KS1 Curious Creatures Information and guidance for teachers Contents Learning objectives Lesson plan Curriculum links Suggested activities to link with session Things to arrange prior to visit The day of your trip: arriving at the Zoo Your teaching session One of our young Sumatran Orangutans born in 2004

KS1 Curious Creatures Learning objectives After attending this session, pupils will be able to: ▪ Talk about the special features of different animals ▪ Describe ways in which these features help animals to survive ▪ Understand concepts like big and small, fast and slow, strong, colourful and nocturnal Lesson plan ▪ Introduction Whole class discussion to introduce some of the features of living animals and establish how all animals are different. These differences can help an animal survive; examples of unusual Zoo animals will be used where possible. ▪ Main lesson Class is divided into a maximum of five groups (each assisted by an adult from your group) which rotate around the following activities: Big and small, colourful, fast and slow, nocturnal and strong. Each activity will revolve around artefacts that the pupils will be able to handle and talk about with the adult. ▪ Plenary Whole class discussion: labelling the activities and talking about unusual features that animals have. There will be a short series of video clips showing some of the special animals here at the Zoo and, if there is sufficient time, a close encounter with a live vertebrate to show some other special features (there is a Zoo ‘no handling’ policy for reception age children (under 5’s) or any class that contains them). Back to top One of our Discovery Sessions in action!

Animals discussed during session Many different animals may be discussed during this session including snakes, birds, leaf cutter ants, elephants, zebra, lions, ostriches and Jaguars. See route map below for ideas. Curriculum links KS1 life processes and living things: recognising and comparing body features of animals. Looking at similarities and differences between themselves and other animals Learning that animals need food and water to stay alive. Learning that caring for the environment and animals is important Using scientific language, describing and communicating ideas Back to top One of our Critically Endangered Blue-throated Macaws Click here to download a Zoo Map

Suggested activities to link with session Before visit (recommended prior learning-useful but not essential) Vocabulary – Big, small, strong, colourful, nocturnal, fast and slow. Concepts – Basic understanding of the ways animals differ form each other and why this helps them survive. During visit (-see map) Big and small – Elephants, giraffe and orangutans provide good examples of ‘big’ size (and all have indoor viewing if rainy) and the Tropical Realm has good examples of small birds, insects and poison dart frogs. Strong – Again, elephants are good for this, but also lions, rhinos, Jaguar and leaf cutter ants. Colourful – Flamingos, parrots and a number of birds and snakes in the Tropical Realm. Nocturnal – Fruit Bat Forest and owls. Fast and slow – Cheetahs, Galapagos Tortoise (in Tropical Realm), zebra, Giant Otters and starfish (in Aquarium). Gaboon Vipers on display at the Secret World of the Okapi

Curious Creatures: Some Exhibits to Visit Cheetah Giraffes Islands in Danger Fruit Bat Forest Elephants of the Asian Forest Tropical Realm Spirit of the Jaguar Flamingos Rhinos Education Centre

Great Grey Owls are one of the largest owls in the world Back to top After Visit Animal A-Z Games (on the coach?!) Think of an animal beginning with each letter of the alphabet. Think of as many animals as possible beginning with… Something beginning with for example ‘z a lion might eat’, or ‘a meat eating animal beginning with J’ An animal that flies/hops/swims… Curious Sign writing – Make an identification sign for an imaginary animal. Give it a name, draw it and describe its food, habits etc. What is special or curious about this animal?

Back to top Chester Zoo supports Black Rhino conservation in Kenya Things to arrange prior to visit ▪ Please check the details on your confirmation letter. If you have any queries please call us on / ▪To arrange a pre-visit to the Zoo, contact us on / for details. ▪ Arrange appropriate number of group leaders and collate contact details. ▪ Assign students to a group leader, ensure students and leaders know the running plan for the day, have staff contact details and map of the Zoo (click here).click here ▪ Ensure group leaders have a plan for the day including: student names, time and location of teaching session (e.g. a copy of the confirmation letter) and where to meet, if necessary, after the session and at the end of the day. Group leaders may also find a Zoo map useful. Special Educational Needs We welcome pupils with special needs. Please notify us of their requirements in advance, so that we can tailor our programmes to your pupils' needs. Additionally, please inform us of any wheelchair users in the group or any specific allergies that we should be aware of. For more information on disabled access please refer to the Zoo website at spx spx

Back to top Sheba is our oldest Asian Elephant at over 50 years of age! The day of your trip: arriving at the Zoo ▪ Please help us to make your entrance to the Zoo as smooth as possible ▪ Allow plenty of time to get to and into the Zoo. It can take over 30 minutes to enter the Zoo and reach the Education Centre, particularly at busy times of year. ▪ On arrival the group leader only should approach the main gate with the confirmation letter. Students and other staff should remain on the coach. ▪ This provides an ideal opportunity for another member of staff to run through itinerary for the day with students and helpers, to hand out work sheets, information, maps, talk times etc. ▪ Once the paperwork has been completed the group leader can collect the group from the coach to be counted into the Zoo by Gate Staff. ▪ There are toilets at the main entrance both inside and outside the Zoo. Rainy day – indoor enclosures The Aquarium, Tropical Realm, Fruit Bat Forest, Spirit of the Jaguar, Islands in Danger, Realm of the Red Ape and Butterfly Journey are all heated, indoor exhibits. Additionally, Macaws, Chimpanzees, Giraffes, Elephants of the Asian Forests, Tsavo Black Rhino Experience, Monkeys, Tsavo Bird Safari and Miniature Monkeys all have undercover viewing. See map overleaf for location of exhibits

Rainy Day Visits Cheetah Butterfly Journey Islands in Danger Fruit Bat Forest Monkeys Elephants of the Asian Forest Chimpanzees Spirit of the Jaguar Realm of the Red Ape Tsavo Black Rhino Experience Secret World of the Okapi Tropical Realm Aquarium Grow Zone

Back to top Ringed-tailed Lemur on Lemur Island Your teaching session ▪ Sessions are run in 3 classrooms all located in the Education Centre next to the Spirit of the Jaguar exhibit. ▪ On arrival at the Education Centre please wait outside the appropriate room (Cook, Columbus or Cousteau), as stated on your booking confirmation, for an Education Officer to greet you. Please don’t block doorways to education classrooms as there may be classes about to leave. ▪ Each teaching session will last approximately 50 minutes. There is plenty of open space for lunches outside the Education Centre. On rainy days there is an indoor picnic area next door to the Arara café near the Education Centre. ▪ There are toilets opposite the Spirit of the Jaguar house just past the Education Centre. If you are delayed for any reason and may be late for your teaching session please contact / We may be able to help! If you have found this information useful or think there is something that we could add to help your day run smoothly please let us know at Enjoy your visit! Animal contact sessions Some Discovery sessions may include a live animal and /or a selection of bio-artefacts. Please inform us in advance of any allergies or phobias that may be affected by this. An antibacterial foam handwash will be offered to all students at the end of the session. In order for this to be effective, teachers are asked to ensure that all pupils have clean hands on arrival at the Education Centre.