post-field trip activities for grades 3 and 4.

Objectives ● To analyze roles of organisms as part of a connected food web. ● To assess survival needs and interactions between organisms and the environment. ● To assess requirements for sustaining a healthy ecosystem. ● To evaluate human impacts on an ecosystem. ● To identify and evaluate how and why each animal is important to their community’s survival.

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Links to the Current BC Curriculum Grade 3 ● Living things are diverse, can be grouped, and interact in their ecosystems (Science: Big Ideas) ● Biodiversity in the local environment (Science: Content) ● Make predictions based on prior knowledge (Science: Curricular Competencies) ● Make observations about living and non-living things in the local environment (Science: Curricular Competencies) ● Identify some environmental implications of their and others’ actions (Science: Curricular Competencies)

Grade 4 ● All living things sense and respond to their environment (Science: Big Ideas) ● Biomes as large regions with similar environmental features (Science: Content) ● Observe objects and events in familiar contexts (Science: Curricular Competencies) ● Make observations about living and non-living things in the local environment (Science: Curricular Competencies) ● Identify some simple environmental implications of their and others’ actions (Science: Curricular Competencies)

Preparing for the Program Location: This may be a student’s first visit to the zoo, and being prepared will help ease any nervousness some younger students may have about visiting a new place. These are some things that teachers should review with their students prior to and upon arrival at the zoo. ● Where the zoo is in relation to your school. ● Duration of the trip to the zoo and mode of transportation to the zoo. ● Designated meeting place set out at the zoo in case any adult or student gets separated from the group, and point this out on the map upon arrival.

Vocabulary: Before attending the zoo, students should be aware of the following words as they may be used during the program. ● Biodiversity: the variety of different types of living things in an ecosystem. ● Biomes: large regions with similar environmental features (e.g. climate: long-term weather patterns). ● Carnivore: an animal that eats other animals. ● Decomposer: an animal that breaks down dead or decaying matter.

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● Detritivore: an animal that eats dead things. ● Ecosystem: a community of living organisms in relation to the non-living things in their physical environments. ● Food Chains: plants and animals are interconnected by what they eat. ● Food Web: food chains linked together. ● Habitat: where an animal lives to find food, water, shelter, and space. ● Herbivore: an animal that eats plants. ● Interconnectedness: all living things are related to and interact with each other in the environment. ● Omnivore: an animal that eats both plants and animals. ● Web of Life: the interconnectedness of a complex system within an ecosystem.

Dressing for the weather: There are not many indoor or covered areas at the zoo, so it is important to dress for the weather. ● If raining: waterproof shoes and jackets are necessary. ● If sunny: sunscreen, hats, and water bottles are necessary.

Rules: Here at the zoo, we want you to have fun, but our priority is the safety of our visitors and animals. These rules will help keep you and the animals safe. ● Do not feed the animals. ● Do not touch the animals, unless you have permission from Animal Care staff. ● Respect all barriers and fences.

Pre-Field Trip Activities ● Teachers may use the Information Guide in this package to help introduce certain terms that may be used during the Web of Life Program at the zoo. ● Use the Web of Life worksheets to provide background information prior to the field trip to the Zoo. These worksheets contain information and questions based on the herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, detritivores, and decomposers at the zoo and in our local environment. ● Teachers can refer to the picture book section in this package for resources that students can read prior to coming to the zoo. There are also suggested activities for each picture book.

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During Field Trip Activities ▪ There are Scavenger Hunts available for the African Route and the Asian Route. Answers can be found on the signs at each animal enclosure. These printable Scavenger Hunts can be found on our website: https://gvzoo.com/learn/teacher-resources/. ● Students can use the Food Chain worksheet to note down animals from each category, then choose one from each to draw. The order of the food chain is as follows: Sun → Plant → Herbivore → Omnivore → Carnivore → Detritivore → Decomposer.

Post-Field Trip Activities ● Use the Scavenger Hunt to determine how the animals in that particular ecosystem are interconnected in the web of life. ● Use the flashcards to engage and assess students’ understanding of the web of life. ● Students use the information they have learned about the animals at the zoo to complete the crossword puzzle. ● Use the Food Web to identify the interconnections between living and non-living organisms in the African Savanna. ● Download the printable board game and have students play in small groups to test their knowledge from the tour. “Through the Zoo” board game can be found on our website.

