Join The Racine Zoo

Racine Zoological Society

2131 North Main Street

Racine, WI 53402

General: 262-636-9189 Education Dept: 262-636-9580

Fax: 262-636-9307

This activity guide is set up to provide pre-zoo, in-zoo, and post-zoo visit activities. The activities vary from classroom activities to those that will be done at the Zoo. Post- zoo activities will enable you to assess your students understanding of the lessons they have completed. It is not intended that you incorporate all of these activities into your curriculum. Feel free to choose what works for you, your students, and your curriculum. Please review the activities before attending the Zoo. Most can be completed after your visit, but students may need to take notes during the field trip to help them complete the activity. Some activities are meant to be completed at the Zoo, such as animal observation. Furthermore, some activities require you to visit certain buildings and exhibits at the Racine Zoo.

Animal Covering Cartoons
Discuss what animals the students observed at the Racine Zoo and the different animal colors and animal coverings. Make a list of them and have students draw their favotie animal. After drawing their favorite animal, have the students tell what animal group it belongs to and why. Students can then hang up their pictures around the classroom by categories.

For example: all bird pictures can be flying around the chalkboard, while all the reptile pictures can be hung low on the wall.

Students can draw a picture of each animal body covering listed below:

Dry Scales (Reptile)
Fur (Mammal)
Wet, Slimy Skin (Amphibian)
Scales & Fins (Fish)
Feathers (Bird)

Animal Charades
Select pictures of animals seen at the Racine Zoo and place on index cards. Divide the class into two or three teams. Each student will select a card before performing the charade and show it to others on his/her team. The opposing team needs to guess the animal in a certain time frame. Points can be kept or a certain time frame can be followed until cards are used up.

Animal Antics
Collect pictures of vertebrate animals seen at the Racine Zoo. Make large dice and place an animal picture on each side. As the die is rolled, choose a student to do one of the following options:

Move like the animal (slither like a snake)
Imitate the sound the animal makes (hiss like a snake)
Describe the animal's food, while pretending to eat (open up jaws really wide to swallow prey whole)
Name the animal's body covering (scales)

What Animal Am I?

Materials

Cards with the names of Racine Zoo animals printed on them or pictures/drawings of the animals.
Tape or safety pin

Directions

Pin the name or a picture of a Racine Zoo animal on a students back. Explain that this is a guessing game and that the student should not see the picture or be told the name of the animal. Have the student turn around so that all the other classmates can see the name/picture of the animal. The student then asks questions to determine the identity of the animal. Classmates can answer only yes, no, or maybe to the students questions.

When the student correctly guesses the animals identity, another classmate can take a turn at guessing the identity of a different Racine Zoo animal.

Younger students may need help in forming questions. Teachers may want to set a limit to the number of questions the student can ask before losing his/her turn as "it." A list of possible questions follows.

Does the animal have two legs?
Does the animal have four legs?
Does the animal have feathers?
Does the animal have talons?
Does the animal have webbed feet?
Does the animal have flat teeth for eating plants?
Does the animal have sharp teeth for eating meat?
Does the animal have hooves?
Does the animal have horns?
Does the animal have antlers?
Does the animal live in a nest?
Does the animal live in a burrow?
Is the animal active at night?
Does the animal spend most of its time in the water?
Can the animal fly?

The Sounds of the Zoo
As you walk around the Racine Zoo, what do you hear? How aware of your surroundings are you? Listen for the following sounds:

Water
How many different kinds of sounds can you hear from water? There are lots of places at the Zoo where water can be found. As you see water in and around the exhibits, is it making any noise?

Wind
Wind causes lots of noise! What sounds are caused by wind? Is it windy today? What sounds do you hear around the Zoo when the wind blows?

Animals
Many animals communicate by making noises. Write down any animals that you hear making a noise. Sometimes animals don't make sounds from their mouths. What other ways could an animal make sounds?

Human Noises
There are other guests visiting the Zoo, what noises to they make? Do humans make noises like animals to communicate?

Dinner Anyone? Great with Animals of the World program
Explain to the students that they will be researching an idea for a new restaurant where the customers will be turtles, tigers, and alligators (any other animals can be used also).

