Zoo Trip Tips

by Lucy Pope, TWO Advisory Council

I recently took a group of first graders to the zoo. It was a marvelously successful trip, and made me think again of the advice I used to give teachers when I was a zoo educator years ago. Here are some of the strategies that I have found helpful.

Planning

Plan your trip carefully in advance. If possible, preview it yourself before taking your class. Exhibits do change. Contact the zoo well before you go. Some zoos have pre-visit ticket purchase plans that can save money. Ask about hours, fees (including whether chaperones are free, and if there is a charge for parking), planned exhibit changes, eating arrangements if necessary (including where you can eat in the rain), and anything else you can think of. DonÕt be shy about the questions you ask, because you may be surprised. For example, if some members of your group have zoo memberships with guest privileges, they may or may not be able to use them when going in an organized school group.

Chaperones

Be sure to plan to bring enough adults to comfortably chaperone your group. It is not a bad idea to give these people some very specific guidelines. For example, we ask parents not to buy their own children special treats or souvenirs while they are group chaperones. You might think that this was self-evident, but past experience demonstrates the contrary.

Tours

Some zoos have docents (trained volunteer teachers) who are knowledgeable about the exhibits. If contacted in advance, they may be available to give your group a tour. Often they will design the tour according to your wishes reflecting whatever theme you want. It is not necessary to have a tour to have a very successful trip, but some people might want to avail themselves of this service. Be warned, however, not all docents are equal. You may not always get one that handles your age group just right.

Scheduling

Spring is an exceptionally popular time to visit the zoo in many places. It may be difficult to get a tour unless you sign up months in advance. Some zoos also have teachers who will give your class a lesson usually for an additional fee. Zoos are often inundated by school groups at the end of the school year, particularly if the weather is nice. If you can, plan your trip for times when the zoo is less crowded. The winter is often a very good time. Also most zoos are open in inclement weather and many have indoor exhibits as well. Dress properly and go. You may have the zoo to yourself.

The most successful trips that I have been involved in have been relatively short in duration and focused on a particular theme. Too often one sees groups from schools that go to the zoo with no focus and stay until everyone is completely exhausted. The trip is seen as a field day rather than as educational opportunity. Class preparation may have been limited to telling the children what to do if they get lost. Children need to know the schedule, that there are bathrooms available, and what to expect before they go. It helps them feel comfortable in the environment and able to participate without unnecessary anxiety. A recent study about field trips actually revealed that this kind of trip preparation was the most essential preparation for a successful trip, more important than academic preparation. Children remembered more about the content of the trip if they werenÕt worrying about the physical situation. If you provide both, their experience will be even better.

Curriculum Ties

Ideally, you want to relate the zoo experience to something you are studying in school. For example, you might be studying endangered species. Your zoo trip would then focus on those exhibits, and not try to see everything else. In fact, because zoos often have many endangered species exhibits, you might pick just a few to concentrate on. My suggestion would be to pick ones that differ from each other in various ways. Suppose your class is studying Australia, you might only go to the exhibits of Australian animals. Again the children will benefit if you have done considerable class preparation ahead of time. This is what we did with our first graders last week. You may be very surprised at how long children want to spend at an exhibit when they know something about what they are seeing. We spent at least 20 minutes in front of one kangaroo enclosure and the kangaroos were not active. For wiggley first graders, thatÕs quite a long time. For older children, they could spend a much longer time especially if they were concentrating on behavior, physical adaptations, or other concepts. They would need to know what they were looking for in advance, and have an organized way of recording it. Middle school youngsters could even spend their entire trip at just one exhibit. A theme of some sort gives the trip much more meaning. Having the trip be a logical extension of something you are studying really helps too, and it will still be a very enjoyable outing.

As for the length of time one should spend at the zoo, I have found that two hours is about the maximum amount of time one can spend before people begin to get really tired. This actually seems to be true for all age groups. However, some groups can do more and some less. Whatever the right amount of time for your group, it is important to leave before exhaustion sets in. The children will remember the trip with more pleasure and so will the adults.

Zoos can be an important educational resources, and in recent years, most of them have taken on this responsibility with a great seriousness of purpose. Because of their popularity with the general public, they are an excellent vehicle for informing and involving people in environmental issues. Use them well and as often as you can to enrich your teaching.

Lucy teaches at the Chestnut Hill Academy in Philadelphia.

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