Amazing Animal Adaptations

Home , Crepuscular animal, Peoria (moth), Sinaloan milk snake

This packet is to help introduce your students to terms and ideas that will be discussed during your visit to the Peoria Zoo. It is designed to enhance your program experience either through class prep or follow-up. By using the vocabulary, activities and ideas it will help reinforce the program and meet the State Standards listed on page 4.

Terms to introduce: Adaptation- a physical characteristic or behavior that helps an animal survive in its environment Appendage-any complex part or organ extending from the body Antenna-a sensory appendage on the headof an arthropod Arachnid-an arthropod with four pairs of walking legs (spiders, scorpions, mites or ticks) Arthropod-a segmented animal with jointed appendages and an exoskeleton Biofact-an object found in nature including feathers, eggs, and teeth Burrowing-when an animal digs a hole to hide and live in Camouflage-hiding by protective coloring, pretending to be part of the natural surroundings Cold-blooded-an organism that regulates its body temperature by exchanging heat with its environment Countershading-form of camouflage where there is darker coloring located on the top and a lighter shade on the bottom, making it difficult for it to be seen from either above or below Crepuscular-animals which are active at dawn and dusk Diurnal-animals which are active during the daytime Habitat-the environment where an organism usually lives Endoskeleton-an organism whose support is located on the inside Exoskeleton-an organism whose support and protection is located on the outside Molting-is to shed the outer covering periodically for growth Nocturnal-animals which are active at night Pedipalps-in arachnids, an appendage that aids in chewing Predator-is the organism who is doing the eating Prey-is the organism that is being eaten Shedding-is a process reptiles go through to grow, by losing their outer covering, so they can have a new larger covering Spiracles-an external opening of a trachea in an insect, in the case of the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach they are also used to make the hissing noise Warm-blooded-an organism which maintains its constant body temperature independent of the environment

Ideas covered in program: - Introducing adaptations as something about an animal that makes it possible for it to live in a particular place and in a particular way. It may be a physical adaptation, like the size or shape of the animal's body, or the way in which its body works, or it may be the way the animal behaves. - Every animal needs food to eat, water to drink, air to breathe, and a place to live, but they also need to have a way to protect themselves from danger. We’ll talk about what possible enemies of animals might be (ex. predators, disease, etc) and how even their environment might be its enemy too. - Animals have developed adaptations over time. This means a long period of slow change resulted in an animal’s adaptations. The spots on a snow leopard, for example, did not emerge overnight. Instead, this process took generation upon generation of snow leopards physically adapting to their environment for the characteristic spot patterns to evolve. Those snow leopards with spot patterns were able to hide more successfully, therefore surviving longer than those without spot patterns like their own. Instead, this process of change over time is the key to how many organisms develop adaptations. Some adaptations can arise quickly through genetic mutations; these mutations also may be deadly (albinism, etc).

Activities for students:

CREATE YOUR OWN: Have the students design an animal that might live in an extreme environment (ex. arctic, desert, hot springs, etc) and have them draw a picture of that animal. Then have the students either label the picture with its adaptations or have them present their new animal to the class and explain how their animal survives.

SOLAR SENSATION Make two foil mittens completely cover your hand. Paint the top of one white and the other black. Have students hypothesize which is going to heat up faster and why. Now hold both hands under a bright light or go into the sun. Which one warms up first? How can an animal’s coloring affect its body temperature? What animals have you seen this in?

COOLING SENSATION: Spray a student’s right arm with water from a water bottle (please be sure to explain that it is only water). Have students hypothesize which will get cooler faster and why. Have the students wave both arms in the air. Discuss which arm felt cooler, were they right with their hypothesis? Why? The sensation of evaporation provides a cooling feeling. Some animals that live in hot areas with water access will wet themselves and then sun (our wallaby is an example). This process provides cooling for the body.

HOW TO EAT PEANUT: The foods we eat may be more difficult for animals to tackle. Find out how various animals manage to eata peanut. Clean student’s desk or lay paper towels down before this activity. The instructor may choose to have only a few representatives from the class demonstrate one or several of the following animals. This is dependent on class age and behavior make-up. If there is time, this may be done as a whole class activity.

Bear: Tape their fingers and thumbs so they can’t move freely. Next have them roll the peanut on the desk to crack it and eat the nut with their tongues.

Spider Monkey: Tape their thumbs to their palms. Have them try to crack the nut with their teeth.

Chimpanzee: Tape their thumbs to the sides of their hands so that only the top joint can be moved.

Bird: No hands allowed, only the mouth!

ANIMAL RIDDLES: Ask the students riddles which you write that includes adaptations and how they are used. Have the students guess what the animal is (ex. I reach the leaves at the top of the trees and pick them with my 18inch long tongue. Who amI? – giraffe). Now assign each student an animal and have them research the animal and write a riddle based on their adaptations.

State Standards met by: Listening to the program: 4.A.2b-c; 4.B.2b; 12.A.2b 4.A.3a; 4.A.3c-d

Write about the animals they saw: 3.A.2; 3.B.2a-d; 3.C.2a; 4.A.2a; 12.B.2a; 12.B.2b; 17.B.2b 3.A.3; 3.B.3a-b; 3.C.3a; 4.B.3a; 4.B.3a; 12.A.3c; 12.B.3b; 17.B.3b

Create your own: 4.B.2a; 5.A.2a-b; 5.B.2a-b; 5.C.2a-b; 17.B.2b; 26.B.2d 5.A.3a; 5.B.3a-b; 5.C.3a-c; 17.B.3b; 26.B.3d

Scavenger Hunt: 12.A.2b; 12.B.2b 12.A.3c; 12.B.3b

Solar/Cooling Sensation: 4.B.2b; 11.A.2a; 11.A.2b; 12.C.2a; 12.A.2b; 12.B.2b; 17.B.2b 11.A.3a-b; 12.A.3c; 12.B.3b

How to eat a peanut: 11.A.2a-b; 12.A.2b; 12.B.2b 11.A.3a-b; 12.A.3c; 12.B.3b

Animal Riddles: 3.B.2a-b; 4.A.2b 3.B.3a; 3.C.3a; 4.B.3a; 5.C.3b An Animal for All Seasons

This packet is to help introduce your students to terms and ideas that will be discussed during your visit to Peoria Zoo. It is designed to enhance your program experience, either through class prep or follow-up. By using the vocabulary, activities, and ideas it will help reinforce the program and meet the State Standards listed on page 2.

Terms to introduce to students: - Biofact-an object found in nature including (but not limited to) feathers, eggs, teeth, and bones - Climate-the weather conditions in a particular region in regards to temperature, precipitation, and wind - Cold-blooded-an organism that regulates its body temperature by exchanging heat with its environment - Endoskeleton-an organism whose support is located on the inside - Exoskeleton-an organism whose support is located on the outside - Precipitation-any form of water such as rain, sleet, or snow - Warm-blooded-an organism which maintains its constant body temperature independent of the environment

Ideas covered in program: - Cold-blooded and warm-blooded; discussing animals in each group - Looking at the four seasons and situations that would pose problems for the animals as they go through theseasons - Discussing different climates: rainforest, desert, Arctic, etc. and possible adaptations that animals would need to survive in these extremes - Students should be able to come up with some animals that could not live in the extreme climates and discuss why. - Focus on how humans have "borrowed" adaptations from other animals. When we go in the water, how are we like a fish? (swim fins) When we travel to very cold climates, how are we like a polar bear? (fur parka) etc. - Hibernation and migration, 2 ways animals deal with cold weather, looking at whether this is a learned or inherited behavior.

