Endangered
Animals:
Our
Trip To The Philadelphia Zoo
Table
of Contents
Directions and maps
Questions during the trip
For my field trip, I would like to take my class of students to the Philadelphia Zoo in Philadelphia, PA. The approximate distance from Elizabethtown is 90-95 miles and should take about an hour and a half to two hours to get there. I would like to allow approximately 7-8 hours, including travel time, to be reserved for this field trip. I realize this is longer than the typical school day, so arrangements would have to be made for the guardians to come pick up the students when we arrive back at school.
As for admissions costs, the zoo gives special discounts to school groups. Combination package #1, for grades Pre-K to 5th grade, is $8.95 per person and qualified chaperones are free. I think the best time to go on this field trip would be around the end of September/early October or around May. This is because the weather is neither too cold nor too hot and temperature is an important factor since the children will be outside almost all day. Children of all ages love the zoo, so any grade levels would be appropriate to take on this trip. However, since I want to teach my class about endangered animals, I think that 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade would be the best for that, and also because the drive is somewhat long.
At this site, The Philadelphia Zoo, the students will see many different types of animals ranging from mammals to amphibians to reptiles and birds. However, I want my students to focus most on endangered animals that they see at the zoo (bald eagles, elephants, tigers, etc). The students will learn about the different environments the animals live in, get a real sense of what the animals look like, and some sense of their daily activities. I really believe that seeing the live animals will help them learn better.
Pictures At The Philadelphia Zoo
Pictures courtesy of The Philadelphia Zoo website
Directions From Elizabethtown To The
Philadelphia Zoo
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DIRECTIONS |
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DISTANCE |
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Start out going East
on S MARKET ST/PA-230/PA-743 toward W BAINBRIDGE ST. Continue to follow S
MARKET ST/PA-230. |
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2.72 miles |
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Turn LEFT onto
CLOVERLEAF RD. |
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0.94 miles |
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Merge onto PA-283 E. |
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13.98 miles |
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PA-283 E becomes
US-30 E. |
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1.22 miles |
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Merge onto US-222 N. |
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15.79 miles |
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Take the I-76/PA
TURNPIKE exit toward PA-272/DENVER. |
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0.16 miles |
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Turn RIGHT onto SPUR
RD/COLONEL HOWARD BLVD. |
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0.24 miles |
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SPUR RD/COLONEL
HOWARD BLVD becomes READING INTERCHANGE. |
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0.50 miles |
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Merge onto I-76 E
toward PHILADELPHIA/EXITS 22-39 (Portions toll). |
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56.15 miles |
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Take the US-30
W/GIRARD AVE exit- exit number 342- toward US-13/PHILA ZOO. |
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0.21 miles |
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Turn LEFT onto W
GIRARD AVE/US-30 W. |
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0.17 miles |
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How This
All Fits Into The Curriculum
At this site, The Philadelphia Zoo, the students will see many different types of animals ranging from mammals to amphibians to reptiles and birds. However, I want my students to focus most on the endangered animals that they are lucky enough to see at the zoo, such as bald eagles, elephants, tigers, fruit bats, blue-eyed lemurs, etc. At the zoo, the students will learn about the different environments the animals live in, get a real sense of what the animals look like, and some sense of their daily activities.
The students have been reading non-fiction books about some of these animals and seeing them in person will really help them put things into perspective. We are also learning about the history of how some animals have become labeled as endangered and at the zoo, they will be able to understand how people are trying to save them from certain death in the wild. I really believe that seeing the live animals will help them learn better and remember these things so they can help save wildlife throughout their lives.
Unit theme: Endangered Animals Grade level(s): 4th Time to complete: 2 weeks
Summary of activity: The students will chose an endangered animal of their choice and do a bit of research on it. When the research is done, they will make a diorama of the animal’s habitat (including food, water, shelter, and other geographic conditions) and write a description. When we go to the zoo, we will hopefully be able to see some of the animals the students researched and compare the habitats.