Information Guide There are diverse types of animals in the world, and each one has a key role to play in their ecosystem. An ecosystem is a community of living organisms and non-living things that exist in a physical environment.

A physical environment is also known as a habitat. Habitats are where animals live to find food, water, shelter, and space. Many animals can live in the same habitat because these environments share similar environmental features.

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Large regions that share similar environmental features are called biomes, and there are five major types of biomes in the world. These include aquatic, desert, forest, grassland, and tundra.

The animals that live in each of these biomes are interconnected, which means that they are related to and interact with each other in the environment. All the animals and non-living things in an ecosystem contribute to the web of life through food chains and food webs. Plants and animals make up the food chain as they are interconnected by what they eat, and food webs are different food chains linked together.

Figure 1: An example of an African Savanna food chain. Figure 2: An example of a food web.

Healthy ecosystems will have lots of biodiversity, which means there are diverse types of species living in that ecosystem with many members of those species. To have good biodiversity you need to have plants and animals that are different from each other and that eat different things. We categorize animals based on what they eat. There are five categories: herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, detritivores, and decomposers. If an ecosystem does not have all these categories, there is low diversity, or not a lot of varied species, and may be considered fragile.

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Category Definition Examples

Herbivore An animal that eats plants. Giraffes,

Omnivore An animal that eats both plants and animals. Yellow Baboons

Carnivore An animal that eats other animals. African ,

Detritivore An animal that eats dead organic matter. Marabou Storks

Decomposer An animal that breaks down dead or decaying Dung Beetles, Earthworms matter.

Every animal depends on one another to survive and must interact with each other for their habitat’s survival. This includes us humans, so we must help animals survive by doing our part. Some of the best ways that we can help is to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. By making sure that we always follow the 3R’s, we can reduce our impact on animals and habitats all over the world.

Another way to ensure that we are doing our part to help wild animals is to discourage their involvement in the pet trade. Some of the animals at the Greater Vancouver Zoo were once someone’s pet. While it might seem like a cool experience to own an exotic animal, we are usually unable to meet the elevated level of responsibility. Furthermore, when taken out of their natural habitats, many animals aren’t able to retain their hunting abilities and instinctive behaviours. This can be detrimental to their overall wellbeing and ability to survive if reintroduced in the wild.

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Picture Book Suggestions These are some suggestions of picture books about animals that teachers can use as resources for their students prior to visiting the Greater Vancouver Zoo, as well as some suggested activities to accompany each book.

Bruno Munari’s Zoo by Bruno Munari Bruno Munari was an internationally acclaimed artist, designer, and children's book creator. These books have been hailed as "among the most original, inventive and beautiful ever created." Zoo is among his most graphically stunning works. Meet the kangaroo, who is all legs but doesn't know it, the in his striped pajamas, and the humpy , who has a seat for you. Young readers will enjoy Munari's bright, bold illustrations; older readers will appreciate his wry humor. From children to collectors, Bruno Munari's Zoo is certain to enchant a whole new generation. Activities ● Students can create a class book, with each contributing a page about an animal that they choose to draw and write about in a similar manner to that of Bruno Munari’s. ● Each student can choose an animal to research, then create their own book or presentation on that particular animal.

ZooZical by Judy Sierra Winter weather is keeping children from visiting the zoo. So the animals are out of sorts—listless, grumpy, and no longer fun. All except two little friends, a very small hippo and a baby kangaroo. Their hip- hopping, toe-tapping, and rap-rocking soon has the other animals joining in the hip-aroo beat. "Racoons danced in pairs, baboons danced in troops, and snakes joined the dancers as live hula-hoops." Children's favourite songs get a funny new spin—seals bark out "The seals on the bus go round and round"—as the animals create their very own musical. Activities ● In groups, students create new lyrics to an existing song about the animals that they will see at the zoo, or about one particular animal, then perform it for other students. ● Students can put on a play as a class or in groups by acting out the animals in the story and presenting it to others.