Activities for Students: ANIMALS THERE - Choose one of the animals that were presented at the zoo and discuss its adaptations for the climate that it is from. Also discuss the possible problems that it would have if it lived in Central Illinois. What could you change to make it fit here in Illinois.

ANIMALS HERE - Have the class list all of the different animals that they can encounter in and around their local environment. What are various adaptations for each of these animals that help them survive the seasons that we experience in Central Illinois?

WHO GOES THERE? - Have students research an animal that fits an unusual environment/extreme environment. For example, how could an animal survive in a cave? What special adaptations would it need? Students can present their animals to the class.

SOLAR SENSATION What you will need- foil Paint- white and black Make two foil mittens completely cover your hands. Paint the top of one white and the other black. Which one do you think is going to heat up first and why? Now hold both hands under a bright light or go into the sun. Which one warms up first? Was it the one you thought? How can an animal’s coloring affect its body temperature?

COOLING SENSATION What you will need- spray bottle filled with water Spray each students left arm with water from a water bottle (be sure to explain that it is only water). Which one do you think will stay cooler and why? Have the students wave both arms in the air. Discuss which arm felt cooler. Was it the one they thought? The sensation of evaporation provides a cooling feeling. Some animals that live in hot areas with water access will wet themselves and then sun (such as wallabies). This process provides cooling for the body.

WHAT SEASONS MEAN TO THEM - Sketch in a journal, or a large sheet of paper divided into 4 sections, a picture of what each season means to them.

State Standards met by: Listening to the program: 4.A.2b-c; 4.B.2b; 12.A.2b

Animals here: 3.A.2; 3.B.2a-d; 3.C.2a; 11.A.2a; 11.B.2a; 12.B.2b; 17.B.2b

Animals there: 3.A.2; 3.B.2a-d; 3.C.2a; 11.A.2a; 11.B.2a; 12.B.2b; 17.B.2b

Who goes there: 4.B.2a; 4.B.2c; 5.A.2a; 5.A.2b; 5.C.2b; 12.B.2b; 17.B.2b

Solar/Cooling Sensations: 11.A.2a; 11.A.2b; 12.C.2a

Whatseasons mean to them: 26.B.2d

The world’s major biomes

Animal Tales

This packet is to help introduce your students to terms and ideas that will be discussed during your visit to Peoria Zoo. It is designed to enhance your program experience. By using the activities and ideas it will help reinforce the program and meet the State Standards listed.

Books that might be read: Giraffes Can’t Dance Never, Ever Shout in the Zoo Wild About Books

Colors and Patterns

This packet is to help introduce your students to terms and ideas that will be discussed during your visit to the Peoria Zoo. It is designed to enhance your program experience, either through class prep or follow-up. By using the vocabulary, activities, and ideas it will help reinforce the program and meet the State Standards listed on page 2.

Terms to introduce to students: - biofact-an object in nature including (but not limited to) feathers, eggs, teeth, bones, etc - Camouflage-hiding by protective coloring, pretending to be part of the natural surroundings - Counter shading-form of camouflage where there is darker coloring located on the top and a lighter shade on the bottom, making it difficult for it to be seen from either above or below. - Mimicry-a type of camouflage where an animal looks and acts like another species of animal

Ideas covered in program: - The idea of camouflage; help students identify some animals that use camouflage (snakes, sugar gliders, owls, etc.) - Why it is beneficial for animals to use camouflage (hunting, protection) - Introduce the idea of warning colors and colors to attract mates - Introduce counter shading, mimicry, and imitation - How/why camouflage only works for animals when they stay in certain places - How each animal introduced used their colors and patterns (depends on the animals we bring) - Why some animals use colors to warn others to leave them alone (poisonous, taste bad, territorial, etc.) like beaded lizards warning they are venomous or monarch butterflies warning they taste bad - How/why some animals use colors and patterns to attract mates (most birds you see this, students can see male cardinals as a good example in their own backyard

Activities for Students:

WRITE ABOUT IT - After the program, have students write about what they saw, which animals they liked best/least and what colors all of the animals were.

MAKE YOUR OWN ANIMAL - Gather pictures of fish from different habitats (brightly colored from coral reefs-students will probably recognize these from Finding Nemo to fish found in rivers and lakes). Discuss how fish look different depending on where they are living, colors help them survive. Now have the students create their own fish, using whatever patterns/colors they would like, as long as the fish blends in someplace in the classroom. Let the students display their “fish” in the part of the room they camouflage with.

CAMOUFLAGE YOURSELF - Have students come to school camouflaged (to match the classroom or schoolyard). This can mean common colors/patterns found in the classroom to having them create their own outfit with grass/leaves to camouflage outside. Have a team of judges decide who is the hardest to find. Then discuss how easy/difficult it was to camouflage

WARNING - Talk about why animals might use warning colors instead of trying to camouflage. Have students watch for warning colors they might find in our world for a week (stop signs-red, flashing yellow lights in school zones). Have them write down all of the things that might be warning colors.

COLOR IT - Using coloring sheets, let students color their animals whatever color they would like. Then have each student explain why they colored them the way they did (if it was to camouflage where they live, warning of poison, to attract a mate, etc)

CAMOUFLAGE GAME - You will need: 4-5 different colors of yarn, some that will camouflage well and some that stand out. Cut the yarn into about 3 inch pieces. Find an area, either inside or outside and scatter the pieces of yarn randomly throughout the area chosen (size of the area depends on the size of your class). Explain to the students how important camouflage is, example: birds will eat the bugs they see first before hunting for them. Now tell the students they are going to pretend to be birds and find the bugs you have spread out in the area (show them the yarn). Give each bird a designated spot that will be their nest, this is where they will return. They will have 10 seconds to collect the bugs, but they can only carry one at a time, making trips back to the nest. When the 10 seconds is up, which color did the birds get the most of? Why didthe students go after the ones they did? You can have them go again until they are all collected (if you miss a few, that’s ok, the yarn can be used by real birds in their nests).

State Standards met by:

- LISTENING TO THE PROGRAM 4.A.1a-d; 12.A.1a-b; 12.B.1a-b; 12.C.1b; 13.A.1a

- WRITE ABOUT IT/WARNING 3.A.1; 3.B.1 a-b; 5.A.1a-b; 5.B.1a-b; 5.C.1a-b

- COLOR IT 4.B.1a-b

- CAMOUFLAGE YOURSELF/CAMOUFLAGE GAME 21.A.1a-c

- MAKE YOUR OWN ANIMAL 26.A.1e; 26.B.1d

Leafy Sea Dragon (imitation)

The nonvenomous Sinaloan milk snake (right) closely mimics the color pattern of the venomous coral snake (left).