Divide the class into smaller groups of three to four people. Each group will be planning its own menu for the restaurant and its customers. The first assignment is to find out as much as they can about the animal's special adaptations. Second, the group must determine what types of food each animal eats. Finally, the group must come up with a food menu for the restaurant.

Example:
Chinchilla Chow
Appetizer: Fruit (grapes)
Entrees: Hay and apples (alfalfa hay and apple pieces), Vegetables (lettuce & carrots)
Dessert: Nutty Salad (peanut butter and sunflower seeds)

After students have completed the activity, ask one person from each group to present his/her menu to the class.

Reptile Recollection
Have students brainstorm a list of reptiles seen at the Racine Zoo. Review reptile characteristics and the adaptations that help them survive. Each student should pick a reptile and fill out this questionnaire.

1. This reptile lives...
2. This reptile moves by ...
3. This reptile eats ...
4. It gets its food by ...
5. The color of this reptile is ...
6. This reptile protects itself by ...

At the end students may draw a picture of the reptile, making sure to include the characteristics and adaptations above.

Habitat Dioramas Great with Animals of the World
Have students use shoe boxes to create a habitat of an animal seen at the Racine Zoo. Make sure to label the important parts and what helps the animal survive in its habitat (teachers may want to have students write up this information). Have them create the habitat as realistically as possible. Some ideas include using sand for a desert animal, real tree branches, rocks, etc. Students can mold the animals out of clay.

Animal Game
Practice classifying animals according to their physical traits and behaviors. Show that even very different animals share certain traits and/or behaviors.

Divide students into two equal teams. Have each team choose a Racine Zoo animal and think of six to eight riddle clues for that animal (team members should not share the name of their animal with the opposing team). Clues should relate to physical or behavioral characteristics of the animal and should range from general to specific. Clues should be written down and numbered so that the more general clues are given first and more specific clues are used as the game continues. Teachers may want to develop clues for younger students ahead of time or review clues developed by older students before the game begins.

When both teams have their clues ready, have them face each other across a line that has been drawn or otherwise marked on the ground. Draw another line fifteen feet behind each team, representing their respective home base. The teams take turns giving clues to the other team (it should be decided in advance which student will give which clue and in what order). Team A gives its first clue; then Team B tries to guess the identity of Team A's animal. Nothing happens if an incorrect answer is given.

Team B gives its first clue next. Again, nothing happens if Team A makes a wrong guess as to the identity of team B's animal. For instance, Team A says, "I am an herbivore with four legs." Team B guesses "Are you a mule deer?" The game continues in this fashion. When a correct guess is made, the student offering the clue responds with a "YES" and his/her teammates race to reach their own home base before being tagged by members of the other team. This is the end of round one. Additional rounds can be played with new animals and animal clues. If multiple rounds are played and score keeping is desired, points can be awarded based on correct guesses made and number of students tagged.

Clue Ideas

General

I am a four (or two)-legged animal
I am an herbivore (or carnivore or omnivore)
I have fur (or feathers)
I have long (or short) legs
I am a predator

Less General

I have wings
I have hooves (or claws)
I have a tail
I lay eggs

More Specific

I spend a lot of time in the water
I have horns (or antlers)
I migrate (or do not migrate)

Even More Specific

I am good at walking on rocky ledges (mountain goat)
I have spurs on the back of my legs
I have folds of skin called cheek pads (male orangutan)

Vertebrate Variations

Answers are listed in bold/parentheses.

Use the word bank below to answer the following:

Match the animal to its body covering

Dry Scales (reptile)
Fur (mammal)
Wet, Slimy Skin (amphibian)
Scales & Fins (fish)
Feathers (bird)

Fill-in-the-blanks

Warm-blooded Cold-blooded

-------------------------- ---------------------------

---------------------------

Word Bank

FISH	BIRD	REPTILE	MAMMAL	AMPHIBIAN
(Cold)	(Warm)	(Cold)	(Warm)	(Cold)

Draw a picture of an animal that fits into each category

Animal Riddles
Students should complete the riddles based on animals seen at the Racine Zoo. Teachers may want to have students come up with their own.

