Posts Tagged ‘education programs’

May
04

May: Story Safari at the Houston Zoo!

Posted by in Featured,Fun on grounds,Public Programs

Yay, its May! As much as we enjoyed April’s stories, its time for a new book here at Story Safari in the Children’s Zoo’s butterfly stage. Beginning May 6th 2012 – May 19th 2012 we will be reading an awesome sing-along storybook titled The Boy on the Bus by Penny Dale at 10:30AM and 11:00AM.

The boy on this bus drives round and round- but who wants to ride on the bus? Trust us, its not who you’d expect! Hop on board as a very crowded bus full of furry feathery friends oink, quack, and cluck their way through the countryside, in this new version of a classic sing-along!

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Apr
07

April: Story Safari at the Houston Zoo!

Posted by in Events,Featured,Fun on grounds,Public Programs

We’ll be making a whole lot of wonderful noises this month during Story Safari at the Children’s Zoo’s butterfly stage with a new favorite book titled Mr. Brown can Moo! Can you? By Dr. Seuss. We’ll be reading this classic book everyday beginning April 8th through April 21st at 10:30:00AM and 11:00:00AM.

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr. Seuss

Oh, the things Mr. Brown can do! Join us as we listen to the talented Mr. Brown show us all that he can do. Did you know “Mr. Brown is so smart he can even do this: he can even make a noise like a goldfish kiss!… pip!”? Come show us all the wonderful noise you can make during Story Safari at the Children’s Zoo’s Butterfly Stage! Note: Adults might need aspirin after this. :-)

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Mar
16

March: Story Safari at the Houston Zoo!

Posted by in Animal Fun Facts,Animal Information,Events,Featured,Fun on grounds

Spring break is upon us and it has been busy, busy, busy here at the Houston Zoo! We’ve seen a lot of new faces at Story Safari just in the last few days. We’ve also had some animal guest appearances during our 11:00AM Story Safari! The only one we’re missing is you, so please come join us during Story Safari at 10:30AM and 11:00AM everyday at the Children’s Zoo’s Butterfly Stage. From now until March 25th 2012 we will be reading a new book titled Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems.

 

Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

Leonardo is a terrible monster – terrible at being a monster that is! He’s just not as scary as any of the other monsters and he’s even a little bit cute! Leonardo is determined to scare someone so he looks for the perfect victim, a nervous little boy named Sam. When Leonardo sneaks up on his unsuspecting victim, will he be able to scare the tuna salad out of him? Don’t be a scaredy-cat; join us for Story Safari to find out!

 

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Feb
10

February: Story Safari at the Houston Zoo!

Posted by in Events,Featured,Fun on grounds,Public Programs,Uncategorized

February – the love month!- is finally here and it has brought a lot of lovely new books for us to read with you and your family during Story Safari in the Houston Zoo’s Butterfly Stage. We will be reading two different books per month this year. Because February is all about love and friendship, for the next couple of weeks, Bennett and Viviana will read a sweet story about a worrisome squirrel who discovers his “perfect” friend.

To learn more about the Houston Zoo storytellers click here!

Scaredy Squirrel Makes A Friend by Melanie Watt
 
The book is called Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend by Melanie Watt. It will be read every day for two weeks at 10:30AM and 11:00AM during Story Safari at the Houston Zoo’s Butterfly Stage. So be our perfect friend and join us for this nutty story!
 

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Dec
05

December: Story Safari at the Houston Zoo!

Posted by in Animal Fun Facts,Classes/Programs,Featured,Fun on grounds,Public Programs

December is here and you know what that means? It’s time to bundle up with a new story at Story Safari in the Houston Zoo’s Children’s Zoo. Join us every day at 10:30AM and 11:00AM at the Butterfly Stage to listen to this month’s book: “Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed” by Mo Willems.   

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

I know when you think of cold weather the last thing on your mind is naked mole rats. Some of you may even ask yourself “What in the world is a naked mole rat?” That’s all okay because for this story “You only need to know three things: 1. They are a little bit rat. 2. They are a little bit mole. 3. They are all naked. All except Wilbur…” Want to find out why Wilbur likes clothes so much? Well join us for Story Safari to find out! (hey, maybe he’s cold!)

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Nov
25

What Does an Education Specialist Do? Part III

Posted by in Classes/Programs,Education Office

Ever wonder what an Education Specialist at the Houston Zoo does on a daily basis? You may remember being introduced to all the specialists in earlier posts and we all gave you our own description of what we do around here. Well, in this series I’m going to take you through a day (or three) in the life of an Education Specialist!

So, you now have an idea of the types of classes we teach as Education Specialists. We are not always in the classroom or going to schools. Sometimes we use nature as our classroom!

 

Marine Seining

One of the FREE (yes, I said free!)  programs we offer is a field research trip to Texas City Prairie Preserve. During the school year 3 specialists go to the preserve and lead activities such as marine seining, water quality testing, and insect sweeping with different age groups. During marine seining, the kids go out in the water with a net and try to catch whatever they can. This is usually their favorite activity because they like to get in the water. They catch all kinds of aquatic life such as crabs, different kinds of fish, and tons of shrimp!

 

Testing for salinity

 

My favorite activity to teach at Texas City is water quality testing. I take my group down to the gazebo and we talk about why water quality is important to animals and us too! We do pH and dissolved oxygen tests. We also test for salinity, turbidity, and take the temperature. All important tests when collecting water quality data.