Sugar glider (counter shading)

Counting Sheep

Terms to introduce - Crepuscular-animals which are active at dawn and dusk - Diurnal-animals which are active during the daytime - Nocturnal-animals which are active at night

Ideas to discuss - Discuss the differences between nocturnal, diurnal, and crepuscular - Introduce different adaptations that nocturnal animals have (Nocturnal animal have special adaptations that help them survive in the dark. Many nocturnal animals, like owls, lemurs and cats, have special eyes that see well in the dark. Some nocturnal animals, like bats, use echolocation, in which the animal emits a high- pitched sound which bounces off objects; the sound is then received by the animal, giving it information about the object's shape, direction, distance, and texture. Other nocturnal animals (like rabbits) have good hearing.) - How much sleep is enough? Giraffes can go without sleep for weeks, while brown bats sleep for nearly the entire day. The golden dormouse carefully balances itself on the branch of a tree to sleep, and any quiver of the twig wakes it up immediately. Marine mammals have unique sleep habits. When most species of marine mammals are asleep, there is always one hemisphere of their brain that is awake. This allows dolphins, for example, to swim and surface to breathe when they are sleeping. They enjoy the benefits of sleep but still perform many of the same processes done when awake. - Identify the nocturnal animal(s) that was brought, identify the diurnal animal(s) that was brought, and identify the crepuscular animal(s) that was brought - Discuss different sleep behaviors and patterns

SCAVENGER HUNT: Design a scavenger hunt for the students by creating a list of different adaptations (ex. webbed feet, striped fur, sharp claws, wings, scales, etc.). Then have the students find animals that have these adaptations in the Zoo. Create your own: 4.B.2a; 5.A.2a-b; 5.B.2a-b; 5.C.2a-b; 17.B.2b; 26.B.2d 5.A.3a; 5.B.3a-b; 5.C.3a-c; 17.B.3b; 26.B.3d

Scavenger Hunt: 12.A.2b; 12.B.2b 12.A.3c; 12.B.3b

Dinner or Diner

This packet is to help introduce your students to terms and ideas that will be discussed during your visit to Peoria Zoo. It is designed to enhance your program experience, either through class prep or follow up By using the vocabulary, activities and ideas it will help reinforce the program and meet the State Standards listed on page 2.

Terms to introduce to students - Carnivore- a flesh eating animal - Ecosystem- an ecological community together with its environment, functioning as a unit - Food chain- a succession of organisms in an ecological community that constitutes a continuation of food energy from one organism to another as each consumes a lower member and in turn is preyed upon by a higher member - Herbivore- an animal that feeds chiefly on plants - Omnivore- eating both animals and vegetables - Organism- an individual form of life, such as a plant, animal, bacterium, protist, or fungus - Predator- an organism that lives by preying on other organisms - Prey- an animal hunted or caught for food - Vegetarian- an herbivore - Vegan- a vegetarian who eats plant products only

Ideas covered in program - Comparing the terms omnivore, carnivore, and herbivore - Explain predator and prey and discuss food chains - How predators affect prey populations, and vice-versa - Challenges that predators must meet. - Challenges carnivores have that herbivores do not (They must find and capture prey, whereas herbivores just graze) - What makes a predator “successful” - Common predator adaptations? (Raptors - hooked beak, talons, spiders -fangs). Common prey adaptations? (protective coloration, hiding behaviors) - Discuss how people's attitudes towards predators may form - Discuss some of the ways that animals protect themselves from predators and how some predators use some of the same adaptations to help them hunt for their prey.

Activities for the Students PREDATOR/PREY - (This activity requires an open area for the kids to run around) Label one person in the class as the predator. The rest of the class is the prey. This is like a game of tag. The prey spreads out in the open area. The predator starts out at one end of the area, then the teacher tells the predator to “go”. The predator tries to tag the prey. When the prey is tagged, they become predators and help the other predators tag more prey. Allow this to go on until all the prey has been eliminated. Then discuss how this resembles the real life predator-prey relationship. Was it easer for the predators when there were only a few predators or many? What is going to happen when there is no more prey?

CAMOUFLAGE - Cut 50 pieces (approx. 3 in long) of green yarn, 50 pieces of brown yarn, and 50 pieces of red yarn (adjust the number according to class size). Spread the pieces of yarn across an open grassy area without the students present. Present this situation to the students: Pretend the pieces of yarn are caterpillars crawling on the grass. Pretend you are a bird. You are a predator. The caterpillars are your prey. You need to catch the caterpillars to survive. Then give each of the students one minute to gather as many caterpillars as possible. Or allow the group as a whole a couple of minutes to see if they can gather all the yarn (have the students return to a “nest area” between each worm). Then ask: Were you able to catch equal numbers of red, brown, and green caterpillars? Did you catch more caterpillars of one color than the other? Why?

FOOD CHAIN Materials needed: strips of paper approximately 8 inches long Markers/crayons Tape or glue Have students use the strips of paper to write down names of things they might find in a food chain (sun, mosquito, etc). Working alone or in pairs, have the students fasten the strips of paper together in a chain form. Have each student tell about their food chain, see who made the longest chain.

WRITE ABOUT IT - Have students write and present a report on their favorite animal, focusing on dining habits and adaptations to fit their dining niche.

SKULLS - Have students look at skull pictures. Based on size and teeth structure, have them determine omnivore, carnivore or herbivore. You can have them try to guess the animal, or you can supply them with the names and have them try to match them to the right skull.

State Standards met by: Listening: 4.A.2b-c; 4.B.2b; 12.A.2b

Write about it: 3.A.2; 3.B.2a-d; 3.C.2a; 4.A.2a; 12.B.2a; 12.B.2b; 17.B.2b

Predator/ Prey: 15.B.2a-b; 15.C.2b; 17.C.2b; 21.A.2a-c; 21.B.2

Camouflage 15.B.2a-b; 15.C.2b; 17.C.2b; 21.A.2a-c

Food Chain: 21.B.2

Simple food chain

You can see that a food web is much more complex than a food chain. A food web is actually several food chains joined together. Because most organisms depend on more than one species for food, food webs are more accurate models than food chains.

Endangered Species

Terms to introduce to students: - Endangered species – a species that is close to being extinct, so it is put on a protection list - Extinct species – a species that no longer exists - Habitat – the environment where an organism usually lives - Pollution – the altering of the environment to cause conditions harmful to living organisms - Threatened species – a species that is close to being endangered - Vulnerable species – a species that could become threatened - Developed Country- advanced in industrial capability, technological sophistication, and economic productivity - Underdeveloped Country- having a low level of economic productivity and technological sophistication within the contemporary range of possibility - Environmental indicator- something that shows the condition of the environment, whether good or bad

Ideas covered in program: - The difference between Endangered vs. Extinct vs. Threatened vs. Vulnerable - The pet trade and how/why this has effected animal species - The concepts of pollution (air and water), habitat loss and destruction, and deforestation - Introduce how animals can be our environmental indicators (specifically frogs and toads) - When discussing the causes of endangerment, it is important to understand that individual species are not the only factorsinvolved in this dilemma. Endangerment is a broad issue, one that involves the habitats and environments where species live and interact with one another. Although some measures are being taken to help specific cases of endangerment, the universal problem cannot be solved until humans protect the natural environments where endangered species dwell. - The many causes of endangerment of an animal species: habitat loss, pollution, competition from other species, disease, predation, unregulated or illegalkilling, introduced species, etc. - Taking a closer look at the web of life and how one animal becoming endangered, affects the other organisms in that habitat. - Looking at the factors that can affect a population or species of animals. - Discuss the animals that were brought to the classroom and the problems that they are facing in their natural habitat. - Looking at how there are different beliefs in different counties, which can affect species (Eastern medicines, animals they eat, etc)

Activities for students: ENDANGERED SPECIES - Select endangered species for your students (or you can have them pick their own animals). Have students research the species, concentrating on what the cause of endangerment is and what, if anything, is being done about it. Have them present their animalto the class.

