Rocky Coasts Expeditions

Expedition: Cycles of Life and Water

Teacher’s Guide

(585) 336-7213 | www.senecaparkzoo.org

You booked an Expedition. Now What?

Review pre-visit materials1. Teacher’s Guide PowerPoint

Your virtual tour

2. Teacher’s Field Guide

Background Information

Curriculum Connections

Animal Fact Sheets

Pre- and post visit lessons connection to CC domains and modules

3. Expedition Video Invitation for Your Class

Zoo staff provide your group with background information and a personal invitation to come to the Zoo!

Get your group excited!

What is an Expedition?

An expedition is a guided, themed interactive tour of a specific area of the Zoo.

Please note: You will not see the entire Zoo on your Expedition. Expeditions last about 45 minutes.

We provide background materials and suggested pre-visit activities to prepare your group.

Your Expedition: Waters Around the World

Objectives:

1. Describe the life cycle of mammals and birds as demonstrated by completing the life cycle chart in the student observation sheet.

2. Identify the dependent relationship animal life cycles have with water as demonstrated by making notations on the student observation sheet where animal life cycles rely on water.

3. Predict ways polluted or disappearing water habitat affects animal life cycles as demonstrated by verbally describing one possible outcome for animals in a polluted or vanishing habitat at each station.

4. Identify a solution for polluted or vanishing habitat that affects animal life cycle as demonstrated by drawing or writing about a possible solution for birds and for mammals in the student observation sheet.

Learning Standards Connections

The next few slides outline specific CCLS and NYS Science Standards connected

with your chosen Expedition

NYS Science StandardsStandard 4 Living Environment

Key Idea 1: Living things are both similar to and different from each other and from nonliving things. (1.1a,1.2a)

Key Idea 3: Individual organisms and species change over time. (3.1a, 3.1c)

Key Idea 4: The continuity of life is sustained through reproduction and development. (4.1a, 4.1e, 4.1f)

Key Idea 5: Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life. (5.1a, 5.1b, 5.2b, 5.2c, 5.2f, 5.2g)

Key Idea 6: Plants and animals depend on each other and their physical environment.(6.1e, 6.1f)

Key Idea 7: Human decisions and activities have had a profound impact on the physical and living environments. (7.1c)

CCLS ELA Connections: Domain 6 Cycles in NatureExplain that a cycle is a sequence of events that repeats itself again and again;

Recognize that living things have a life cycle;

Explain effects of seasonal changes on plants and animals;

Describe animal processes in spring, summer, autumn, winter;

Define the term life cycle;

Identify the stages of the life cycle of a chicken (egg to egg);

Identify the stages of the life cycle of a frog (egg to egg);

Explain metamorphosis;

Identify the stages of the life cycle of a butterfly (egg to egg);

Define the term water cycle;

Explain that there is a limited amount of water on Earth;

Describe evaporation and condensation;

Identify forms and importance of precipitation;

Describe the formation of clouds;

Identify three types of clouds: cirrus, cumulus, and stratus;

Summarize (orally or in writing) text content and/or oral information presented by others

What do I do before I come?

1. Review this PowerPoint with your teaching team.

2. Go through the information in your Teacher’s Field Guide and conduct the pre-visit lesson.

3. Watch the Expedition video invitation with your class.

What to do when you arrive?

Your buses will pull up to the drop off area at the Front Gate.

A staff person will check in your bus and call your guide.

Your guide will meet you at the front and walk you to the starting location for your program

(It’s about a 5-minute walk)

Seneca Park

Zoo Map

• Buses arrivehere. Your

guide will meet

you here.

• Your

expedition

will start

here.

Where will your Expedition begin?

Your Expedition will begin near the Totem Pole at the beginning of the Rocky Coasts.

Here your guide will give you an introduction and ask your group questions about the pre-visit lessons and video.

Your guide will also hand out science notebooks for each student to gather information throughout the program.

Stations

After your guide has outlined your topic and goal, you will stop at different stations outlined in the science notebook you receive during the introduction!

Polar Bear Station

Students will make observations of the polar bear and then role-play a polar bear’s life cycle.

Students will record where the polar bear life cycle relies on water using their animal observation sheet.

Students will predict what would happen to various points in the life cycle if water was polluted or unavailable.

After brainstorming solutions to polluted waterways, students will record how they can help protect water to protect animal life cycles.

Penguin StationStudents will make observations of the penguins and then role-play a penguin’s life cycle.

Students will record where the penguin life cycle relies on water using their animal observation sheet.

Students will predict what would happen to various points in the life cycle if water was polluted or unavailable.

After brainstorming solutions to polluted waterways, students will record how they can help protect water to protect animal life cycles.

Conclusions

At the last station, students will be asked to make a promise answering the following question:

What is one thing

you promise to do

to protect water

resources from

pollution and

therefore protect

animal life cycles?

Post-Visit

Check out the post-visit lesson included in your Teacher’s Field Guide for great follow up activities that work in conjunction with ELA Domain 6!

The next step to prepare for your Expedition…

Review your Teacher Field Guide to learn more about the animals and pre- and post-visit lessons.

Show your group your Expedition invitation video.

Please contact the Seneca Park Zoo Education Department

with any questions!(585) 336-7213

education@senecazoo.org

See YOU at the Zoo!