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If All the Animals Came Inside by Eric Pinder If all the animals came inside, bears would run down the stairs, kangaroos would bounce on the couch, and hippos would play hide-and- seek through the halls! Join one family's wild romp as animals of all shapes and sizes burst through the front door and make themselves right at home.

Activities ● Teachers can use this story to engage students in a discussion or debate of whether or not wild animals should be kept as pets, and discuss reasons for their stance. ● Students can think of some consequences that would follow if wild animals were taken out of their homes in the wild. What would happen to them and their ecosystems? Why are they being taken out of their natural habitats?

The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen When a circus ship runs aground off the coast of Maine, the poor animals are left on their own to swim the chilly waters. Staggering onto a nearby island, they soon win over the wary townspeople with their kind, courageous ways. So well do the critters blend in that when the greedy circus owner returns to claim them, villagers of all species conspire to outsmart the bloated blowhard. With buoyant rhymes and brilliantly caricatured illustrations evoking the early nineteenth century, Chris Van Dusen presents a hugely entertaining tale about the bonds of community — and a rare hidden- pictures spread for -eyed readers of all ages. Activities ● Teachers can use this book to help students think of some ways that they can help wild animals. Teachers can guide students to think of conservation, the 3R’s, and not participating in the pet trade. ● Students can make an individual or class goal on what they can do to help wild animals in a variety of ways, such as by drawing an animal and writing their goal, then putting it on a bulletin board, or by making a class book.

Note: All book summaries are taken from Goodreads.com

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What Animal Is It? Match the silhouette of each animal to their names. Then, determine their category.

African

Hippopotamus

Marabou Stork

Earthworm

Dromedary Camel

Giraffe

Ring-Tailed Lemur

Yellow Baboon

Cheetah

Zebra

Herbivores: ______

Omnivores: ______

Carnivores: ______

Detritivores: ______

Decomposers: ______

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Coastal Rainforest

1. What does this habitat look like? What kind of climate does it have?

2. List some animals that live in the Coastal Rainforest.

3. Draw a food chain that includes animals and plants from the Coastal Rainforest.

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Arctic Tundra

1. What does this habitat look like? What kind of climate does it have?

2. List some animals that live in the Arctic Tundra.

3. Draw a food chain that includes animals and plants from the Arctic Tundra.

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Food Chain Go around the zoo and note down some animals from the five different categories. Then, complete the food chain by choosing one animal from each category to draw in the boxes below.

Herbivores: ______

Omnivores: ______

Carnivores: ______

Detritivores: ______

Decomposers: ______

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Animal Crossword Puzzle

Word Bank

Camel Flamingo

Lion Lynx Ostrich Red Panda Tiger

Across Down

2. I have stripes on my skin and I can grow 1. Although I am a bird, I cannot fly. bigger than a lion. 3. I eat approximately 20 hours each day. 6. I look tougher if my mane is big. 4. Bamboo makes up 98% of my diet. 8. I am the world’s fastest four-legged animal. 5. I can hold my breath underwater, but I 9. Eating shrimp and krill turns me pink. cannot swim. 10. I have humps on my back that stores about 80 7. I have large paws that help me stay on top of pounds of fat. the snow.

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Answer Key

Across Down

2. I have stripes on my skin and I can grow 1. Although I am a bird, I cannot fly. Ostrich bigger than a lion. Tiger 3. I eat for around 20 hours a day. Giraffe 6. I look tougher if my mane is big. Lion 4. Bamboo makes up 98% of my diet. Red Panda 8. I am the world’s fastest four-legged animal. 5. I can hold my breath underwater, but I Cheetah cannot swim. Hippopotamus 9. Eating shrimp and krill turns me pink. Flamingo 7. I have large paws that help me stay on top of 10. I have humps on my back that stores about 80 the snow. Lynx pounds of fat. Camel

