The Enrichment Workshop is a classroom curriculum, combined with a zoo visit, which emphasizes animal behavior. The 1/2-hour workshop uses the immersion technique and gives students the opportunity to put their new understanding of animal behavior to practical use. This workshop has both pre- and post-visit classroom activities (listed below) which can be adjusted for the appropriate age level. These activities are designed to enhance each student's knowledge of the topic to be covered.
Lesson Preparation:
One sheet of paper and crayons or pencil for each student.
Teacher-Guided Questions:
What do you like to do at home?
What do you like to do on the weekend?
What kind of exercise do you do?
What activities do you enjoy the most?
Lesson:
Give each student a blank piece of paper and ask each of them to draw his/her picture in the middle of the paper. Now, ask them to imagine what they would do if they didn't have all of the things that keep us occupied (books, games, toys, computers, TVs, other people, etc.). Explain that all of those things are enrichment for us. Just like people, animals like to have things to keep them busy, too. Different animals enjoy different enrichments, just like different people will like different activities or hobbies. Now, have the students draw some of their favorite enrichments in their pictures to show what they like. Tell them that they will help to make enrichments for some of the zoo animals on their visit to Lion Country Safari.
Lesson Preparation:
Design a daily/weekly calendar for students to list their activities schedule.
Teacher Guided Questions:
What classes do you have during the day?
What activities are you involved in after school?
What things do you do at night?
What activities do you enjoy the most?
Which activities are physical and which are mentally stimulating?
Lesson:
Students should be able to list all their activities for the previous day/week. Have the students circle the activities they favor. These activities provide stimulation for them. Similarly, animals need stimulation to remain both physically and mentally active. Have the students separate their favorable activities list into physical activities and mental activities. Ask students how these lists relate to animals and their care.
Lesson Preparation:
Gather natural history information on different types of animals and how they interpret the environment using their senses. Collect pictures of different animals to present to the students.
Teacher Guided Questions:
What different senses do animals have?
Why do animals have senses?
Do some animals have better senses than others? For example, which senses are more important to a snake? A lion? A parrot? A dog?
Lesson:
Present the students with a variety of animal pictures or have them think of different animals (reptiles, mammals, birds, amphibians, fish...) for examples. Have the students write down the animals notable senses and how the animals use them. What enrichments would stimulate these animals to increase their activity levels? Compare different animals with their suggested enrichments. Would all the animals be stimulated by the same enrichments?