 

 

 

We like to wrap up the day by teaching the group the Attwater’s prairie chicken dance. The male prairie chicken does a mating dance to attract a female. The kids think this is hilarious but it is actually a really important piece of the prairie chicken’s survival.

So, now you know what an Education Specialist at the Houston Zoo actually does. It is a very exciting and rewarding occupation. I feel very fortunate to be able to share the knowledge and experience I have with kids all over! I hope you enjoyed reading this blog series. Stay tuned to see what happens next in the life of an Education Specialist!

 

 

 

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Nov
18

What Does an Education Specialist Do? Part II

Posted by in Classes/Programs,Education Office,Zoomobile

Ever wonder what an Education Specialist at the Houston Zoo does on a daily basis? You may remember being introduced to all the specialists in earlier posts and we all gave you our own description of what we do around here. Well, in this series I’m going to take you through a day (or three) in the life of an Education Specialist!

Amy Barnhill on a Zoomobile with an American Alligator

 

In the last blog I was teaching an Adventure Class. Today I am going on a Zoomobile! What is a Zoomobile you might ask? Well, it is a class (similar to an Adventure Class) but instead of the participants coming to the Zoo, the Zoo comes to them! We bring biofacts and live animals to the interactive learning experience. We have done Zoomobiles for all different ages, from Pre-K groups to seniors. Everybody loves to learn about animals, no matter what the age!

 

Sometimes the table isn't big enough for all the Biofacts!

Since I am traveling to a school for the class, I need to pack ahead of time. I strategically place my biofacts in a plastic bin trying to fit everything I need in a small space. Once I ‘m packed it’s time to pick up the animals from the Children’s Zoo. I load up the animals in the Zoomobile and head out. After arriving at the school I am escorted to my classroom where I set up my table. The kids come in and it’s show time!

 

 

Sometimes a Zoomobile can take you away from the Zoo for hours. I have had plenty where I come back, return the animals to the Children’s Zoo, walk back to the Brown Education Center, unpack my biofacts, and it is time to go home!  It is always an adventure whether you are teaching at the Zoo or traveling to a school.

Stayed tuned next week to see what else an Education Specialist does other than teach classes…

 

 

 

 

 

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Nov
11

What Does an Education Specialist Do?

Posted by in Classes/Programs

Ever wonder what an Education Specialist at the Houston Zoo does on a daily basis? You may remember being introduced to all the specialists in earlier posts and we all gave you our own description of what we do around here. Well, in this series I’m going to take you through a day (or three) in the life of an Education Specialist!

North American Porcupine

So, on this particular day I am scheduled for an Adventure Class. This is my favorite class to teach because I can bring all the “cool” biofacts.  Not that they all aren’t cool, but I can bring the really big, impressive mounts and skulls. This particular Adventure Class’s topic is Survival Gear. We are talking about animal adaptations! AND not only can I bring the “cool” biofacts, but I also am bringing 3 live Education program animals!

Once the students arrive, it’s go time! I have 45 minutes to make them all experts on adaptation. The kids are always excited to see and talk about animals, which is what make my job so wonderful!
 
After it all said and done I clean up my classroom, take the animals back to the Children’s Zoo, and go back to the “behind the scenes” portion of my job. This could include anything from meetings to writing camp curriculum.
 
Stayed tuned next week to find out what it is like to go on a Zoomobile with an Education Specialist…
 
 

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Sep
06

Target Title I Scholarship Now Available!

Posted by in Classes/Programs

Are you a Title I school in the Houston area? Are you looking for a fun and unique learning experience for your students? Well, look no further!  Thanks to a generous donation from Target, the Houston Zoo is offering free on grounds education classes!

The Target Title I Scholarship is available for any Title I school in the Houston area. The Scholarship includes a class in the Houston Zoo’s Brown Education Center, admission to the Zoo for the participating students, and if needed transportation.

Each education class provides a fun, interactive learning experience that includes biofacts such as animal skins, skulls, and mounts. Also, the students will get a chance to meet an Education Animal Ambassador!

So, don’t wait! Get your application in soon, scholarship funds go fast!

 

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Jul
31

Leading and Loving Tours

Posted by in Classes/Programs,Featured

The staff got to feed meerkats on our tour training; on Sunday I led a group on the same tour!

I got to lead my first tours this week.  They’re proving to be more than enjoyable for the guests; they are fun for me, too!

Our tours now include a 30 minute front of scenes tour before we head behind the scenes.  This part is my responsibility.  The cool part of this (for me, at least) is that our tours are small groups.  With a maximum number of 6 for most tours, this allows for a more personal experience.  It can be a bit more conversation and a bit less lesson than some of our other classes.  It’s especially fun when people have a lot of questions, since this means I can tailor their tour based on their interests.

As part of our training, the Education Staff got to experience all the exciting parts of a tour as one of our guests would.  That way, we would know what to expect.  It also means that the temptation to participate is less.  My job once we’re behind the scenes is to play escort.  I shut doors, make sure that everyone knows and follows the rules, and anything else the keeper needs from me.  I don’t get to do the fun stuff, but that’s okay.  I’ve done it once before.

On Sunday, I led a Meerkat tour (and feeding!) for a group of six.  On Thursday it was Rhinos behind the scenes for two.  (It was a surprise birthday present for the woman on the tour; she was so excited!)  Everyone was pleased and seemed to have a great time.  I can’t wait to see where I’m headed next!

Do YOU want to experience one of our tours?  You can find out more about them at our website: www.houstonzoo.org/tours.  We’ve also got a handy calendar, so you can see which amazing animal areas are offered on each day of the week!

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