Teaching Sequence

10 minutes	Part A: Setting Some Ground Rules
20 minutes	Part B: Exploring Zoos And Animal Welfare
10 minutes	Part C: Being An Animal In The Zoo
15 minutes	Part D: Imagining Animals At The Zoo
05 minutes	Reflection

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

Preparation:

Distribute a copy of the Learning Journal to each student and explain that students can use this journal to record any thoughts or wonderings they have about the lessons in this unit. Encourage students to use ‘I wonder’ when recording questions: posing the questions as ‘I wonder’ questions removes the suggestion that there is a correct answer to these questions and allows students the opportunity to think broadly about what they think. You can then use these questions to guide further inquiry with students about these questions by asking:

Where could I go with this? How could this question guide further inquiry?
Can I tie some of these questions together? How?
How might I transform this question into meaningful learning for my students?

Part A: Setting Some Ground Rules

Explain that because many of the things you will be discussing in this lesson are based on our personal experiences and histories, it's a good idea to set some ground rules for sharing. Consider the following:

Own your ideas by using 'I think' rather than 'you should'
Respect each other by remembering that each person has their own beliefs and values and their own worldviews, experiences and opinions
Each person has a right to contribute their ideas, so listen politely
Be brave in sharing your ideas, experiences, and opinions
Consider the privacy of your classmates and appreciate that everyone has the right to uphold their privacy; this might mean they don’t want to share their ideas or experiences on an issue
Share feedback in a way that is considerate and positive: remember to be kind, helpful and specific when providing feedback:

Part B: Exploring Zoos And Animal Welfare

Step 1.

Begin this lesson by inviting students to participate in a 'Stand On The Line' barometer activity on three statements about animals and zoos.

Read the following statements to students (some discussion points have been suggested):

Animals are important to me.
Discussion points: Why are animals important to you? Which animals are most important to you?
All animals deserve to be looked after and cared for.
Discussion points: What about birds, insects, and fish – should we also be looking after these animals? Do you have any animals that you care for? How do you do this? What do these animals need to be happy and healthy? Suggest to students that all animals need food, water and shelter to live, but for an animal to be happy they need more, including companions, places to roam and move, and activities like playing or hunting.
Zoos are places that can look after animals.
Discussion points: Have you ever been to a zoo? If so, how did the animals behave and what were the conditions like? Have you ever met a zookeeper and if so what were these people like?

As students stand on the line for the final point, invite them to explain their position by posing the following questions:

I wonder if animals are happy in zoos?
I wonder how we would know if they were happy?
I wonder if animals in zoos need the same things as animals in the wild?
I wonder what zookeepers can do to help animals be happy and healthy in their enclosures?

Record students' answers on the board. You could also invite students to think of some of their own ‘I wonder’ questions and to record these in their journals.

Through your discussion, explain to students that all these questions relate to the topic of animal welfare. Share the following definition of animal welfare with students (source):

Step 2.

Explain to students that they will now be participating in a guided discussion around a clip that talks about the idea of animal welfare in order to help them understand how we can think about animal welfare and why it is important. Play the following clip:

Exploring Animal Welfare (https://youtu.be/QTG7YPW_gM)

Allow students to watch the clip through once uninterrupted. You can watch it a second time, pausing the clip in places in order to ask questions about what students are seeing in the clip.

Guided discussion:

Stop the video at the points listed below and use the related questions to stimulate discussion (some suggested answers, discussion points and questions also provided).

