Zoo Classes for School Groups

Click here for the Spring 2012 Field Trip Guide

From story time to live animal encounters to dissection classes and even wild careers, the Memphis Zoo makes teaching easier for you by offering these special classes during your field trip! All of our “edZOOcation” classes meet Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi state standards.<

Cost:

$3.00 per person for most classes (in addition to gate admission)
$7.00 per person for Dissection classes (in addition to gate admission)
$10.00 per person for Made-to-Order classes (in addition to gate admission)** 
Minimum of 15 paid participants for all classes 
One free chaperone is admitted for every 10 paid students 
Additional chaperones or adults pay regular program cost

Length:

30 minutes for Pre-K/K Classes
45 minutes for all other classes

Classes can be scheduled Monday through Friday throughout the school year at the following times:

• 9:30 a.m.
• 10:30 a.m.
• 11:30 a.m.
• 1:00 p.m. 

You can view all of our classes below, sorted by grade levels:

• Pre-K/K,
• Grades 1-2
• Grades 3-5
• Grades 6-8
• Grades 9-12

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 at 901-333-6600. Our educators can develop a program to fit your specific curriculum needs. You provide the topic: we'll develop the program.

To book a Zoo Class, or for more information, call 901-333-6765. Classes are booked on a first-come, first-served basis and our calendar does fill quickly!

Can't bring your class to the Zoo? Bring the Zoo to you with our Wildlife on Wheels program.

Classes for Pre-K/K

We cannot guarantee that Pre-K/K students will be able to touch live animals. There will be Biofacts (furs, feathers, skulls, etc) available for touching in all Pre-K/K classes.

Dissection classes focus on organ systems within the abdominal and thoracic body cavities. Included in the lesson are discussions regarding similarities and differences between human anatomy and the specimen.

Book and a Beast (NEW!)
Bring literature to life with one of these exciting new storytelling safaris:  Panda Tales, Grizzly Grotto, Wolf Watch, or Polar Prowl.  

Meet an Animal (Reptile, Amphibian, Mammal, Bird)
Students will get up close and personal with your choice of birds, reptiles, mammals, or amphibians. Help your students develop a better understanding of one of these animal groups through careful observation.  

Who’s Home in the Barn?
This class is barnyard basics with a “wild” twist.  Students will explore which animals are a farmer’s friends and which animals are uninvited guests.

Classes for Grades 1-2

Animals Have Class
Fur, feathers, skin, and scales!  This class explores how scientists group animals and investigates how body coverings enable animals to survive in their habitats.  

Bears, Bears, Bears, Oh My!
North, south, east and west, bears are found all over the world.  Travel with us as we explore where they live and what makes each so “beary” special.

Eat or Be Eaten
What’s for lunch? Students will discover the ways that animals are linked together in an intricate web of life. Animal skulls and live animals will demonstrate the predator/prey relationship.  

Growing Up Wild
From kittens to kids, babies don’t always have it easy.  In this class, students will learn about how animals grow up in such a big, wild world.  

Winter in the West
What happens to some animals when it becomes winter time in the West?  Your students will learn how and why some animals migrate, insulate, or hibernate when the temperature drops.

Classes for Grades 3-5

The Dirt on Plants
“Leaf” it to the Zoo to bring the study of plants to life!  Through the lens of a microscope, students will explore a variety of fascinating plant-related topics, including reproduction, photosynthesis, and the important roles that plants play in their ecosystems.  

Endangered Species
Saving our planet seems like a pretty tall order, but even the small things make a big difference.  Join us as we investigate why some animals are endangered and how each of us can do our part to help.  

Expedition Yellowstone
Ever wonder how the West was won? In this class, your students will learn about the three major scientific expeditions that recorded scientific information and provided natural history specimens to the civilized world, effectively putting Yellowstone on the map.  

Junior Ranger
Park Rangers are more than just guides – they are protectors, educators, and detectives, too!  In this class, students become junior rangers as they track Yellowstone’s most elusive creatures by looking at the clues they leave behind.  

Owls Eat Whoo?
Students will take a closer look at owls and owl pellets as we discover "whooo" they hunt.  

Properties of Matter
How do temperature, density, volume, and buoyancy affect animals?  When your students come to this interactive class, they’ll learn how properties matter!  

Rainforest Adventures
Climb the layers of the rainforest to explore the secrets to one of the most diverse, fragile, and uncharted ecosystems in the world.  