1. My arms are long and strong, I use them to swing from branch to branch. Who am I?

A: White-handed gibbon

2. I reach the leaves at the top of the trees and pick them with my long tongue. Who am I?

A: Giraffe

3. I'm pretty safe in my tree, my quills protect me. Who am I?

A: Prehensile-tailed porcupine

4. I flap my wings to fly into the night sky. Who am I?

A: Bat

5. I am big and eat without arms. My horns are made out of keratin. Who am I?

A: Black rhinoceros

6. I carry my baby in a pouch. It's comfy and safe, as I hop from place to place. Who am I?

A: Red Kangaroo

7. I have a huge beak that I open to eat and fish are my number one favorite. Who am I?

A: American pelican

Adaptation Drawings Great with Animals of the World program

Review the word adaptation (a characteristic of a living thing that helps it survive in its environment). Ask students to brainstorm a list of animal adaptations they saw on their field trip to the Racine Zoo. Have students sort the adaptations into categories (e.g., eating, moving, and defense). Students can then be given the task of drawing their favorite animal seen at the Zoo and labeling its special adaptations.

Choosy Consumers Great with Picky Eaters/Animals of the World programs

Have students generate of list of the animals that they saw at the Racine Zoo. Ask them to create a chart with the headings herbivore, omnivore, carnivore, predator and prey (provide definitions if needed). Remind students that some animals may be both predator and prey. Have students sort their Zoo animal list into those categories. They should follow up with research to make sure they are correct.

Racine Zoo Word Search

Lion	Rhinoceros
Orangutan	Penguin
Kangaroo	Snake
Giraffe	Pelican
Tiger	Emu

Mobile Construction
The student's job is to display the basic adaptations of various species of animals.

Once they have selected their animal seen at the Racine Zoo, they will need to answer the following questions: What body shape does their animal have, what type of body covering, coloration of body, what type of food does your animal eat, and what habitat does your animal reside in?

Students:
Draw a picture of the animal you selected, as your top level of the mobile. Draw a picture of each of the five lower levels of the mobile (body type, body shape, type of covering, food type and habitat). On the other side of each picture, answer the corresponding question from above. Your mobile should be colorful, three dimensional, and creatively express the animal you choose. Be creative, use yarn, ribbon, noodles, beads, drawings, photographs, etc. A hanger or dowel rods may be used to suspend your project. Create a work of art that is biologically accurate and a useful learning tool for the classroom.

Animal Name
Body Type
Body Shape
Coloration Food Type
Habitat (nest or tree, stream, etc.)

Newspaper Advertisements
WANTED: An undisturbed habitat
Have students choose a picture of an animal in its habitat out of a magazine, preferably one they saw at the Racine Zoo. Good magazines to look in are Your Big Backyard, Ranger Rick, National Geographic, or National Wildlife. You may also want to cut out want ads from your local paper for students to model their ads after. Once they've chosen their animal, have each student write a classified ad that describes that animal's habitat. Explain that the advertisement should describe the following: where the animal lives, the type of food it eats, the material needed to build its shelter, if any, and the type of environment -- cold, hot, dry or wet. Also, the ad should mention any special requirements.

They are to keep their animal's identity a secret. Each student will read their ad out loud. Ask the other students to guess what animals would like that habitat. Remind them that some animals have similar habitats. For example, the best backyard buy could also be home to another bird.

Note: For younger students, you may want to create the ads yourself and have them match the ads you wrote to the photos.

Examples:
Wetland Wonder: Large open areas of water for swimming, loaded with small mammals, fish, turtles, and other tasty prey. Good spots to dig holes for waiting out the dry seasons. Quiet place to build a nest and raise young. (American Alligator)

Mountain Oasis: Cold climate, may need fur coat to keep you warm, perfect environment for herbivores. Plenty of dust and ash for bathing needs. Lots of rocks and crevices to hide in. (Chinchilla)

Best Backyard Buy: Sunflower seeds galore! Feeders and bird bathes abound. Many bushes for making nests and raising young. No pesky cats in neighborhood. Available for immediate occupancy. (Cardinal)

Read some real estate ads from a newspaper. Discuss the places people live and their requirements. Then, read the sample habitat ad. Ask students to identify what animal's habitat is up for sale.

