What do Zoos Do?Read an overview describing some important aspect of zoos.
Visit the beautiful San Diego Zoo, one of the most well-respected zoos in the United States.
The Process
In order to get your team ready for this quest, you will all need to visit and explore the following group of sites. This will ensure that you all have similar background information about zoos before you split up into roles.
Read an overview describing some important aspect of zoos.
Now that you have all explored these sites, you are ready to take on your individual roles. It is very important that you take your job seriously, because no two roles are alike. This means that no one else in your group will have the opportunity to visit your sites.
The roles are:
Animal Rights Expert - fights for humane treatment of animals
Zoo Evaluator - evaluates zoo operation
Zoologist - studies animals and the way they live
Habitat Expert - expert in proper habitats for animals
You should take notes on each site you visit in your role. This will help you to answer each of your role questions. Write your answers on a notecard and keep all of your cards in your "Top Secret" file which will be provided by your teacher. Later, you will share these files with your group members in order to make some important planning decisions.
Click on the role you were assigned and follow the directions you find on your page. Good luck!
Share Your Info
Now that you have had a chance to take on a role, it time to come together and share what you have learned with your group members. Your group should discuss each major issue that was read about during this web quest. It is each individual members job to share their findings with the rest of the group. Even if you are a shy person, you must remember that your team cannot have a complete, effective discussion without YOUR input!
Don't worry if you don't agree with the opinions of other members in your group. The point of the discussion is to get all of your thought and feelings out into the open. Here are some questions to help you start your discussion. What is the most important thing you can share about your role? Are zoos necessary? What are the purposes of zoos? Do zoos really help the endangered animals? How can zoos be negative for animals? How can they be positive? Once you have thought about these questions it is up to you to evaluate everything you have discussed and answer the BIG question: In reference to zoos, is there a way to make everyone happy (animal rights activists, zoologists, habitat experts, zoo evaluators, AND animals)? Express your ideas. What things would be necessary to make this happen?
Create Your Own Zoo
Before coming back together as a class, it might be helpful for your group to complete the Cyber Tiger interactive habitat activity. We really think you will love this web site. It is a lot of fun!
Once each group has completed this brief activity, it is the job of your class to create a zoo that addresses the concerns of each role represented in this web quest. Each group will design an aspect of the final project. Your teacher will tell you what part of the zoo your group is responsible for creating (this might be a specific animal exhibit, a habitat area, the overall design of the zoo, etc.) Once you are given your assignment, visit The Virtual Zoo and check out any information that you feel might help you with your section of the class project.
The class needs to create some kind of visual representation of the zoo (poster, 3-D model, map, etc.) This can include pictures of each part of the zoo. Each group should also create a report describing their section of the zoo. Each report will be combined to create one class report. The only requirement for each section is that you follow the guidelines below and choose a category that best fits the needs of your zoo (see the table below). The final decisions are all up to you. Good luck!
General Rules
The objective of any zoo is to conserve the wildlife and no zoo shall do anything contradictory to the objective.
Every zoo must have a wall that surrounds the entire zoo and is at least two meters tall.
The zoo operator should create and maintain a healthy liiving area in the zoo by planting trees, flowers, and grass.
All of the designed habitats should ensure the safety of the animals, visitors, and workers.
It is the responsibility of the zoo to create an environment for the animals that is as close as possible to their natural habitat.
Every zoo should have all of the neccessary veterinary services including a hospital, equipment, and supplies.
The zoo must also provide the visitor with bathrooms, drinking fountains, and information centers.
Table
The following table is designed to show you different types of zoos and to help you choose what size zoo you would like to create.
| Category of the Zoo | Large | Medium | Small | Mini |
| Area of the zoo in acres | More than 185 acres | 125-185 acres | 50-125 acres | Less than 50 acres |
| Number of Animals Exhibited | More than 750 | 500-750 | 200-499 | 200 |
| Animals variety exhibited | More than 75 | 50-75 | 20-49 | 20 |
| Number of endangered species exhibited | More than 15 | 10-15 | 5-9 | Less than 5 |
| Annual attendance of visitors per year | More than 750,000 | 500,000-750,000 | 200,000-500,000 | Less than 200,000 |
| This information came from Recognition of Zoo Rules. | ||||
Some Questions to Consider
What are you going to name your zoo?
What animals are you going to have at your zoo?
Which endangered species will you exhibit?
Where are you going to get your animals from?
How are you going to build your zoo?
Where is your zoo going to be located?
What kind of climate does each animal need?
What is each habitat going to look like?