SCHOOL CLASSES
From storytime to live animal encounters to dissection classes or even wild careers, the Memphis Zoo makes teaching easier for you by offering these special classes during your
field trip!
Courses run approximately one hour, and are $2 per person (unless otherwise noted). View all of our classes below, listed by grade level:
Pre-K/K,
Grades 1-2,
3-6, or
7-12.
Our edZOOcation courses meet
Tennessee, Arkansas and
Mississippi state standards. One chaperone/teacher per 10 students may attend at no charge with a minimum number of 15 paying participants.
If you have a specific topic in mind that is not listed below for your grade level, please contact the Education department, and our educators can develop a program to fit your specific
curriculum needs. You provide the topic: we'll develop the program.
Can't bring your class to the Zoo? Bring the Zoo to you with our Wildlife on Wheels program.
Pre-K/K
- Polar Prowl
- 30-minute class
- Pre/Post Activities
- From polar bears to eagles to seals and sea lions, learn about these fascinating creatures in this interactive class!
Who’s Home In The Barn? 30-minute class Pre/Post Activities Barnyard
basics with a “wild” twist. Explore which animals are a farmer’s friend
and which animals are uninvited guests. Meet these animals up close and
discover why they are important on the farm.
Panda Tales* 30-minute class Pre/Post Activities Come explore fascinating China and its famous ambassador, the giant pandas, through storytelling!
Meet An Animal 30-minute class
(no animal touching in "Meet a Reptile") Pre/Post Activities -- Meet a Mammal Pre/Post Activities -- Meet a Bird Pre/Post Activities -- Meet a Reptile Get
up close and personal with a bird, reptile or mammal! Help your
students develop a better understanding of one of these animal groups
through careful observation.
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Grades 1-2Bears, Bears, Bears, Oh My!* Pre/Post Activities What is a giant panda? Prepare to explore how these beautiful animals are alike and different when compared to red pandas and other bears.
Navigating the Northwest Pre/Post Activities Journey to the Northwest as we discover the wildlife and Native Americans that reside in this magnificent part of North America.
Animals Have Class Pre/Post Activities
Fur,
feathers, skin and scales! Explore how scientists group animals and
investigate how body coverings enable animals to survive in their
habitats.
Native Neighbors Pre/Post Activities-
Even though some can be noisy and messy, we need wildlife in our neighborhoods. Join us as we learn why.
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For grades 3-6
- Asian Adaptations*
- Pre/Post Activities
- Learn about Asian animals while discovering some amazing animal adaptations.
Northwest Survival Pre/Post Activities Discover
how the wildlife and Native Americans of the Northwest have been
influenced throughout history and how each has managed to survive.
The Living Desert Pre/Post Activities Turn
up the heat and prepare to explore the living desert! Find out how
amazing adaptations help plants and animals survive in such a harsh
environment. This class will reveal why it’s cool to be hot!
Rainforest Adventures Pre/Post Activities Through
interactive activities, amazing biofacts and real rainforest animals,
students will be transported to the rainforests of the world. Students
will explore the reasons this important ecosystem is threatened and
ways to help save it.
Eat Or Be Eaten Pre/Post Activities What’s
for lunch? Explore the ways that animals are linked together in an
intricate web of life. Examine animal skulls and meet live animals as
they demonstrate the predator/prey relationship.
Owls Eat WHOO Pre/Post Activities $3.50 per student (In addition to gate admission) Take a closer look at owls and owl pellets as we discover "whoo" they hunt.
(top)
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For grades 7-12
- Properties of Matter
Pre/Post Activities
How
do temperature, density, volume and buoyancy effect animals? Come to
this new exciting class and learn how “properties” matter at the Zoo!
- Endangered Species
Pre/Post Activities
How
do genetic diversity, invasive species and bushmeat impact endangered
wildlife? Explore these issues and learn how you can make a difference.
- Birds of Prey
Pre/Post Activities
Sharp
talons, keen eyesight and hooked beaks are characteristics of a bird of
prey. These fabulous fliers play an important role in the ecosystem.
Owls, vultures and hawks are used to demonstrate these awesome
adaptations.
- Spineless Wonders
Pre/Post Activities
Expose
your students to the fascinating world of arthropods. Learn how
spiders, insects and many other arthropods function in their diverse
environments.
- Wild Careers
Pre/Post Activities
Have
you ever wanted to know about different careers in the zoo community?
Education, accounting, nutrition, research and animal husbandry are
just a few of the exciting and wild careers we will explore in this
class.
- Animal Anatomy and Dissection (3 to choose from)
Each dissection class ends with up-close encounters of our live animal ambassadors to enhance the learning experience.
Each class is 1 hour in length.
- Mammal or Amphibian
$5 per student (In addition to gate admission)
Pre/Post Activities-- Frog Anatomy
Pre/Post Activities -- Rat Anatomy
This
dissection class will focus on the skeletal system, circulatory system,
digestive system and animal senses. Included in the class is
information on differences and similarities between human anatomy and
specimen.
- Cow Eye
Pre/Post Activities
$3 per student (in addition to gate admission) Two,
eight, forty or more are the number of eyes some creatures use to
survive. Students will explore the uniqueness and function of different
animal eyes through dissection. - For Grades 1 to 12
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*Scholarships
Macy’s, the Memphis Zoo’s Giant Panda Conservation/Education Partner, is sponsoring a limited number of scholarships for Title One schools to attend panda classes. For information, please call (901) 333-6765.
TO REGISTER
Call (901) 333-6765 to register for classes.
E-mail educationinfo@memphiszoo.org with questions.