Year 7 Science students headed to Melbourne Zoo on Wednesday, 18 May as an introduction to their new Classification unit. Students were able to observe a broad range of animal species and witness the true diversity that is found in nature. The students had a class with the Zoo educators, who brought the topic of classification to life with some help from some animal friends; our classes had the opportunity to observe meerkats, lemurs, otters and squirrel monkeys in action. The students got to see the behavioural and structural adaptations that enabled these species to live in their habitats. During the Zoo classes, the students also had the opportunity to identify various ‘biofacts’ (artefacts including bones, skulls and teeth from different animals) and to determine the animals based on their features. They did a wonderful job collaborating and sharing ideas to identify the different animal species.
"I had an amazing time at the Melbourne Zoo today. I was so happy I could go off with my group to see different animals that interest me. It was a great way to build up my independence. I really enjoyed learning about the primate lemur because I learned so many interesting new facts about this fascinating creature. Like how they are the oldest living primates, they open up their arms in the sun so they can warm up, and how they strangely like to out stink each other! Overall, I had a very fun and educational time at the Melbourne Zoo excursion."