Example: Wanted! Prime Prairie Habitat -- Prime Colorado prairie with plenty of grass for large rodent families. Soil needs to be easy to dig, because I am an ambitious homebuilder who needs lots of tunnels to raise my young and escape from predators. I don't need lots of water because I get it from rain and the plants that I eat. Please call 303-123-PDOG if you have anything available. (Prairie dog)

Have the students put all of their ads together and try to match the picture with the description.

Survival Structures Great with Animals of the World program
Have students think of animal adaptations seen at the Racine Zoo. Students can pick a different animal for each structure, or students could pick simply one animal and complete the chart. Example:

Name:_______________ Date:______________

Directions:
List an animal and its adaptation under the "Animal" section. Describe the function of the animal under "Function of Adaptation" section. In the last column, draw a sketch of the adaptation.

Structure	Animal	Function of Adaptation	Sketch
Feet	American Aligator	Webbed to aid in water environment	Drawing of a webbed alligator foot
Legs
Body Covering
Face
Head Shape
Ears
Eyes
Tail
Color
Other

Animal Riddles
Have students answer the riddles based on the animals seen at the Racine Zoo. Teachers may want students to come up with some of their own.

1. My arms are long and strong, I use them to swing through the trees. Who am I?

A: Gibbon

2. I reach the leaves at the top of the trees and pick them with my long tongue. Who am I?

A: Giraffe

3. I'm pretty safe in my tree, my quills protect me. Who am I?

A: Prehensile-tailed porcupine

4. I flap my wings to fly into the night sky. Who am I?

A: Bat

5. I am big and eat without arms. My horns are made out of keratin. Who am I?

A: Rhinoceros

6. I carry my baby in a pouch. It's comfy and safe, as I hop from place to place. Who am I?

A: Kangaroo

7. I love the snow; it's in my name you know. Who Am I?

A: Snow Leopard

8. I have a huge beak that I open to eat and fish are my number one favorite. Who am I?

A: Pelican

Racine Zoo Animal Detective
Note: some questions may need to be adjusted if certain animals were not seen on your visit to the Racine Zoo. Answers are listed in parentheses.

Select a word from the word bank that fits the description

WORD BANK

Red Kangaroo (3)	Meerkat (10)
Masai giraffe (4)	Orangutan (5)
African Lion (6)	Black rhinoceros (8)
Black and white colobus monkey (7)	African penguin (9)
Tur (11)	Timber rattlesnake (1)

1. Deadly reptile found both Wisconsin and desert habitats   ____________________
2. Largest living marsupial whose babies are called joeys __________________
3. This tall mammal's pattern is unique to each individual, similar to our fingerprints.       _______________
4. The second largest primate was given the name "old man of the forest" by natives.      ___________________
5. Males have a mane and can be found in groups called prides __________________
6. This primate has long flowing hair that helps them parachute when jumping from tree     to tree. ________________
7. This animal's horn is made out of keratin, like our human fingernails.       ____________________
8. This "tuxedo bird" is found off the coast of South Africa and consumes mainly fish.        ____________
9. This small mammal keeps lookout by standing on their hind legs. ____________
10. Lives on mountainous terrain, males with curved horns ___________________

Racine Zoo Animal Detective
Note: some questions may need to be adjusted if certain animals were not seen on your visit to the Racine Zoo. Answers are listed in parentheses.

Select a word from the word bank that fits the description

WORD BANK

Madagascar hissing cockroach (2)	Prehensile-tailed pocupine (8)
Chinchilla (3)	Kenyan sand boa (1)
Desert tortoise (7)	Straw-colored fruit bat (10)
Millipede (9)	Walking stick (11)
Tarantula (12)	American alligator (4)
Andean milk snake (5)	Striped skunk (6)

1. Slithers under the sand in a desert habitat _______________________
2. Lives on the rainforest floor and is the "garbage man" ________________________
3. This animal takes a unique bath with dust. ________________________
4. This freshwater animal has a set of eyelids that act as goggles to keep sand/dirt out when they are underwater. ______________________
5. Scaly animal lives in the Andes Mountains __________________
6. This forest representative has a special "smell" to help keep predators away. _______________
7. Carries house on their back ___________________
8. Rodent with modified prickly hairs for protection _________________
9. Lots of legs help them move about the forest floors ________________
10. Wings also help this fruit loving animal to climb ________________________
11. This long slender insect eats tree leaves ________________________
12. This animal injects venom into its prey _________________________

Poetry Pieces
Have the students pick one of their favorite animals seen at the Racine Zoo. Fill in the blanks and create a poem.