Start the video at 1:03 -

1:20 - What are the three elements of animal welfare described here?
Suggested answer: 1. animals not being stressed or worried 2. animals having enough food, water and shelter and 3. access to vet treatment, if needed.
2:16 - Animal welfare is about understanding the experience of each and every individual and making sure that experience is as amazing as it could be. What do you think, feel or wonder about this statement?
2:43 - What is the challenge of keeping animals in the zoo (e.g. reptiles)? Why do you think this might be important?
Suggested answer: Making sure animals are physically and mentally challenged like they would be in the wild. This is important because we want animals to have an amazing experience in the zoo, and we want them to have a good life.
3:00 - Is keeping a pet the same as keeping an animal in the zoo? How might it be similar and how might it be different?
Suggested answers: Both types of animals mostly rely on humans for food, water and shelter. Both zoo animals and pets are bred to live around humans and in an enclosed environment. Both pets have been bred (mostly) to have more gentle temperaments, while many zoo animals are still considered wild even though they are not in the wild. You couldn’t release a pet or a zoo animal into the wild without that animal suffering - neither type of animal has been bred to live in the wild.
3:40 - Consider this quote: "Animals and interactions with animals make us better humans." Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Why? How does this relate to zoos?
4:26 - What do you think it means when we talk about a zoo animal 'thriving' in their environment?
Suggested answer: This means these animals appear to be mentally and physically healthy and happy and are growing well.
5:20 - What are some things the reptile house keepers have been doing to keep the animals happy and healthy?
Suggested answer: Swim gym, hanging food/tree feeder.
End - Consider this quote: "Never be comfortable with the care you are giving your animals." What do you think about this quote and why?

Step 3.

Ask students to reflect on what they found surprising, interesting or important about this clip through a class discussion. You can record student ideas on the board.

In addition, allow students time to record any ‘I wonder’ questions they have about this video in their learning journals.

Part C: Being An Animal In The Zoo

Explain to students that they are now going to imagine what it is like to be an animal in the zoo, and to think about what the good bits might be and what the bad bits might be, especially when compared to an animal living in the wild.

Create a table on the board with three columns and label them according to the sample below:

Good bits	Bad bits	Not sure
Not having to find own food	Not getting to eat the things you like the best

Invite students to suggest points for each column. As you add something to one column, try to work out with students if this point has an opposing position, as in the table above.

As you work with students to add ideas to the table, invite them to consider the following points:

Being watched by people – being observed all the time, having people check on your health and give you medical care if you need, never having privacy
Being in an enclosure rather than being in the wild – think about not being able to roam your usual territory, not being in the climate you might normally be in, not being in danger from human behaviour or predators
Having your mate chosen for you – not having to compete for a mate, not having a choice about your partner
Not having to find your own food and water – not having access to seasonal treats, not having access to the food might normally eat, always getting a meal, always having access to water.

Through your discussion, explain to students that not all animals respond to living in a zoo in the same way. As seen in the clip, some animals – like meerkats, lemurs, and giant tortoises – thrive. However, there are others who never completely adjust to a life in captivity, for example, tigers, wolves, polar bears, and cetaceans.

Part D: Imagining Animals At The Zoo

Explain to students that they will now think of one animal at the zoo that they would like to see and to imagine what kind of enclosure they would create for this animal and how they would make sure this animal stays happy and healthy. Encourage students to think about the physical, social and emotional needs of their animal.

Younger students differentiation – Use the following flashcards to assist students in designing their enclosures:

Older students differentiation – Older students can undertake research in the library or online to find out the following:

What is the animal's natural habitat?
What does the animal like to eat and how do they source their food?
What shelter would this animal normally need?
What climate does the animal live in?
Does the animal live independently or in groups?
What is the size of the area they would normally roam?
Any other information about this animal that is interesting or important

Invite students to create a drawing of their enclosure that addresses the good and bad bits about animals living in the zoo identified in Part C.

Once complete, students can share their drawings with other students in pairs or small groups. Students can provide feedback on each other's drawings, remembering to be kind, helpful and specific when giving feedback. Possible prompt questions for feedback could include:

How does this enclosure meet the physical, social and emotional needs of the animal?
Is it possible to build this enclosure in a zoo? Why or why not?

Consider using free 3D modelling software such as sketchup or invite students to create a model of their enclosures using recycled materials to extend students' learning.

Reflection

Depending on age or ability you could engage students in a class discussion on the following prompts or to work independently to record their responses to these prompts in their Learning Journals:

Thinking about zoos and animals:

I used to think…
But now I think…

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Fighting Extinction - Tuning In to Zoos

Go to

Summary

Learning intentions:

Students will...

Success criteria:

Students can...

Lesson guides and printables

Lesson Details

Skills

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

Additional Info

In this lesson