SPECIES EXTINCTION - Tell the students to pick an animal. Then tell the class that they all represent one individual of that specific type of animal. Have them stand in a circle and talk about what that animal needs to survive. Then inform them that the class represents a population. This population is going to face the same kind of things that a real, wild population faces. Then go over some events that happen to decrease the number of individuals in the population and have those students sit down (“die”) (ex. pollution, deforestation, disease, hunting, etc.). Then, as the population gets smaller, classify them as vulnerable, threatened, endangered, and then finally extinct. Variations on activity: have population increasing factors and allow some of the students to stand back up (ex. babies born, release from captivity/rehabilitation, etc)

REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE? - Recycling is something the students have grown up with, but might not realize the impact it can have. Have students investigate how much energy is used to make one sheet of paper versus recycling it, same with aluminum cans, etc. Students can research what can be recycled and where (all of this information can be found on the web) - To give students an idea on how much waste we create, gather all of their waste from lunch in a garbage bag and weigh it every day for a week. Talk about over packaging, wastefulness, etc and challenge them to cut back on the waste. They can reuse lunch bags, put food in reusable containers, bring in thermoses, etc. Weigh the trash collected for another week and compare weights. Have them calculate how much waste they could create in a year. Compare it to average household waste.

WEB OF LIFE* - Materials Needed- 30 white note cards Four different colored balls of yarn Make a set of cards with the following labels Sun Bulrush Snow Goose Eagle Raccoon Bacteria Crawdad Mosquito Dragonfly Red-Winged Blackbird Sandhill Crane Marsh Grass Muskrat Cattail Beaver Leopard Frog Black Fly Mule Deer Coyote Algae Mallard Duck Mud Worm Sandpiper Cranefly Little Brown Bat Water Moccasin Maggot Fungus Earthworm Make name tags by punching holes in each card. Loop a piece of yarn through the holes so that students can wear cards like a necklace.

Give one name tag to each student. Have everyone sit in a large circle so they can see each other’s name tags. Explain to students that they will be using the yarn to trace the flow of energy and nutrients through an ecosystem by connecting the organism on their name tag to one that consumes that organism. These connections will be held as the game continues.

Using a ball of yarn, begin with the student who wear the “sun” name tag. Ask them to hold onto one end of the yarn and roll the ball to a student wearing a plant name tag. Ask the “plant” to hold onto the yarn and roll the ball to an animal they think eats plants. Discuss with the class whether his guess makes sense. Why or why not? Now have the “animal” roll the ball to another animal they think is a predator. Eventually the group will run out of animals in this chain that eat each other. At this point the ball should be rolled to a decomposer to complete the chain.

Sample food chain:

Sun…Cattail…Muskrat…Marsh Hawk…Maggot

Begin again with the “sun” using a different colored yarn. The group is making a series of food chains that together make up afood web.

Continue until all students are a part of at least one food chain. Discuss the connections made by the yarn. What would happen if one type of animal (species) disappeared? How about a plant? Have one plant wiggle theyarn, how many animals in the web feel the vibration?

Can students name an organism that can safely be removed from the web withoutaffecting others? What predictions can students make about effects on the food web of the events listed below? - a virus kills all the waterfowl - pollution kills all the decomposers - poachers kill all the raccoons *PBS Audubon society provided this activity BIRD COUNTS - There are many ways to get your class involved with the community, National Wildlife Federation and the National Audubon Society does bird counts, which allows thestudents to learn to identify different birds, along with participating in a study conducted by scientists. National Wildlife Federation also has a program where you can create a habitat on your school yard. Students can be involved in picking native species of plants, watching for native wildlife and more!

COUNTRY LIFE - Assign each student a country. They should research customs, endangered species, whether they are developed or underdeveloped and why, population numbers and pollution issues. They can present their countries, to the class along with what species are endangered and what’s being done to help.

State Standards met by: Listening to the program- 4.A.2a-b 4.A.3a-b; 4.B.3d Writing about what they learned in the program- 3.A.2; 3.B.2a-d; 4.B.2a-d 3.A.3; 3.B.3a-b; 4.B.3a-c Endangered Species- 1.B.2a-d; 1.C.2a-d;1.C.2f; 3.A.2; 3.B.2a-d; 4.B.2a-d; 5.A.2a-b; 5.B.2a-b; 5.C.2a-b; 12.B.2b 1.b.3a-d; 1.C.3a-d; 1.C.3f; 3.A.3; 3.B.3a-b; 4.B.3a-c; 5.A.3a-b; 5.B.3a-b; 5.C.3a-c; 12.B.3b Species Extinction 12.B.2a 12.B.3b Reduce, Reuse and Recycle 1.B.2a-d; 1.C.2a-d;1.C.2f; 3.A.2;3.B.2a-d; 4.B.2a-d; 5.A.2a-b; 11.A.2a-e; 12.E.2c; 13.B.2b-d; 13.B.2f; 17.B.2a; 17.C.2a-c 1.B.3a-d; 1.C.3a-d;1.C.3a-d; 1.C.3f; 3.A.3; 3.B.3a-b; 4.B.3a-c; 11.A.3a-g; 12.E.3c; 13.B.3d-f; 14.E.3; 16.E.3a-c; 17.C.3b Web of Life 12.A.2a; 12.B.2a 12.B.3a; 12.B.3b; 17.B.3b Country Life 1.B.2a-d; 1.C.2a-d;1.C.2f; 3.A.2;3.B.2a-d; 4.B.2a-d; 5.A.2a-b; 13.B.2b-c; 13.B.2e 1.B.3a-d; 1.C.3a-d;1.C.3a-d; 1.C.3f; 3.A.3; 3.B.3a-b; 4.B.3a-c; 13.B.3a-b; 17.B.3a; 17.B.3b; 17.C.3b

Everybody Needs a Home

This packet is to help introduce your students to terms and ideas that will be discussed during your visit to the Peoria Zoo. It is designed to enhance your program experience. By using the vocabulary, activities, and ideas it will help reinforce the program and meet the State Standards listed on page 2.

