AS/A2 Animal Behaviour Information and guidance for teachers Contents Learning Objectives Lesson plan Plan a route Suggested activities to link with session Things to arrange prior to visit The day of your trip: arriving at the Zoo Your teaching session We have a group of over 30 chimpanzees here at Chester Zoo Our male Sumatran Orang-utan, Puluh

Back to top One of our Discovery sessions in action! AS/A2 Primate Behaviour Learning Objectives After attending this session, students will be able to: ▪ Explain the different groups of primates and their evolution ▪ Understand a wide range of primate behaviours such as: ▪ Communication (e.g. Chimpanzee, Ring-tailed Lemurs) ▪ Social structure and behaviour (e.g. Orang-utans, Chimpanzees ▪ Intelligence (e.g. Chimpanzee, Humans, Orang-utan ▪ Reproductive Behaviour (e.g. Orang-utan, Mandrill, Marmoset) ▪ Attachment (Orang-utans, Chimpanzees, Humans) Lesson Plan ▪ Classroom session - based around a PowerPoint presentation and referring to species and behaviour that can be observed at the Zoo. OR ▪Out and about session – Students are accompanied to the animal enclosures where observable behaviour will be discussed. Both sessions will include reference to the following: ▪ Communication Special attention will be placed on Chimpanzee communication, with reference to their similarity with ourselves. ▪ Social behaviour The way animals structure themselves naturally (solitary or social; mating systems (monogamy, polygamy etc)). ▪ Intelligence Cognitive ability of non-human animals, including memory use, tool use, learnt behaviour etc. ▪ Reproductive behaviour Sexual selection, parent/offspring conflicts and sex ratios. ▪ Attachment Parental bonds. ‘Holly’, one of our chimpanzees, lives in a large, natural size group here at Chester Zoo.

Back to top Plan a route Different primate species will be discussed during the session, and may include: Chimpanzee (near Education Centre) - for social and reproductive behaviour, communication, attachment and intelligence Orang-utan (near Education Centre) – for sexual selection, reproductive behaviour, attachment and intelligence Ring-tailed Lemurs (near Education Centre) – for social behaviour, communication and the evolution of primates Buffy-headed Capuchin (near Education Centre) – for social behaviour and intelligence Marmosets and tamarins (near Twilight Zone) – for social and reproductive behaviour Mandrill (near entrance in ‘Monkeys’ exhibit) – for social and reproductive behaviour as well as communication Sulawesi Crested Macaque (near entrance in ‘Monkeys’ exhibit) – for social behaviour and communication Humans (everywhere!!) – for reproductive behaviour and intelligence Some of the above could be visited before or after, depending on the time of your booked session. The classroom based session will obviously include more species, whereas the out and about session will focus on two or three in more detail. Rainy day plan – indoor enclosures All zoo primates apart from the lemurs have indoor viewing A visitor favourite: ‘Boris’ the chimpanzee Click here to download a Zoo Map

One of our young Sumatran Orang-utans born in 2004 Suggested activities to link with session Before visit Some background knowledge of the above concepts would be useful. Pre-visit knowledge of some of the species would also be desirable (but by no means essential) to maximise students learning opportunities on the day. Note : binoculars may prove useful for close observation. During visit Focus on a species and look at their complete range of behaviours. Primates are good for this as they are generally quite active and have a good repertoire of behaviours. Focus on a behaviour and discover species that display it. E.g. which species are monogamous? Which are polygamous? And why? Or look at sexual selection and the species that exhibit it and why? Using our Chimpanzee identification guide (available for download on our website or direct from the education division), follow and record the behaviour of individual Chimpanzees. Look for examples of intelligence. Primates are good for this – particularly for tool use (orang-utans, Chimps, monkeys). Continued on next page…

One of our magnificent Lion-tailed Macaques During visit continued… Look for examples of communication. How would you interpret vocalisations/facial expressions/body language? Compare findings later with published work. After visit If several students follow several different Chimps (as suggested above), results could be collated so that personalities/preferences/group dynamics could be unveiled. Back to top

A charismatic Red-ruffed Lemur Things to arrange prior to visit Please check details on confirmation letter, any queries please call Arrange a pre-visit to the Zoo, contact us 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 as well as a map of the Zoo. Running plan for the day Time and location of teaching session Time and location to meet for teaching session Time and location to meet for lunch Time to visit Twilight Zone (all students under 16 must be accompanied through the Twilight Zone) Time for students to visit the gift shop (the shop at the entrance is open all year round, opening times of the other 2 shops vary throughout the year) All students under 16 should be accompanied in the gift shops Time and location to meet when leaving the Zoo Back to top

One of our young Geoffroy’s Marmosets, hitching a ride! 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, Twilight Zone, Spirit of the Jaguar, Islands in Danger are all undercover, indoor exhibits. Additionally, macaws, Chimps, orang-utans, giraffes, elephants, rhinos, Monkeys, Miniature Monkeys all have undercover viewing.

Your teaching session Sessions are run in 3 classrooms all located in the Education Centre next to the Spirit of the Jaguar exhibit. Please be aware that it can take 30+ minutes to cross the zoo particularly at busy times of year. 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 (Arara Picnic Lodge) past the Spirit of the Jaguar exhibit. 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 Back to top Meeting ‘Beaky’ the quail during a Discovery session