| Zoos |
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| Helping Your Child Learn Science |
Almost all children enjoy a trip to the zoo. We can use zoos to encourage our child's interest in the natural world and to introduce children to the many fascinating forms of life.
- Guessing games can help your child understand structure
and function. "Why do you think the seal has
flippers?" (The seal uses flippers to swim through
the water.) "Why do you think the gibbons have such
long and muscular arms?" (Their arms help them swing
through the trees.) "Why does the armadillo have a
head that looks like it's covered with armor, as well as
a body that's covered with small, bony plates?" (The
armor and the small, bony plates protect it from being
attacked by predators.) "Why is the snake the same
brown color as the ground on which it spends most of its
time?" (As snakes evolved, the brown ones didn't get
eaten as quickly.) As your children mature, they will
understand more complex answers to these questions.
- Children can learn about organization by seeing related animals. Have them compare the sizes, leg shapes, feet, ears, claws, feathers, or scales of various creatures. Ask them, "Does the lion look like a regular cat?" "How are they the same?" "Does the gorilla look like the baboon?"
Here are a few suggestions to help make your visit worthwhile:
Discuss expectations with your children ahead of time. What do they think they'll find at the zoo? Very young or insecure children may go to the zoo with a more positive attitude if they are assured that it has food stands, water fountains, and bathrooms.
Don't try to see everything in one visit. Zoos are such busy places that they can overwhelm youngsters, particularly preschoolers and those in primary grades.
Try to visit zoos at off times or hours (in winter, for example, or very early on a Saturday morning). This provides some peace and quiet and gives children unobstructed views of the animals.
Look for special exhibits and facilities for children, such as "family learning labs" or petting zoos. Here, children can touch and examine animals and engage in projects specially designed for them. For example, at the HERPlab (derived from the word herpetology) at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., visitors can learn about reptiles and amphibians by doing everything from assembling a turtle skeleton to locating the different parts of a snake.
Plan follow-up activities and projects. A child who particularly liked the flamingos and ducks may enjoy building a bird house for the back yard. One who liked the mud turtle may enjoy using a margarine tub as a base to a papier-mâché turtle.
Courtesy of Education Publications Center
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