What should a teacher plan prior to this field trip?
Planning a field trip is not an easy task. Here are some tips, that will help you organize a successful, safe and engaging experience at Reptilia!
- Prices/Location: Call Reptilia 4 weeks prior to trip, for informations on costs, group discounts etc. (also visit the website). Price: teachers/supervisors will be charged each 7 dollars respectively.
- Supervisors/Number of students: Ensure that you have the proper number of supervisors per number of students!
- Time: This zoo experience will take approximately 2 hours (+ traveling time).
- Transportation: Book a school Bus for half of the school day.
- Attire: Reptilia is an indoor facility, however students will be required to dress appropriately for the weather as they will be back to their school by lunch time (depending on the location of your school).
- Food/Beverages: Reptilia does not have a cafeteria. Drinks and small snacks are welcome. This zoo experience will take approximately 2 hours, therefore students will be able to eat during lunch recess at their school.
- Contact the parents: write a letter to the parents/guardians informing them on the date, location, price and purpose of the trip. Invite parents to join the class in the experience (parent/guardian volunteers will help you supervise the students). Enclose a Permission form to be signed by the parents. Ask parents if students will be allowed/not allowed to take pictures with their peers.
- Talk: Talk with students about safety tips/rules to follow on the trip site (never leave the group without communicating to a parent or teacher: go to the washroom with a "buddy"; wash your hands after you touched the reptiles...).
- Create engaging activities prior/during/post the Field Trip! They will help you engage your students in this learning experience in and out of the classroom!
#1 What is a Reptile?
Satisfying Curriculum Expectations: 2.5, 3.1., 3.6.
Big Idea: Plants and animals are interdependent and are adapted to meet their needs from the resources available in their particular habitats.
Goals: This activity is designed to give students the opportunity to learn some important information regarding reptiles, prior to the trip.
Part 1.
WHAT IS A REPTILE? (Brain Storm Activity in Pairs).
This activity is designed to be an introduction to the topic of reptiles. Students will have the opportunity to share what they already know about reptiles with their classmates.
Guiding Questions:
What do you know about reptiles?
What is the difference between a reptile and a mammal?
Students will share with the class their findings by raising their hand.
Write on chart paper the students' findings. Distribute the information in two sections:
Attach this poster on the wall, so students can use the information at any time for their future activities.
*Once this first part of the lesson is done, hand out and explain the vocabulary and discuss with the class the meaning of these words.
2. VOCABULARY (to prepare for future quiz).
Reptile: A cold-blooded, usually egg-laying vertebrate such as a snake, turtle, lizard, crocodile or dinosaur; has dry scales, breathes with lungs its entire life.
Environment: One’s surroundings, it includes plants, objects,
Habitat: An animal’s environment. Where the animal can be found. Animals depend on their habitat for food, water and shelter.
Prey: An animal caught by another animal for food
Predator: An animal that lives by hunting other animals (link to terms carnivore/omnivore)
Pollution: The introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment.
Endangered: Threatened with extinction, or danger.
Extinct: Animal that does no longer exist. An example of this is the dinosaur. Extinction can be caused by a change in the environment/habitat of the animal (ie: climate change, polluted environment, lack of biodiversity, increased human population, destruction of habitat, global warming).
Cold Blooded: An animal whose body temperature is controlled by the temperature of its environment. Reptiles are attracted by warm temperatures.
Dinosaur: Any chiefly terrestrial, herbivorous or carnivorous reptile of the extinct orders Saurischia andOrnithischia, from the Mesozoic Era, certain species of which are the largest known land animals.
Vertebrate: Having vertebrae; having a backbone or spinal column.
*The words in this vocabulary will be part of the Science quiz. Students will be expected to learn these words, and they will be assessed on their preparation.
Materials:
Big Idea: Plants and animals are interdependent and are adapted to meet their needs from the resources available in their particular habitats.
Goals: This activity is designed to give students the opportunity to learn some important information regarding reptiles, prior to the trip.