Terms to introduce: - Burrow-a hole or tunnel dug in the ground by an animal; it is used for habitationor refuge - Cold-blooded-an organism that regulates its body temperature by exchanging heat with its environment - Counter shading-form of camouflage where there is darker coloring located on the top and a lighter shade on the bottom, making it difficult to be seen from either above or below. - Decomposers-an organism that obtains nutrients from dead plants and animals. - Habitat-the environment where an animal usually lives - Predator-the organism that is eating another organism - Prey-the organism being eaten - Warm-blooded-an organism which maintains its constant body temperature independent of the environment

Ideas covered in program: - The students can describe what makes up their home and how it might be different from an animal. - The class will discuss what makes up a habitat (Food, water, shelter, and space) - The idea of the predator/prey relationship and how animals use their habitat for protection (camouflage, hiding, etc.) - How animals use their environment to find food (tarantulas burrow, snakes use camouflage to hid and wait) - Talking about how an animal’s coloring, size, and shape allows the animal to live in their environment, catch their food, and hide from predators (possible animals include: armadillo, cockroaches, owl, snake, tarantula, turtle)

Activities for students: DESIGN A HABITAT: - Have students choose a wildlife species and design a home for it that contains its requirements, they can either write about it, create a collage or a diorama. As an extension, ask students to consider which other animals might benefit from the same habitat elements. (For example, if students design a home suitable for a duck, fish and frogs would also benefit from that wetland area.)

WHAT CAN GO THERE? - Show the class a picture of a habitat. Have the students get into small groups and discuss what animals could live in the habitat. Have the students share with the class and tell why these animals could live in the habitat. You can turn it into a game by seeing who can name the most animal that can livethere (bugs are always forgotten)

WHOSE HOME - Talk about habitat destruction, whether it be on purpose (to build a new road/subdivision), accidental (wildfires started by people) or natural (wildfires/floods). How do animals adapt? How does it change where they live? Do they react differently to natural disasters then we do (use the tsunami as an example, animals headed inland before anything even hit).

IF I WERE AN ANIMAL - Have students come up with the perfect habitat for them. What animals are found there? Have them research the place (temperatures, population, etc) and write a report on why they picked this place (you can also supply them with places and let them do the same thing- it has to be pretty general, part of a country, etc). Students can map the distancefrom where they are now, to the new place.

State Standards met by: Listening to the program: 4.A.2b-c; 4.B.2b; 12.B.2b; 12.B.2a

Writing about the animals they saw: 3.A.2; 3.B.2a-d; 3.C.2a; 4.A.2a; 12.B.2a-b; 17.B.2b

Design a habitat: 4.B.2a; 5.A.2a-b; 5.B.2a-b; 5.C.2a-b; 17.B.2b; 26.B.2d

What can go there: 3.A.2; 4.B.2a-d; 5.A.2a-b; 5.B.2a-b; 11.A.2a-d; 12.B.2a-b

Whose home: 3.B.2a-d; 4.A.2a-c; 4.B.2b; 4.B.2d; 11.A.2a-d; 17.B.2a-b; 17.C.2a-c

If I could live anywhere: 3.A.2; 3.B.2a-d; 4.B.2a-d; 5.A.2a-b; 5.B.2a-b; 5.C.2a-b; 17.A.2a-b

From Start to Finish

Terms to Introduce to Students: - Direct development-when born the animal has close to the same appearance it will have as an adult (humans, dogs, cats, rabbits, etc.). - Egg-a shelled protective covering containing nutrients for an embryo - Indirect development-when born the animal looks completely different than it will as an adult; it goes through stages (mealworms, frogs, and toads) - Larva- the earliest stage of development of an animal that goes through metamorphosis - Metamorphosis-a change in form during development of an organism - Pupa-the nonfeeding stage between the larva and adult in metamorphosis

Ideas covered in program: - What metamorphosis is along with direct and indirectdevelopment - The general metamorphosis of a butterfly (egg, larva, pupa, adult) and/or a frog (egg, tadpole, frog) - Born vs. hatched - How plants are important in the life cycle of a butterfly, as well as other animals - What a marsupial is and why it is included in this topic

Activities for students: READ -Read books about metamorphosis or encourage students to read and turn in book reports (ex. Of books: The Very Ordinary Caterpillar by Gary Fleming, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, Butterfly Kiss by Vicki Chruchill and Charles Fuge) D.K. Publishing also has a whole series of books called “Watch Me Grow”

DRAW METAMORPHOSIS STAGES - Have students draw pictures of the various insects that go through a metamorphosis (butterfly, diving beetle, dragonfly). They can draw and label the different stages so that they become familiar

WHAT COMES FIRST - Bring in chicken eggs for students (you can break them into groups of 2-4). Explain about the different parts of the egg and why they are important. Have the students crack the egg into a bowland identify the parts. They can sketch what their egg looks like and label it.

LIFECYCLE ORDER - Cut out pictures of lifecycles (butterflies, frogs, etc) and have students place them in the correct order.

State Standards met by: Listening to the program- 4.A.1a-d; 12.A.1a-b; 12.B.1a-b; 12.C.1b; 13. A.1a 4.A.2b-c; 4.B.2b; 13.A.2c

Write about what they saw in the program/draw metamorphosis stages 3.A.a.1; 3.B.1a-b; 5.A.1a-b; 5.B.1a-b; 5.C.1a-b 3.B.2; 3.B.2a-d; 5.A.2a-b; 5.B.2a-b; 5.C.2a

Read 1.B.1a; 1.B.1c; 1.C.1d; 1.C.1f; 2.A.1a-b 1.B.2a; 1.B.2c-d; 1.C.2a-c; 2.A.2c

Whatcomes first 12.A.1a-b 11.A.2b-c; 12.A.2a

Lifecycle order 11.A.1a; 11.A.1e 11.A.2c; 12.A.2a; 12.B.2b

Grasshopper Dragon fly Incomplete metamorphosis: The immature stages look quite like the adults. Each time they molt they look a bit more like the adult. The last parts to develop are the wings and reproductive organs.

Direct development This teacher’s packet is a combination of the teacher’s packets offered for some of our other programs here at the Peoria Zoo. You will find vocabulary and general ideas that might be covered during your program along with activities that you can do with your students. All grade levels will be listed together, so feel free to use what you feel would be appropriate for your age group.

Terms to introduce: Adaptation- a physical characteristic or behavior that helps an animal survive in its environment Appendage-any complex part or organ extending from the body Antenna-a sensory appendage on the head of an arthropod Arachnid-an arthropod with four pairs of walking legs (spiders, scorpions, mites or ticks) Arthropod-a segmented animal with jointed appendages and an exoskeleton Biofact-an object found in nature including feathers, eggs, and teeth Burrowing-when an animal digs a hole to hide and live in Camouflage-hiding by protective coloring, pretending to be part of the natural surroundings Cold-blooded-an organism that regulates its body temperature by exchanging heat with its environment Counter shading-form of camouflage where there is darker coloring located on the top and a lighter shade on the bottom, making it difficult for it to be seen from either above or below Crepuscular-animals which are active at dawn and dusk Diurnal-animals which are active during the daytime Habitat-the environment where an organism usually lives Endoskeleton-an organism whose support is located on the inside Exoskeleton-an organism whose support and protection is located on the outside Molting-is to shed the outer covering periodically for growth Nocturnal-animals which are active at night Pedipalps-in arachnids, an appendage that aids in chewing Predator-is the organism who is doing the eating Prey-is the organism that is being eaten Shedding-is a process reptiles go through to grow, by losing their outer covering, so they can have a new larger covering Spiracles-an external opening of a trachea in an insect, in the case of the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach they are also used to make the hissing noise Warm-blooded-an organism which maintains its constant body temperature independent of the environment

