At the zoo
Length of workshop 50 minutes
To celebrate the opening of our new Himalayas habitat, we’re launching a new Climate & Sustainability Tour for Key Stage 3 groups!
During this engaging walking tour, we’ll discover species that are facing threats caused by climate change. Students will visit the habitats of iconic species such snow leopards (NEW FOR SPRING 2024), red pandas, Caribbean flamingos, Komodo dragons and Humboldt penguins. They’ll learn how climate change is affecting each of these amazing animals through activities and discussion points, and actions that they can take at home and at school to live more sustainably.
The species that are covered during this walking tour are always high on the list of “must-see” for students visiting the zoo, so this is an excellent opportunity to visit these animals whilst taking part in educational activities that encourage students to consider their own impact on species survival.
Age group: Key Stage 3 (Key Stage 2 version available upon request)
Duration: 50 minutes
Capacity: 20 pupils
Cost: £50
CURRICULUM LINKS
KS3 Science – Biology
Interactions and interdependencies – Relationships in an ecosystem:
- The interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem, including food webs and insect pollinated crops
- How organisms affect, and are affected by, their environment, including the accumulation of toxic materials
Genetics and evolution – Inheritance, chromosomes, DNA and genes:
- Differences between species
- The variation between species and between individuals of the same species means some organisms compete more successfully, which can drive natural selection.
- Changes in the environment may leave individuals within a species, and some entire species, less well adapted to compete successfully and reproduce, which in turn may lead to extinction.
KS3 Science – Chemistry
Earth and atmosphere:
- Earth as a source of limited resources and the efficacy of recycling
- The production of carbon dioxide by human activity and the impact on climate
KS4 Science – Biology
Ecosystems:
- Organisms are interdependent and are adapted to their environment.
- The importance of biodiversity
- Positive and negative human interactions with ecosystems
KS4 Science – Chemistry
Chemical and allied industries:
- The viability of recycling of certain materials
Earth and atmospheric science:
- Evidence, and uncertainties in evidence, for additional anthropogenic causes of climate change
KS3 Geography
Human and physical geography:
- Understand how human and physical processes interact to influence, and change landscapes, environments and the climate; and how human activity relies on effective functioning of natural systems.
- Knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes.
- Extend their locational knowledge and deepen their spatial awareness of the world’s countries.
- Understand geographical similarities, differences and links between places through the study of human and physical geography of a region.
- Weather and climate including the change in climate.
- Human geography relating to population and urbanisation; international development; and the use of natural resources.
- Understand how human and physical processes interact to influence, and change landscapes, environments and the climate; and how human activity relies on effective functioning of natural systems.