Part 1.
WHAT IS A REPTILE? (Brain Storm Activity in Pairs).
This activity is designed to be an introduction to the topic of reptiles. Students will have the opportunity to share what they already know about reptiles with their classmates.
Guiding Questions:
What do you know about reptiles?
What is the difference between a reptile and a mammal?
Students will share with the class their findings by raising their hand.
Write on chart paper the students' findings. Distribute the information in two sections:
- Common characteristics of reptiles.
- Types of reptiles (crocodilians, lizards, snakes, turtles).
Attach this poster on the wall, so students can use the information at any time for their future activities.
*Once this first part of the lesson is done, hand out and explain the vocabulary and discuss with the class the meaning of these words.
2. VOCABULARY (to prepare for future quiz).
Reptile: A cold-blooded, usually egg-laying vertebrate such as a snake, turtle, lizard, crocodile or dinosaur; has dry scales, breathes with lungs its entire life.
Environment: One’s surroundings, it includes plants, objects,
Habitat: An animal’s environment. Where the animal can be found. Animals depend on their habitat for food, water and shelter.
Prey: An animal caught by another animal for food
Predator: An animal that lives by hunting other animals (link to terms carnivore/omnivore)
Pollution: The introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment.
Endangered: Threatened with extinction, or danger.
Extinct: Animal that does no longer exist. An example of this is the dinosaur. Extinction can be caused by a change in the environment/habitat of the animal (ie: climate change, polluted environment, lack of biodiversity, increased human population, destruction of habitat, global warming).
Cold Blooded: An animal whose body temperature is controlled by the temperature of its environment. Reptiles are attracted by warm temperatures.
Dinosaur: Any chiefly terrestrial, herbivorous or carnivorous reptile of the extinct orders Saurischia andOrnithischia, from the Mesozoic Era, certain species of which are the largest known land animals.
Vertebrate: Having vertebrae; having a backbone or spinal column.
*The words in this vocabulary will be part of the Science quiz. Students will be expected to learn these words, and they will be assessed on their preparation.
Materials:
- Chart Paper.
- Handouts of the Vocabulary.
#2 Endangered Species: Turtles
Satisfying expectations 1.1, 1.2, 3.1,
Goals: This activity is designed to introduce students to the problematic relationship between humans and animals with a specific focus on the impact that we have on their habitat.
The first part of this activity allows students to familiarize with the life of a specific reptile, the turtle. The second part of this activity will allow students to investigate the negative impact that humans have had on the habitat of these animals.
Part 1.
Read the book "The Journey of a Turtle" by Carolyn Scrace.
This book will allow students to learn about the life cycle of the turtle, and the relationship that this animal has with its habitat. This book is also a great resource for Social Studies, as it maps the migration routs of the turtles making references to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
*After this reading, explain to the class that many different types of turtles are endangered.
The second part of this activity will give students the opportunity to learn about the negative impacts that humans have had on the turtles' (and other animals) environment.
Part 2.
Group Activity: "What causes turtles to be endangered?"
This activity is student-centered. Students will be organized in groups of 3-4 and they will be asked to come up with their own ideas (which they will write on chart paper) of to what causes many types of turtles to be endangered. They will also be asked to provide some useful suggestions on ways to prevent these animals from becoming extinct . Each group will present their work to the class.
Guiding questions for this activity:
What causes turtles to be endangered? (ie: pollution; hunting).
What can we do to change this situation?(ie: be more respectful about our resources; not polluting).
.
Materials Needed:
- Markers
- Chart Paper
Assessment:
Students will be assessed based on:
- Presentation skills
- Cooperation in group work
- Creative ideas
Equity: This activity allows students to work together as a group. Students on modified programs will surely benefit from working with their peers. All students will learn from each other and their own individual ways of thinking.
Useful links/video for this activity:
Website on 10 types of Endangered Turtles:
http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-10-most-endangered-turtles?image=1