Ideas covered in the program - Introducing adaptations as something about an animal that makes it possible for it to live in a particular place and in a particular way. It may be a physical adaptation, like the size or shape of the animal's body, or the way in which its body works, or it may be the way the animal behaves. - Every animal needs food to eat, water to drink, air to breathe, and a place to live, but they also need to have a way to protect themselves from danger. We’ll talk about what possible enemies of animals might be (ex. predators, disease, etc) and how even their environment might be its enemy too. - Explaining what camouflage is (ex. Camouflage is the "art of concealment." It involves disguising an object, in plain sight, in order to hide it from something or someone.) - Discuss the uses of camouflage in nature and how it relates to the predator vs. prey relationship - Explain the advantages/disadvantages to using counter shading, exoskeletons, and burrowing as types of camouflage or survival. - Introduce the idea of camouflage and help students identify some animals that use camouflage in their neighborhood, at the zoo, in a book that you have read to them, etc. - Talk about why it would be beneficial for animals to use camouflage (hunting, protection) - Discuss how coloring, markings, and physical actions can make an animal better adapted to its environment. - Discuss the different types of camouflage animals use (counter shading, mimicry, cryptic coloration, advertising coloration, etc) - Discuss the coloration of an animal and how it compares to its habitat. - What makes up a habitat (Food, water, shelter, and space) - Introduce the idea of the predator/prey relationship and how animals use their habitat for protection (camouflage, hiding, etc.)

Activities for students HOW TO EAT PEANUT: The foods we eat may be more difficult for animals to tackle. Find out how various animals manage to eat a peanut. Clean student’s desk or lay paper towels down before this activity. The instructor may choose to have only a few representatives from the class demonstrate one or several of the following animals. This is dependent on class age and behavior make-up. If there is time, this may be done as a whole class activity. Bear: Tape their fingers and thumbs so they can’t move freely. Next have them roll the peanut on the desk to crack it and eat the nut with their tongues. Spider Monkey: Tape their thumbs to their palms. Have them try to crack the nut with their teeth. Chimpanzee: Tape their thumbs to the sides of their hands so that only the top joint can be moved. Bird: No hands allowed, only the mouth!

CAMOUFLAGE GAME -This game is a good way to introduce the idea of camouflage. What you need: approximately 100 colored pieces of yarn, toothpicks or pipe cleaners, made up of about 25 of each of 4 colors (one color should blend into the game area- green objects on a green lawn)

Spread objects throughout an area of about 20 square meters. Students play the role of birds looking for “worms and insects” (colored objects) to “eat”. Each person has a “nest” (a place to collect colored objects) about 25 meters from the feeding area. Each bird heads out looking for worms, only one worm per flight, then they bring them to the nest (they can’t run their hands over the ground, they grab what they can see). After several flights, how many of each color of worm has each student collected? What color of food is hardest to find? Why?

COOLING SENSATION: -Spray a student’s right arm with water from a water bottle (please be sure to explain that it is only water). Have the students wave both arms in the air. Discuss which arm felt cooler. Why? The sensation of evaporation provides a cooling feeling. Some animals that live in hot areas with water access will wet themselves and then sun (our wallaby is an example). This process provides cooling for the body.

SOLAR SENSATION -Make two foil mittens completely cover your hand. Paint the top of one white and the other black. Hold both hands under a bright light or go into the sun. Which one warms up first? How can an animal’s coloring affect its body temperature? What animals have you seen this in?

State Standards Met Listening to the program: 4.A.2b-c; 4.B.2b; 12.A.2b 4.A.3a; 4.A.3c-d

Write about the animals they saw: 3.A.2; 3.B.2a-d; 3.C.2a; 4.A.2a; 12.B.2a; 12.B.2b; 17.B.2b 3.A.3; 3.B.3a-b; 3.C.3a; 4.B.3a; 4.B.3a; 12.A.3c; 12.B.3b; 17.B.3b

Solar/Cooling Sensation: 4.B.2b; 11.A.2a; 11.A.2b; 12.C.2a; 12.A.2b; 12.B.2b; 17.B.2b 11.A.3a-b; 12.A.3c; 12.B.3b

How to eat a peanut: 11.A.2a-b; 12.A.2b; 12.B.2b 11.A.3a-b; 12.A.3c; 12.B.3b

Camouflage 15.B.2a-b; 15.C.2b; 17.C.2b; 21.A.2a-c

Now You See Them, Now You Don’t

Terms to introduce to students: - Burrowing – when an animal digs a hole to hide and live in - Camouflage – hiding by protective coloring, pretending to be part of the natural surroundings. - Countershading – a form of camouflage where there is darker coloring located on the top and a lighter shade on the bottom, making it difficult for it to be seen from either above or below. - Exoskeleton – an organism whose support and protection is located on the outside - Habitat – the environment where an organism usually lives - Predator – is the organism who is doing the eating of another organism - Prey – the organism that is being eaten by another organism

Ideas covered in program - Explaining what camouflage is (ex. Camouflage is the "art of concealment." It involves disguising an object, in plain sight, in order to hide it from something or someone.) - The uses of camouflage in nature and how it relates to the predator vs. prey relationship - The advantages/disadvantages to using counter shading, exoskeletons, and burrowing as types of camouflage or survival. - Help students identify some animals that use camouflage in their neighborhood, at the zoo, etc. - Why it would be beneficial for animals to use camouflage (hunting, protection) - How coloring, markings, and physical actions can make an animal better adapted to its environment. - The different types of camouflage animals use (counter shading, mimicry, cryptic coloration, advertising coloration, etc) - The coloration of an animal and how it compares to its habitat.

Activities for students: PAPER MOTH Items needed: paper Crayons/markers Scissors Moth cut out - The students will create a paper moth that is camouflaged with something in the classroom. Create a paper moth and color it to look like something in the room. Show students the paper moth shape and explain they must cut it out and color it to blend in with an area in the room. Rules are it has to be easily visible from the center of the room. (NO hiding it under or behind something) Either split the class into two groups or have another class come in and try to find the moths that the students have designed. Explain that in 10 minutes some "birds" from another class are coming to "eat" your moths. Students use masking tape on the back of the moth to attach it to the position they chose. Partner class "birds" are told the shape of the moth and the rules before they begin searching. Any survivors are taken down one at a time so that the "birds" also learn what they missed.

CAMOUFLAGE YOURSELF - Have students come to school camouflaged (to match the classroom or schoolyard). Have a team of judges decide whois the hardest to find. Then discuss how easy/difficult it was to camouflage

BUTTERFLY CAMOUFLAGE - Explain to the students that they are going to be conducting an experiment that will show how important camouflage is to certain types of animals. Tell the students that protective coloring often times helps animals hide from their predators. Have the students cut out 12 butterflies from patterned wrapping paper, 12 butterflies from one solid colored wrapping paper, and 12 butterflies from another solid colored wrapping paper. Have one student in the group place one full piece of patterned paper on the floor and place the 36 butterflies on it carefully. Set the timer to 10 seconds with one student’s eyes covered. Start timer and have the student pick up as many butterflies as he or she can in the 10 seconds. Compare results from the camouflaged butterflies to the solid ones. Look at the results. Compare the camouflaged butterfly captures to the solid ones. Was there a difference? Why or Why not?