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Animal Word Search

D A B G R H B P E I E V X Z W J E O M P A N E K E Z L D U R B D S D X R U L S M F P C B Y V M M Q F Z T O Q L X O C Z N F Q G Z K F G X X W Q R A T T A N I G B O P C G G U H O X F D W O S T R I C H Z U H D G M F I J X Z K Z R U B G Z A L N U D A Y X T B U E E A P B B C X C Z W U D O C F O R J W Q G N J S C F R T S J D K H R V H L V S A G D K X C P K O V K A L T Z Z N R B F S N D C M B R Y T Q A A K Q N O U O A O H J Z U C P G H B N Y G I Q R K F A A V S R D V H S U M A T O P O P P I H O B N Q Y Z O U K N N S Z P A U N L V X E J P W D T P O A U A W P O S S X T W Y R U S U N G C X T Z C N N U T E W U R S G N H C Y B O B F H A T E E H C S N U J K I F W Z I Y O D A L N V J R K R D E E R C N I F U R G R W Z L T J V I P S K R A W B W R C A B P W Q N N F L O W N O J O M I U K T E N E H P B P W M I U W S Z F W U N A N M A G K E C B F Z W F R S V B H T E L A N D P G D V V N V W I B X M F Y V Y T F S E H H N W P P L A B D O I E B A Z G Y T C J L S Q N W P E T Z U Y J P Z J E P A S S K O S A N O Z Z B Y X D V S V E A B G G L G B J I C F N K W H O D G Y A X E U W K V S K L R U O N O G E T A C Z C C C B Z G G V P J W S R K A H O X J Q Y O A U A L I M K M P X J S M C P Y T H O N N G L M M R D V A R I X K P T F M S A N S O Q V Z R F R O G Z A U

OSTRICH BABOON LION TIGER ZEBRA

ELAND STORK MACAW BEAR CHEETAH

LYNX DEER CARIBOU FOX

WOLF HIPPOPOTAMUS GECKO CAIMAN PYTHON

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Flashcards The animals on these flashcards can be used in a variety of ways. There are two sets of these flashcards: one with information printed on them, and one set without. Teachers may choose to use animals from certain biomes. These are some suggested activities: 1. Food Web ● Place flashcards in descending order of trophic level (sun → grass → herbivores → omnivores → carnivores → detritivores → decomposers). ● Draw lines between flashcards to illustrate the interconnectedness, and to see how energy moves through the food web. ● Remove an animal and erase its connections to see how species extinction impacts the entire web of life. 2. Food Chain ● Students place flashcards in a food chain to determine which flashcard goes first (sun), which goes last (decomposers), and everything in between (herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, detritivores). 3. Web of Life War ● Each player flips over one flashcard, and whoever has the “stronger” card wins and keeps the card. Whoever has the most number of flashcards at the end wins. This may engage students in thoughtful debates (e.g., Sun versus Lion). 4. Animal Niche ● Each animal has a niche, or a role to play in an ecosystem. ● In groups or individually, students receive a flashcard and think and engage in discussion about that animal’s role. ● Suggested questions:

- Does it create waste? - Does it help other animals find food? - Does it live alone or in a group? - What scavengers will feed on its dead body? - Does it aid in new plant growth? - Does it help scatter seeds?

- Does it compete for resources with other animals? - Does it help keep the population of other plants or animals in balance? - What would be different about the ecosystem if this animal became extinct?

5. Pictionary / Charades ● Can be played class or in smaller groups. ● One student picks a face down card and must draw or act out the animal until their team guesses correctly within a certain time frame.

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6. Category Match ● Use the flashcards with animals whose categories are Herbivore, Omnivore, and Carnivore and place them facedown. ● Each player will flip two cards over at a time to find a category match. ● If there is a match, the player will keep the cards. Whoever has the most cards at the end of the game wins. If there is no match, the player will place the flashcards facedown again in their original place. 7. Biome Sort ● Scramble the flashcards and sort them into the five major types of biomes: aquatic, desert, forest, grassland, and tundra. ● Race against other groups to see which group is the fastest. Repeat to beat scores.