(Name of Animal)!
You ______________
You ______________
You ______________
You ______________
You ______________
You are my favorite zoo animal because you __________
(Name of Animal)!

Example:
Snake!
You slither on the ground
You are red, black and yellow
You have scales all over
You smell with your tongue
You are cold-blooded
You are my favorite zoo animal because you are not slimy.
Snake!

As students walk around the zoo today, have them write a poem in the space below about something they've seen. Find a favorite animal or special spot they enjoy, and then describe it. Remember, not all poems rhyme. Be creative and have fun!

You may want to have students draw a picture of what their poem describes.

Mind Bender
Have students complete the following after observation of the kangaroos at the Racine Zoo. Teachers may want students to create a mind bender of their own based on an animal seen at the Zoo.

Kangaroo
Place an X on the line above the best answer to each question. Then use the letters in the parenthesis to fill in the answer to the question at the bottom. Each part of a kangaroo serves an important function. The stance of a kangaroo is upright, so the body is "bottom-heavy" for stability.

1. Ears	_______[P]	_______[A]
	long, pointed	short, round
2. Forearms	_______[O]	_______[L]
	short	long
3. Hind Legs	_______[U]	_______[T]
	large	small
4. Tail	_______[B]	_______[C]
	short & thin	long & thick
5. Feet	_______[H]	_______[B]
	long & narrow	short & fat

Kangaroos are marsupials. They are mammals that give birth to immature offspring that continue to develop after they are born. While they are developing and growing they spend their time being carried by their mother in a:___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Answers:
Each part of a kangaroo has an important function. The stance of a kangaroo is upright, so the body is bottom-heavy for stability.

1. Ears -- Long, pointed The size, shape and flexibility of the ears help them work as "radar" that rotates and picks up any sound. This helps them look out for predators.
2. Forearms -- Short The kangaroo's short arms are used almost like human arms. They have 5 fingers that they use to manipulate food.
3. Hind Legs -- Large Kangaroos are known for their hopping. Really they make powerful leaps that can propel them more than 29 feet a leap and allows them to move at 29 mph for short distances.
4. Tail -- Long & thick Kangaroos use their muscular, tapered tails as a balance and rudder when leaping, and as a third leg when sitting. The tail is strong enough to support the weight of the entire animal. That's about 145 pounds for a male kangaroo.
5. Feet -- Long & narrow These large feet give them stability when they are standing upright. When leaping, they act like springs to make the most out of a "hop." Males also use their feet to prove their strength against other males.

Animal Technology
Write the following questions on the board. How is a plane like a bird? How is an armored truck like an armadillo? Have students respond to these questions about comparing technology with nature. List the inventions on the board and have the students name the inventions that mimic their animal counterparts.

Invention	Animal
1. Swim fins	fins: fish; flippers: seal, penguin, whale
2. Night-vision goggles	nocturnal animals: night vision
3. Suction cups	gecko, fly: ability to walk on ceilings
4. Diving suit	blubber: polar bear, seal, whale
5. Military or hunting gear	camouflage: animal's body covering patterns
6. Binoculars	vision: eagle, hawk
7. Radar	echolocation: bat
8. Down parka	down feathers: bird
9. Swim goggles	third eyelid (nicitating membrane): crocodile, polar bear
10. Nose clips	nose closes automatically: seal, alligator
11. Backpack	storing/carrying food (body fat) on its back: Camel

Ecosystem Identification
Identify five native plants/animals, and ecosystems they are found in, using the Racine Zoo as a guideline (if you visited the Discovery Center, this will help you). One example is given.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Ecosystem
1. Timber Rattlesnake	Crotalus horridus	Prairie / woodland
2.
3.
4.
5.

Identify 5 exotic plants/animals, and ecosystems they are found in, using any other habitats of your choice.

Common Name	Scientific Name	Ecosystem
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Venn Diagrams
Students should construct a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting Wisconsin ecosystems to another ecosystem of choice. Students should use their charts and give specific examples.