HABITAT CAMOUFLAGE - Divide the class into small groups and give each a length of bulletin board paper. Invite them to choose an animal habitat to research, such as a forest, prairie, desert, polar region, or coral reef. (Or they might decide on a mini-habitat such as a bush, tree, or flower garden.) Have each group create a mural of its selected habitat, including drawings or cutouts of camouflaged animals. Next, ask each group to make a list of all the camouflaged animals found in its habitat. Display each mural with the corresponding list. Finally, challenge students to visit each of the habitats to search for the animals on the list. Can they find all the animals on each mural?

State Standards met by: Listening to the program: 4.A.2b-c; 4.B.2b; 12.B.2a; 12.B.2a

Writing about the animals they saw: 3.A.2; 3.B.2a-d; 3.C.2a; 4.A2a; 12.B.2a; 12.B.2b; 17.B.2b

Paper Moth: 11.A.2b; 11.B.2b; 12.A.2b; 12.B.2a-b; 12.B.2a-b; 17.B.2b

Camouflage yourself: 11.A.2b; 11.B.2b; 12.A.2b; 12.B.2a-b; 17.B.2b

Butterfly Camouflage: 11.A.2b; 11.B.2b; 12.A.2b; 12.B.2a-b; 17.B.2b

Habitat Camouflage: 4.B.2a; 5. A.2a-b; 5.C.2a-b; 17.B.2b; 26.B.2d

A narrow-headed frog native to Madagascar. The frog's brown and yellow coloring, as well as its rough texture, allows it to blend in with the mud and tree trunks in its environment.

Burrowing owls’ camouflage is well suited for the American West.

The Gila monster’s coloring helps it to hide in its natural habitat (Arizona, New Mexico and southern Utah)

Scales, Feathers and Fur

This packet is to help introduce your students to terms and ideas that will be discussed during your visit to Peoria’s Glen Oak Zoo. It is designed to enhance your program experience, either through class prep or follow-up. By using the vocabulary, activities and ideas it will help reinforce the program and meet the State Standards listed on page 2.

Terms to introduce to students: - Endoskeleton- an internal supporting skeleton found in vertebrates - Exoskeleton- a hard outer structure that provides protection or support for an organism - Scales- one of the many small plate-like dermal or epidermal structures that form the external covering of fishes, reptiles and some mammals - Feathers- one of the light, flat growths forming the plumage of birds - Skin- the membranous tissue forming the external covering of an animal - Cold Blooded- (ectothermic)-an organism that regulates its body temperature largely by exchanging heat with its surroundings - Warm Blooded- maintaining a relatively constant and warm body temperature independent of environmental temperature

Ideas covered in program: - The difference between exoskeleton and endoskeleton; what animals did they see with each (possibilities include cockroach and tarantula for exoskeleton and armadillo, screech owl, snake for endoskeleton). - Differences in coverings and heating for warm-blooded vs. cold-blooded animals (cold-blooded animals like reptiles are going to be covered in scales-better design to absorb sunlight- and warm-blooded animals like mammals and birds will be covered in fur and feathers to trap and keep the heat). - That different animals are covered with different things (we talk about different animals in terms of what they are covered with)

Activities for students: - Using plastic/stuffed animals, have the students separate them into types (animals with fur, animals with feathers) - Show students pictures of animals and have them name the types of coverings (scales, feathers or fur). - Have students write about the animals they see everyday/saw during the program, noting their coverings. - Using a microscope, have students look at their hair, discussing what they are seeing (if possible compare to cat/dog hair, cotton fibers, feathers and scales) Have them look at the different parts, can compare to attached pictures. - Design an animal: students can make up their own animal, long/short legs, run/swim, scales/feathers. Discuss why they made their animal the way they did.

State Standards met by:

Listening to the program- 4.A.1a-d; 12.A.1a-b; 12.B.1a-b; 12.C.1b; 13.A.1a

Writing about the animals they saw- 3.A.1; 3.B.1a-b; 5.A.1a-b; 5.B.1a-b; 5.C.1a-b

Separating pictures/animals into groups according to coverings and discussing. 4.B.1a-b

Parts of a feather

Spineless Wonders

Terms to introduce to students: - Abdomen (insect) – the hind section of the insect containing the parts for digestion and excretion - Antennae – an insect organ used primarily for touch - Composting – turning organic matter into soil - Endoskeleton – an organism whose support is located on the inside - Exoskeleton – an organism whose support and protection is located on the outside - Head (insect) – the front section of the insect containing the mouth and antennae - Invertebrate – an animal without a backbone - Molting – to shed the outer covering periodically for growth - Pollination – the way plants reproduce - Thorax (insect) – the mid section of the insect containing the wings and legs - Vertebrate – an animal with a backbone

Ideas covered in program - Discuss the differences between invertebrates and vertebrates and explain that of all the animals identifies, over 95% of them are invertebrates - Discuss the difference between endoskeleton and exoskeleton and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both - Introduce the different parts of an insect (head, thorax, and abdomen) and their importance. - Talk about the different important duties performed by invertebrates like pollination, composting, population control(by eating other invertebrates), and food production - Consider the size of invertebrates (ex. most invertebrates are small with the exception of some marine invertebrates like the Octopus and Giant Squid) - Identify some animals that are vertebrates, but also appear to have an exoskeleton (ex. armadillo, turtle, etc.)

Activities for students: FIELD BIOLOGIST - (Spring, Fall, and Summer activity) Make a small, blank booklet for the students and explain that they are going to be field biologists. Take them outside and have them draw and describe as many insects as they can in the given time. Make sure they note what the insects were doing and where they saw them. Then go inside and have the students identify the insects using local field guides for insects and arachnids.

SCAVENGER HUNT - Classroom scavenger hunt: Hide several numbered pictures of insects around the room. Provide the students with description ofthe insects. Have the students find the numbered insects and match them to their description. If you are doing this in the spring you can list bugs commonly found in your area and give the students a few days to locate them all (noting where they saw them, etc)

LIST IT - To give students an idea of how many “spineless wonders” there are out there, have them, as a group or in pairs, come up with as many invertebrates as they can. Make it a game by challenging them to come up with ones no one else has, they can research it any way they want they just need to be able to tell about them, and whoever has the most unique invertebrates wins.

AMAZING INVERTEBRATES - Have students pair up and look for adaptationsthat make invertebrates amazing (how far a flea can jump, how much an ant can lift, etc). They can then make them into multiple choice questions and ask the other students.

State Standards met by: Listening to the program: 4.A.2b-c; 4.B.2b; 12.A.2a-b; 12.B.2a-b

Writing about animals they saw: 3.A.2; 3.B.2a-d; 3.C.2a; 4.A.2c; 12.B.2a-b; 17.B.2b

Field Biologist: 11.A.2a-e; 12.B.2a-b

List it: 11.A.2b

Amazing Invertebrates: 3.A.2; 5.A.2a-b; 5.C.2a-b

What Do You Zoo?

