A live animal program is a great add-on to an Aquarium or Wildlife Gallery experience. Groups may also schedule a live animal program as a stand-alone field trip option. Due to time constraints these programs are not available in conjunction with the full Wonders of Wildlife tour.
Live Animal EdVenture + Activities (20 – 80 Students)
$5 per student/$3 per chaperone
Meet some of the WOW Animal Ambassadors and introduce or expand your students’ knowledge with hands-on activity stations. This program is designed to meet the Missouri curriculum standards and you will choose your topic based on your students’ grade.
Includes:
- 90 minutes in the education classrooms (75 minutes for kindergarten)
- 3 to 4 live animals
- 2 hands-on activities
- Please note: 1 chaperone per 8 students required; max of 20 chaperones
Topic Choices:
Kindergarten – Staying Alive: All living things need food, water, and shelter to survive. Get up close and personal with some of our animal ambassadors as we learn about the many things plants, animals, and even YOU need to survive!
1st Grade – Growing Pains: All living things go through a life cycle. Some animals look just like their parents while others do not. Come learn and explore the many similarities and differences between young plants and animals and their parents!
2nd Grade – National Parks: National Parks are some of the United States greatest treasures. We will learn about some of our most popular national parks, who influenced the creation of national parks, and meet some animals that live there!
3rd – 4th Grade – Creature Features: Ever wonder how animals survive in freezing cold temperatures or scorching hot temperatures? Animals look and behave in different ways which help them survive in extremely different environments. Meet some of our animal ambassadors and learn about their extraordinary adaptations and extreme senses!
5th – 8th Grade – Pass the Energy: Patterns of energy exist in all types of ecosystems. Each living thing is linked up and has a purpose. Learn about how energy is passed through different organisms that live right here in the Ozarks!
9th – 12th Grade – Dynamic Ecosystems/Ecology: Ecosystems around the globe are delicately balanced and can be disrupted by many different factors. This program offers high school students a look into the study of ecology through live animal encounters and in depth activities.
1st – 5th Grade – Discovering Nature with Lewis and Clark: In a time without telephones and internet, explorers used journals to document what plants, animals and geological wonders they discovered. Learn about the many contributions Lewis and Clark made as they explored the new territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase.
1st – 5th Grade – Show Me Wildlife: The forests, caves, prairies and rivers of Missouri host some of the worlds most diverse wildlife. Take a trip through Missouri’s habitats and discover some of the animals that live in the Show Me State.
Live Animal EdVenture (35 – 150 Students)
$3 per student/$3 per chaperone
All living things need four basic things to survive, food, water, shelter, and space. During this program, students will get up close and personal with our WOW animal ambassadors as we learn about what animals need to survive and how they thrive in certain habitats using unique adaptations.
Includes:
- 45 minutes in the education classrooms
- 3 to 4 live animals
- Please note: 1 chaperone per 8 students required; max of 20 chaperones
K – 4th Grade
- Describe what plants and animals need to survive Identify the basic characteristics of living things
- Understand that not all plants and animals need the same things to survive.
- Describe how animals have many shapes, sizes, coverings and colors to help them survive.
5th – 8th Grade
- Understand the interactions among plants and animals in different ecosystems.
- Describe biotic and abiotic factors within an ecosystem.
- Understand how matter moves among plants and animals and how that energy was once from the sun.
9th – 12th Grade
- Describe how organisms interact with biotic and abiotic factors within their environment to obtain energy.
- Understand that changing conditions within an ecosystem may result in new ecosystem dynamics.
- Understand that animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival and growth.
Select groups may qualify for financial aid or scholarships