Zoo Specialists (zookeeper) Great with Careers at the Zoo program
Q: An animal care specialist's job is to keep the animals in their care healthy and safe. List at least 4 ways that they can do this:

Zookeepers provide their animals with - clean water, a complete diet, a clean exhibit, daily enrichment, an appropriate amount of space, shelter from weather, a secure enclosure and regular medical care.

Q: The animals at the Racine Zoo are here to educate and be enjoyed by visitors. What are some other reasons that you think animals might live at the Zoo?

The majority of the animals at the Racine Zoo were born at this Zoo or other zoos around the country. Only a very few are from the wild. These animals were injured in the wild and unable to be released. The Zoo is involved in a head-starting program of the ornate box turtles with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The Zoo raises them and then the DNR releases them into the wild somewhere in Wisconsin. Some of our animals on exhibit are endangered or threatened species and some are involved in the Species Survival Plan (SSP). Some animals include the Eastern black rhinoceros, African lion, Patas monkey, and the Snow leopard. Each SSP manages the breeding of a species in order to maintain a healthy and self-sustaining population that is both genetically diverse and demographically stable. Knowing the genetic background of each individual, SSP coordinators determine which animals should be paired for the benefit of the entire species. The goal of the SSP is to find good breeding conditions and the best mates for those animals that are not well represented in zoos. The SSP will also restrict breeding of animals that already have numerous offspring.

Q: Do animals living in a zoo need more or less space than those living in a wild habitat? Why or why not?

Animals that are housed in zoos or aquariums require less space than they would in their natural environment because their basic needs are provided by their zookeepers. For example, in the wild a giraffe may travel far each day in search or food or water, while at the zoo they are given plenty fresh food and clean water. This is also true for animals that hunt for their food. They may spend hours or days looking for prey in the wild. Since spending time looking for food is an important natural behavior, zookeepers are always looking for new and interesting ways to feed the animals. \

Take a Closer Look
Before students visit the Racine Zoo, have them choose an animal that they plan to observe. While at the Zoo, students will visit their animal and fill out this observation sheet.

1. Guess how much your animal weighs (in pounds).______________
If it has a tail, guess the length of the tail (in feet)._________________

2. How does the animal move from place to place?__________________________
How many arms does it have?________________________________________
How many legs?___________________________________________________
How many wings?_________________________________________________

3. Watch your animal for 10 minutes. Make tally marks to show how often it does the following:
A. Walks ______________________________
B. Runs _______________________________
C. Lies down __________________________
D. Eats _______________________________
E. Drinks _____________________________
F. Grooms itself ________________________
G. Grooms another animal ________________
H. Makes a sound _______________________
I. Yawns _____________________________
J. Looks at people______________________

4. If there are several animals in a group, can you tell which ones are the leaders? How can you tell?__________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________

5. What kind of body covering does the animal have (scales, fur, etc) ____________________________________________________
What color is the body?_________________________________
What color is the face? _________________________________
Any patterns or markings? ______________________________

6. What color are the eyes?________________________________
Are the eyes large or small?______________________________
Are the eyes on top of the head, on the side of the head, or facing to the front? ______________________________________________________________

7. Describe the ears.________________________________________________

8. Describe any sounds made by the animal. _____________________________ _______________________________________________________________

9. How is the animal like you?_________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________
How is it different? _______________________________________________

Zoo Professionals Great with the Careers at the Zoo program
Have students research what it takes to obtain a career in the zoological field. Remind them there are a variety of different jobs available such as an animal welfare (zookeepers, veterinarians), education department, facilities (groundskeepers, horticulturists, maintenance), administration (marketing/special events, admissions), just to name a few. Zoo work is not always fun and games, nor does it always deal directly with animals. However, most of the work does require physical strength and endurance, the ability to make detailed observations, make quick decisions and keep detailed records. It takes an incredible commitment to care for captive animals and maintain a recreational facility, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, rain or shine. Some helpful websites are: http://www.aazk.org/ & http://www.aza.org/

Zoo Supporters Great with Suitcase for Survival program
Have students create a slogan and design a poster or ad campaign promoting conservation. An example could be "Conservation: A Job for Everyone." Furthermore, students may brainstorm a list of some conservation projects that could be done at school, then make a plan and take action!