Bald eagles escaped near-extinction through zoological education and conservation efforts.
The San Diego Zoo asserts that "people only love what they understand, and they only protect what they love." Zoology activities satisfy children's natural curiosity about the natural world of animals and extend opportunities for greater understanding from a young age. From this early exposure to zoology, children can learn the importance of animal protection efforts to ensure the continuation of many species with whom they share this planet.
Animal Classification
Create a class chart illustrating and describing the identifying characteristics of mammals, reptiles, birds, insects, spiders, fish and amphibians. Challenge students to design a list of yes/no questions that help narrow down in which category each animal belongs by process of elimination. For instance, "Does it have a backbone?" eliminates any animal that falls into the insect category. Older students can go deeper with learning the scientific classification system and corresponding characteristics of kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species as the basis for their questions.
Parts of an Animal
Create a set of animal flashcards. You should include several examples of each type of animal with distinctive characteristic features such as antlers, claws, fins, fur, gills, hooves, horns, paws, scales, shells, spots, stripes, tentacles, tusks, wings, beaks, fangs, feathers and tails. Draw a card and let students try to guess which animal it is in a "twenty questions" format. Students can take turns drawing the cards and answering classmates' questions.
Life Cycles
Assign each student an animal, such as a grasshopper, butterfly, goldfinch, frog or elephant. Ask students to draw and label each stage in the life cycle of their animal on a separate card and drop them in a paper bag. Students should trade bags and sequence the cards in the order in which the stages pictured occur in the animal's life. Alternatively, collect all the cards and distribute them randomly to students. Students must then find the three others who hold cards for the same animal and assemble the life cycle, suggests the School District of the City of Erie, Pennsylvania.
Animal Adaptations
Discuss how humans adapt to changing seasonal weather conditions with different types of clothes. Brainstorm together what challenges animals face in different habitats and the physical or behavioral adaptations that are necessary for survival. Choose a student to represent a newly discovered animal and put students in small groups, recommends Science NetLinks. Ask each group to name the new animal and describe its habitat, shelter, food and predators. Make a list of adaptations this animal has evolved that make it possible to live in its environment.
Related posts
Help the bride-to-be have fun before her special day.A bridal shower is a last send-off for the bride-to-be, allowing the lucky woman to bid adieu to single life and prepare...
Creating animal crafts can help teach zoology lessons to children.Zoology is the study of animals, their environments and their internal functions. While zoological studies delve into animals' bio...
Teach children to work together to build unity in the classroom.Unity in school can encourage a positive learning environment and create a place for children that is free from isolation and discri...
Kindergartners can learn science concepts when studying farm animals.Kindergarten lessons are often part of a thematic unit, and one popular theme is the farm. Studying the farm and the animals th...
Children can hand-feed ostriches at the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch.Tucson is a city located in southern Arizona and is home to more than 350 days of sun each year. This sunny city has many tour...