Wonderful World of Biomes
From the depths of the oceans, to the tops of the trees, the biomes of the world are as diverse as the flora and fauna found there.  This class explores the places animals call home and the adaptations they need to survive.

Classes for Grades 6-8

Animal Anatomy (choose Mammal Dissection or Amphibian Dissection)
Dissection classes focus on organ systems within the abdominal and thoracic body cavities. Included in the lesson are discussions regarding similarities and differences between human anatomy and the specimen.  

Endangered Species
Saving our planet seems like a pretty tall order, but even the small things make a big difference.  Join us as we investigate why some animals are endangered and how each of us can do our part to help.  

The NanoZoo
The natural world has developed many adaptations that allow species to survive in extreme environments.  Learn about how scientists are meshing nature and science together to provide a template for new developments in nanotechnology. 

Owls Eat Whoo?
Students will take a closer look at owls and owl pellets as we discover "whoo" they hunt.  

Properties of Matter
How do temperature, density, volume and buoyancy effect animals? When your students come to this new exciting class, they’ll learn how “properties” matter at the Zoo!  

Rainforest Adventures
Climb the layers of the rainforest to explore the secrets to one of the most diverse, fragile, and uncharted ecosystems in the world.  

Spineless Wonders
Expose your students to the fascinating world of arthropods.  Learn how spiders, insects and many other inverts function in their diverse environments.  

Why Genetics
Your students will learn why the study of genetics is important, how genetic diversity is lost in the wild, and what zoos are doing to help.  

Yellowstone Redefined
See Yellowstone as the first explorers did—a vast, untamable wilderness full of amazing resources.  Join us as we travel through time to find out how and why Yellowstone has changed and what we are doing to preserve this wild, wondrous treasure.   

The Endangered NanoZoo Challenge (NEW!)
This class is a hands-on project that allows students to research species survival issues and explore biological solutions at the nano level. Take a trip around the world to learn about these unique endangered species and the conservation efforts to help save them!  

Classes for Grades 9-12

Animal Anatomy (choose Mammal Dissection or Amphibian Dissection)
Dissection classes focus on organ systems within the abdominal and thoracic body cavities. Included in the lesson are discussions regarding similarities and differences between human anatomy and the specimen.  

Dynamic Populations
All living things are intricately linked together through relationships and interactions with each other and their environment. This class investigates population dynamics and how stability is maintained within an ecosystem.  

Endangered Species
Saving our planet seems like a pretty tall order, but even the small things make a big difference.  Join us as we investigate why some animals are endangered and how each of us can do our part to help.  

Hands-On Nano
How small is nano, and how big is its importance?  By performing calculations and hands-on experiments, you will uncover the mysteries of nanoscience and how it affects our everyday lives.  

Nanomimicry (NEW!)
What does a cocklebur and dog hair have in common?  The invention of the most famous fastener system called Velcro.  Learn how scientists and inventors are taking inspiration from nature in order to solve human problems and develop human technologies.  

Spineless Wonders
Expose your students to the fascinating world of arthropods. Learn how spiders, insects and many other inverts function in their diverse environments.  

Why Genetics
Your students will learn why the study of genetics is important, how genetic diversity is lost in the wild, and what zoos are doing to help.  

Wild Careers (New & Improved!)
From veterinarians to researchers, wildlife inspectors to educators, animal careers are as wild as this class!  Using hands-on demonstrations, your students will explore all the diverse opportunities the animal world can offer.

The Endangered NanoZoo Challenge (NEW!)
This class is a hands-on project that allows students to research species survival issues and explore biological solutions at the nano level. Take a trip around the world to learn about these unique endangered species and the conservation efforts to help save them!  

Teacher Professional Development Series

5 E’s of Inquiry-Based Teaching (NEW!)
The 5 E’s of inquiry-based teaching represent a paradigm for teaching science that is in step with the way that science is actually done.  It provides a way to select and organize instructional activities that will enable a lesson to unfold a sequence of events, enabling the learner to move from the concrete to the abstract.  

Using Science Notebooks as an Assessment Tool (NEW!)
Science Notebooks provides students with the opportunity to be like real scientists while they are developing and refining their understanding of science concepts.  It also provides students with an understanding of the linkage among reading, writing, mathematics, and communications.  

To Register

Call: (901) 333-6765 
E-mail: educationinfo@memphiszoo.org