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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

A Virtual Scavenger Hunt At The Zoo!

Students will go on a scavenger hunt at the San Diego Zoo to find current information concerning the zoo.

A lesson plan for grade 5 Information Skills and Science

By Ann Jenkins

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Learning outcomes

Goals:

To involve the Internet user in visiting locations on the Internet to acquire the requested information
Objectives:
To learn a variety of interesting facts about a zoo and the animals while using Internet navigational skills to search a distant zoo web site for the information.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

35 minutes

Materials/resources

Pen or pencil
Printed Scavenger Hunt for students or show students how to open two web browsers so questions show in one window beside window of San Diego website.

Technology resources

Computer lab for class Internet access and a Web browser

URL for San Diego Zoo
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/

Pre-activities

Basic navigation skills for web browser (Netscape Navigator)

Activities

Directions: To find the requested information below, visit the website for (The San Diego Zoo).

  1. Teacher leads the whole class in navigating the website to get close to the answer to question #1, without identifying the exact answer on the page. Teacher tells class that the first to find the answer is to shout BINGO. (optional) - Student wins a prize! (Prize could be extra computer time.)
  2. Teacher directs class to continue at own speed to find answers to the remaining questions (in any order).
  3. Teacher calls time and asks students who found the answer to a certain question (in random order of questions). Students will shout bingo or raise hands. Student might demonstrate or explain to classmates how to get to that information at the zoo site. (Optional- Students win prizes which reinforce finding information on the Internet.)

Scavenger Hunt Questions

  1. What are the names of the three giant pandas at The San Diego Zoo?
  2. On what date did the Panda, Bai Yun, give birth to her cub?
  3. What is the name of the baby Panda at the San Diego Zoo?
  4. Is Shi Shi a male or female Panda?
  5. What does Bai Yun mean in Chinese?
  6. How much did the panda, Hua Mei, weigh at birth?
  7. What is the natural habitat of wild giant pandas?
  8. The Gorilla Tropics exhibit is a simulation of what natural habitat?
  9. What is distinctive about the hairstyle of a Pygmy Chimpanzee?
  10. How did “sun bears” get their name?
  11. What is the name of the only known living relative to the giraffe? (Hint: You can visit it in the Ituri Forest exhibit at the zoo.)
  12. The hippopotamus lives in the Ituri Forest exhibit at the zoo. How many toes does a hippo have on each foot?
  13. What kinds of animals live in the zoo’s Scripps Aviary?
  14. What is the name of the narrow snouted crocodile that lives along the Tiger River exhibit at the zoo?

Assessment

  • Correct answers to scavenger hunt.
  • Time on task (Excitement demonstrated in finding facts).
  • Ease in “peer teaching” how to move around web pages to get to the information.
  • Positive attitude about using Internet to visit a site such as a distant zoo
  • Positive attitude (interest and excitement) about up to date animal information found at zoo.

Supplemental information

None

Related websites

The San Diego Zoo
http://www.sandiegozoo.org/
Electronic Zoo
http://www.dogpile.com/info.dogpl/dog/results?otmpl=dog/webresults.htm&qcat=web&qkw=Electronic+Zoo&top=1&start=&ver=16561

Eaton Elementary’s website (click CURRICULUM LINKS)
http://www.nhcs.k12.nc.us/eaton

St. Louis Zoo
http://www.stlzoo.org/home.asp

Comments

The fifth grade students I worked with loved this activity. They felt confident navigating web pages knowing the back button would return them to their starting place. They loved showing peers how to find information at a site if they found the answer first. They had so much fun while they were using skills to skim, scan text, and make critical thinking decisions concerning which hypertext to click next to get the needed information.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Information Skills (2000)

Grade 5

  • Goal 2: The learner will IDENTIFY and USE criteria for excellence to evaluate information and formats.
  • Goal 4: The learner will EXPLORE and USE research processes to meet information needs.
    • Objective 4.03: Develop a search strategy which includes the continuous evaluation of the research process and the information gathered.

Science (2005)

Grade 5

  • Goal 1: The learner will conduct investigations to build an understanding of the interdependence of plants and animals.
    • Objective 1.03: Explain why an ecosystem can support a variety of organisms.