Terms to introduce to students: - Accreditation – is the act of accrediting an organization (schools/zoos) by an official review board after the organization has met specific requirements - AZA – The American Zoo and Aquarium Association is a professional organization which sets a code of ethics, conservation policies and standards, and guidelines for animal care that must be met to become an accredited facility - Deforestation – to cut down and clear away the trees from land - Endangered – an organism in danger of becoming extinct - ISIS – International Species Inventory System is the information analysis service which is used by zoos to seek out genetically compatible mates for their animals - Keeper chats – talks given at the zoo about a chosen animal to educate the public on facts about the animal - Post mortems (necropsies) – an autopsy of an organism to determine the cause of death - Propagation – the multiplication or increase of an organism by natural reproduction - SSP – Species Survival Plan is a program set up for managing the breeding of individual species in order to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable. - Zoomobiles – when the education department of a zoo brings animals to schools or other facilities for an educational program

Ideas covered in program: (information provided) - Discuss the history of zoos - Explain the mission of zoos - Explain what the AZA is - Discuss what ISIS and SSP are - Discuss the different zoo careers that are available

Activities for students

CREATE YOUR OWN ANIMAL: Have the students design an animal that might live in an extreme environment (ex. arctic, desert, hot springs, etc) and have them draw a picture of that animal. Then have the students either label the picture with its adaptations or have them present their new animal to the class and explain how their animal survives.

CREATE YOUR OWN ZOO: Have your students design their own zoo and present it to the class. Use the www.aza.org for detailed information on size and animal requirements. Students can construct a model to go along with their report.

State Standards met by:

Listening to the program 4.A.1a-d; 4.B.1b 4.A.2b; 12.B.2a; 17.B.2b; 17.C.2c 4.A.3a,c-d; 12.A.3c; 12.B.3b; 13.B.3c-e; 17.B.3b 4.A.4a-d; 12.A.4c; 12.B.4a; 13.B.4b,d; 17.B.4a 12.B.5a-b; 17.B.5; 17.C.5b

Create your own Zoo 3.A.1; 3.B.1a-b; 3.C.1a; 4.B.1a-b; 12.A.1a-b; 12.B.1a-b 3.A.2; 3.B.2a-d; 4.A.2a; 4.B.2a-b; 12.A.2a-b; 12.B.2a-b 3.A.3; 3.A.3a-b; 3.C.3a; 4.B.3a-d; 12.A.3c; 12.B.3b 3.C.4a-b; 4.B.4a-d; 12.B.4a-b 3.A.5; 3.B.5; 3.C.5a-b; 4.B.5a-d; 12.B.5a-b

Who’s Who At the Zoo?

This packet is to help introduce your students to terms and ideas that will be discussed during your visit to Peoria Zoo. It is designed to enhance your program experience, either through class prep or follow-up. By using the vocabulary, activities and ideas covered during the program, it will help reinforce the program and meet the State Standards listed on page 3.

Terms to introduce - Aquatic- living or growing in, on, or near the water - Gills- the respiratory organ of most aquatic animals that breathe water to obtain oxygen - Invertebrate- lacking a backbone - Vertebrate- having a backbone - Taxonomy- the classification of organisms in an ordered system that indicates natural relationships - Metamorphosis- a change in the form and often habits of an animal during normal development after the embryonic stage - Cold-blooded- an animal with an internal temperature that varies according to the temperature of the surroundings - Lungs - Respiration - Scales

Ideas covered in program - Classification is a way for scientists to place animals/plants in groups, making it easier to study and understand them. - Taxonomy was introduced so scientists would have a “common” language. Everyone will call the caterpillar the same thing, instead of one person calling it caterpillar another wooly worm, etc. - Invertebrate vs. vertebrate, looking at which animals fit into which category - Introduce the six main groups of animals (Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Mammals, and Insects). - Characteristics of mammals: live birth, covered with hair, babies fed milk, and breath oxygen (important because of mammals like dolphins and whales) - Characteristics of birds: feathers, hollow bones and lays hard-shelled eggs - Characteristics of reptiles: scales, lays eggs, cold-blooded - Characteristics of amphibians: goes through metamorphosis, has moist thin skin but no scales, uses gills, lungs and skin to breathe, uses external fertilization - Characteristics of fish: cold-blooded, water breathing - Characteristics of insects: exoskeleton, six legs, antennae, 3 body parts (head, thorax and abdomen)

Activities for students

DISCUSSION: Talk to the students about the animals they saw during the program, which ones they liked/didn’t like. Have them write about the animals they saw, then write about their favorite animal.

CLASSIFICATION: Scientists put things into groups to make it easier to study. Using several pictures of familiar animals (or even small plastic animals/stuffed animals), place the animals in the scientific groups- reptiles, mammals etc, explaining why scientists have grouped them this way. Now have the students become “scientists” and put the animals into groups that make sense to them (it does not necessarily have to be by class, it could be by color, where they live, what they eat, etc.) After getting the animals into the groups have the students talk about similarities/differences and why they grouped them the way they did.

You canalso obtain pictures of rare or unusual animals that students may not be familiar with (Okapi, Echidna, Platypus, Kiwi, Pangolin, etc.). Then have the students classify these animals into their appropriate groups, these can be tricky since they are usually the exception to the rule for scientists.

CLASS SYSTEM: Introduce the class system, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. Use an animal they know to show how the system is used. House Cat- Kingdom: Animal (example) Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Felis Species: domestica Kingdom is the largest most general group and each gets more specific. This sounds confusing and is a lot of memorization, but you can use the students as an example. Pick a student and have them come to the front of the room. Explain that you are going to classify this student by where they live. If someone asks them where they live, it all depends on who is asking, how they would answer; if it was a friend, they might give the house number; meeting someone who lives in their town they might give the street name; and so on. Example: Kingdom: North America Phylum: United States Class: Illinois Order: County Family: City Genus: Street Species: House Number

This helps put it in perspective on how the system works. For practice, you can have the students practice classifying each other and then pick an animal and use the system to classify them.

MURAL: Using pictures from magazines, have students create murals placing the animals in appropriate groups. State Standards met by:

Listening to the program- 4.A.1a-d; 12.A.1a-b; 12.B.1a-b; 12.C.1b; 13.A.1a 4.A.2b-c; 4.B.2b; 13.A.2c

Writing about the animals they saw- 3.A.a.1; 3.B.1a-b; 5.A.1a-b; 5.B.1a-b; 5.C.1a-b 3.B.2; 3.B.2a-d; 5.A.2a-b; 5.B.2a-b; 5.C.2a

Discussing what animals they liked best- 4.B.1a-b 4.B.2a; 4.B.2c-d; 5.C.2b

Creating a mural of animal groups- 12.A.1a-b; 13.B.1c; 26.A.1e; 26.B.1d 11.A.2a-e

Classification- 4.B.1.a-b; 5.A.1a-b; 5.C.1a-b; 12.A.1a-b 4.B.2a-d; 12.B.2a-b

Class System- 11.A.1b; 11.A.1e-f 11.A. 2a-e