Media and technology used by the TEACHER:
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Newspapers |
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(Digital) camera |
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Word Processor |
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Periodicals |
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Video camera |
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Spreadsheet |
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X |
Books |
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Flatbed scanner |
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Database |
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X |
Video/DVD |
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Slide projector |
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PowerPoint |
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CD/Cassette |
X |
Overhead projector |
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Web page editor |
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Audio file (MP3) |
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Search engine |
X |
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X |
Bulletin board |
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Web browser |
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Educational software |
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Other materials to be used by the teacher (e.g. paper, glue, scissors):
For the bulletin board: Paper, glue, scissors, pictures of endangered animals, staples
Media and technology used by the STUDENTS to complete the activity:
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Newspapers |
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(Digital) camera |
X |
Word Processor |
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Periodicals |
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Video camera |
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Spreadsheet |
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X |
Books |
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Flatbed scanner |
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Database |
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Video/DVD |
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Slide projector |
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PowerPoint |
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CD/Cassette |
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Overhead projector |
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Web page editor |
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Audio file (MP3) |
X |
Search engine |
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Bulletin board |
X |
Web browser |
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Educational software |
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Other materials used by the students (e.g. paper, glue, scissors):
For dioramas: Show box (or another box), paper, glue, scissors, figures/clay/etc to represent the animal and other things
Step-by-step instructions for completing the activity:
1. Chose an endangered animal to research
2. Use books, the Internet, and information learned in class to gather information on your animal and its habitat.
3. Use available materials at home and in the classroom to make a diorama of the animal’s habitat.
4. Type up a description of the habitat and other information such as where the animal lives in the world (South Africa, Australia, The US, etc), when it became endangered, and approximately how many are left in the world.
5. Present the diorama to the class explaining the animal you chose, why you chose it, and other information found in your paper.
References used and sources of additional information:
Before the class goes on the field trip, the teacher will show various information on endangered animals through books, videos, bulletin boards, and other previous materials (such as photos or other students’ works) that will help facilitate learning.
At The Philadelphia Zoo
1) Name some of the different animals you see.
2) What type of environment could be found where the ________ were?
Elephants:
Tigers:
Snakes:
Monkeys:
Tropical birds:
3) How many endangered animals do you see at this zoo? Name them.
4) Do you notice any zookeepers feeding animals, cleaning cages, etc? Which ones?
1) What was your favorite animal at the zoo and why?
2) How do you think the zoo keeps the polar bear environment so cold?
3) Did you see any baby animals?
4) Did you see any differences in environments than what we talked about in class?
5) Were you surprised by anything (animals, habitats, etc.) at the zoo? Did anything raise any questions in your head?
6) Would you like to be a zookeeper? Why or why not?
1) National Wildlife Federation. Endangered Animals: Wild and Rare. Washington D.C.: McGraw-Hill Trade, 1997.
I feel that this is one of the more valuable books to use with students in the classroom because it gives them a hands-on approach to learning. It’s a Ranger Rick Nature Scope book, which includes nineteen outdoor and indoor activities that teach the children about the animals in danger, why they, along with plants, need to be protected, the causes and consequences of destroying or eliminating habitats, and how people are making a difference. There are essays, activities, illustrations, discussion questions, and writing exercises appropriate for students in Kindergarten through eighth grade.
2) Emanoil, Mary, ed. Encyclopedia of Endangered Species. Vol. 1.
Detroit, MI: Gale Group, 1994.
This encyclopedia is a guide to over 700 species, both plants and animals, worldwide. There is a physical description of the species as well as habitat and breeding information, survival outlook, and conservation efforts, all concentrated in one to two pages. This is good for the teacher’s use when teaching about the different endangered animals. The students can also use the encyclopedia to search for an animal they would like to do for their diorama and they can use it for valuable research information.
3) Welcome To The Philadelphia Zoo. 2003. The Philadelphia Zoo. 12 Feb. 2003 <http://www.phillyzoo.org>.
I used this website to gather information on my field trip. This is the Philadelphia Zoo’s main website that lists what animals can be found there, special planned activities, directions, etc. They have a special page for school groups interested in visiting and also a kids corner, which is full of animal facts, games, and coloring pages. This would be a good interactive website to show the students and let them explore it before taking a trip to the zoo. The pictures throughout this guide were taken from this site as well.
4) Lane, Deborah. 2002. Animal Habitats. 12 Feb. 2003 <http://www.allabery.com/courses/webquest/lane/index.html>.
This website helped me with the activity that I would do with my class before the field trip. It discusses making a diorama about the animals’ habitats. It talks about the process of making a diorama, resources to use, and an evaluation sheet. The only thing I used from this website, however, we the idea of making the diorama. My ideas are different, but stem from the process laid out here.
5) K-8 Education Place. 2002.
Houghton Mifflin Company. 12 Feb. 2003
<http://www.eduplace.com>.
Here, there are many different activities and games that teachers can do with children from K-8 in language arts, science, math, and social studies. It also has information on intervention and professional development. From this site, I did a search looking for activities to do on endangered animals and I found links to activities such as endangered animal mobiles, memory/match games, word finds, quizzes, etc. These will all be helpful in planning activities to use before and after the trip.