The categories for each of these animals are as follows:

Category Flashcards

Source of Energy Sun

Plant Grass

Herbivores Giraffes, Zebras, , Common Elands, Capybaras, White Tailed Deer, Moose, Green Iguanas

Omnivores Yellow Baboons, Ring-Tailed Lemurs, Grizzly Bears, Common Snapping Turtles, Emus, Squirrel Monkeys

Carnivores African Lions, Cheetahs, Black Bears, Ball Pythons, Spectacled Caimans, Tokay Geckos

Detritivores Marabou Storks

Decomposers Dung Beetles

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The biomes for each of these animals are as follows:

Aquatic Desert Forest Grassland Tundra

Hippopotamus, Dung Beetles, Dung Beetles, Black Giraffe, Zebra, African Grizzly Common Emu Bears, Grizzly Bears, Lion, Yellow Baboons, Bears, Snapping Turtle Squirrel Monkeys, Ring-Tailed Lemurs, Moose Capybaras, White Cheetahs, Tailed Deer, Moose, Hippopotamuses, Common Ball Pythons, Green Elands, Dung Beetles, Iguanas, Tokay Geckos, Marabou Storks, Emus, Ring-Tailed Lemurs Capybaras

Forest Aquatic Desert

Web of Life

Grassland Tundra

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Sun Grass Giraffes

Grasses are an important The sun provides plants with food source for many the energy to make food via herbivores. There are Diet: Parts of trees (e.g., photosynthesis. The sun also different types of grasses, leaves, bark, branches) provides heat for all the and different animals prefer Predators: Lions and hyenas plants and animals on earth. different types.

Zebras African Lions Yellow Baboons

Diet: Grass Diet: Mostly fruits, plants, Diet: Zebra, antelope, small invertebrate animals Predators: Lions, leopards, giraffes, rhinos, hippos hyenas Predators: Lions, leopards, Predators: None cheetahs

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Ring-Tailed Lemurs Cheetahs Hippopotamuses

Diet: Fruits, leaves, some insects, occasionally small Diet: Small antelope, birds, birds or lizards Diet: Grass rabbits Predators: Birds of prey, Predators: Lions, crocodiles Predators: Larger predators fossa will attack cubs

Common Elands Dung Beetles Marabou Storks

Diet: Dung Diet: Grass, leaves Predators: Bat-eared foxes, Diet: Dead animals Predators: Lions, leopards baboons Predators: Large carnivores

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Black Bears Grizzly Bears Ball Pythons

Diet: Insects, fish, small Diet: Fish, deer, small mammals, vegetation (grasses, Diet: Rats, mice mammals, insects, berries herbs, fruits, berries, honey, Predators: Birds of prey, Predators: Humans nuts, and seeds) leopards, lions Predators: Grizzly bears

Emus Squirrel Monkeys Capybaras

Diet: Grasses, seeds, leaves, Diet: Aquatic plants, melons fruits, caterpillars, crickets, Diet: Fruits, insects, nuts, Predators: , lizards seeds anacondas, pumas, , Predators: Dingoes, wedge- Predators: Eagles, snakes, caimans tailed eagles jaguars, ocelots

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White Tailed Deer Moose Tokay Geckos

Diet: Tree leaves, grasses, Diet: Leaves, twigs nuts Diet: Insects, small birds and Predators: Wolves, bears, Predators: Grey wolves, mammals cougars mountain lions Predators: Snakes

Green Iguanas Spectacled Caimans Common Snapping Turtles

Diet: Birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish, Diet: Leaves, grass, fruit and insects Diet: Aquatic plants, fish, flowers Predators: Large fish, wading amphibians Predators: Birds of prey, birds, large snakes, other Predators: , black snakes crocodilians bears, alligators

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Sun Grass Giraffes

Zebras African Lions Yellow Baboons

Ring-Tailed Lemurs Cheetahs Hippopotamuses

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Common Elands Dung Beetles Marabou Storks

Black Bears Grizzly Bears Ball Pythons

Emus Squirrel Monkeys Capybaras

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White Tailed Deer Moose Tokay Geckos

Green Iguanas Spectacled Caimans Common Snapping Turtles

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How Are We Interconnected? Draw lines to show how these living organisms and non-living things from the African Savanna are interconnected.

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