Primary Education Kit

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Wild Planet Animal Explorers Stage 1

Classes should be divided into small groups with an adult leader.

Each group will require:

A camera (e.g. iPhone) to record your discoveries

A copy of the exhibition floorplan

Here are some suggested activities you could do with your group in the Wild Planet exhibition.

1. Conversation Starters

There are ten Green Elephant signs around the exhibition. These can be read aloud and used as conversation starters.

2. Touch Stations

Explore the four Touch Stations in Sections A, B and E.

Ask the students to describe and compare each sample. ‘How are they different to each other?’ ‘What do they tell us about each animal?’

3. Activities Try out some of the Animal Explorer activities below!

Activity 1: Comparing Animals and Myself

Look around at all the different types of animals.

1. Find 3 parts or features of animals that you also have (Hint: legs, eyes, ears). Describe how they are similar or different to yours.

2. Find 3 animal features that you do not have (Hint: feathers, wings, tail). What do animals use these features for?

3. If you could have any animal feature, what would you choose? Why?

4. When you reach the Touch Stations, compare the skins, teeth and feet to your own. Are they like yours? Would you like to have one of these skins, teeth or feet?

Activity 2: Animal Size

1. Find two large animals standing on four legs (Look in Section B or E).

2. Measure their length using only your feet – which one is longer?

3. What do animals use their large size for? (hunting, travelling, fighting?)

Activity 3: Body Coverings

Try this activity in Section A, E (aardvark case) or F (burrow)

1. Look at the different types of animals.

2. What sort of body covering does each have e.g. feathers, scales, fur?

3. Use the table below to decide what animal group they belong to.

Body Covering

Animal Group

Hair or fur Mammals

Feathers Birds

Dry scaly skin Reptiles

Smooth moist skin Amphibians

Wet scales and fins Fish

Hard skin or shell (insect, sea star, snail) Invertebrates (no backbone)

Activity 4: Animals Around the World

1. Find out where some of the animals in Wild Planet are from using this map.

North America

South America

Africa

Europe

Asia

Australia

Wild Planet Creature Features Stage 2

Get your team together and try these Wild Planet activities…

Remember to take some photos of your favourite animals.

1. Get hands-on!

Explore the four Touch Stations to investigate animal feet, teeth and real animal body coverings.

2. Start a conversation! Look out for the Green Elephant signs. Read them to find out more about the animals.

3. Do some activities! Use your teamwork to complete the activities below.

Activity 1: All Mixed Up

Animals can be sorted into groups using their body covering.

Try this activity at one end of Wild Planet in either Section A (near the small elephant) or Section F (in the burrow).

Body Covering Animal Group Hair or fur

Mammals

Feathers

Birds

Dry scaly skin

Reptiles

Smooth moist skin

Amphibians

Wet scales and fins

Fish

Hard or shell e.g. insect, snail or Soft-bodied (e.g. slug)

Invertebrates (no backbone)

1. Look at each animal and its body covering.

2. Which animal group do you think it belongs to? Use the table to help you decide.

3. Find an animal from each group.

4. Which group do you belong to?

5. Compare real animal skins at the Touch Stations in Sections A (near the small elephant) and Section E (near the giraffe).

Activity 2: Feature Search

The different parts of an animal – feet, tail, wings – are called its features.

1. Can you find an animal with:

Cat features – a long tail and body, fur, paws (and claws), maybe whiskers. (Look in Section B or E)

Horse features – hooves, mane of hair along its long neck, long face, tail with hair. (Look in Section E)

2. Predators use their features to hunt other animals (prey). Do you think cats or horses are predators? Why? (Hint: Think about what they eat).

Discover more animal features at the teeth and feet Touch Stations (Sections B and E)

Activity 3: Animals Around the World

Use the map to find out where some animals in the exhibition are from.

Activity 4 Challenge Questions

1. Why can’t some birds fly?

Find an emu, penguin or cassowary (Section A, C, E) and try to work out why it can’t fly. (Hint: Compare it with a bird that can fly – size, wings, tail, legs and feet)

2. How can we compare animal sizes with no measuring equipment?

Find two large animals standing on four legs. Compare their length using only your feet.

How could you use your body to measure (or estimate) their height?

North America

South America

Africa

Europe

Asia

Australia

Wild Planet

Animal Super Powers Stage 3

What super powers do you wish you had? Animals have many of these abilities to help them move, catch prey, find food, protect themselves and look after their young.

These survival features are called Adaptations.

Use this map to check where your favourite animals are from.

North America

South America

Africa

Europe

Asia

Australia

Flying Seeing in the dark Invisibility Armour Secret weapons Super strength

3. Take a self-guided tour! Look for the Green Elephant signs.

1. Do some activities!

Look inside for some “Animal Super Powers” Activities.

2. Get hands-on! Explore the four Touch Stations.

Don’t forget to take photos of your favourite animals!

Super Size (Section E - Giraffe)

Super heroes use their size to FIGHT! So do animals, but they also use it for hunting, travelling long distances and protection.

Activities

1. Select two large animals and compare their size. Use your body to measure them. Do you need to estimate height?

2. Why are they so big? (to hunt, fight, run, travel?)

3. What do you think they eat? Use the teeth touch station to help you decide.

Can you find animals that might be their predators or prey?

Night Vision (Section F - burrow)

Nocturnal animals hide by day, and have super powered eyes specially adapted for finding their food at night.

Activities

1. Can you find a nocturnal mammal, bird and insect?

2. Where do they live – in a tree, burrow or den? Why?

3. Is each a predator or prey? How do you know?

Don’t miss the ‘Extinction’ case near the burrow. What extinct animals do you know? Do you recognise any of these animals?

Invisibility (Section A)

Animals can’t disappear like some super heroes, but they can hide by blending into their surroundings using CAMOUFLAGE!

Activities

1. Find two animals that use colour or pattern for camouflage. What might their habitat look like? (to help them ‘disappear’)

2. Find the emus. Why is the chick striped?

3. Think about how other animals use their habitat to blend in at the Body Coverings touch station.

Look in other sections for camouflage patterns, shapes and colours.

Super Strength (Section B)

Like super heroes, animals use their strength to FIGHT, but it also comes in handy for digging up food and moving large obstacles!

Activities

1. Choose two large animals. What is their strength used for? Does it help them find food?

2. Who do you think would win if they battled? Why?

3. Look at the feet touch station. How are they different? Which two feet look like they belong to large, strong animals?

Look in other sections for animals with super strength.

Wings (Section A, C, E)

Animals don’t have a cape, but some have WINGS which they use to fly, reach food, escape predators, travel long distances and stay warm!

Activities

1. Find an emu, penguin or cassowary and try to work out why it can’t fly. (Hint: Compare it with a bird that can fly – compare their size, feathers, wings, legs and feet). How does it travel?

2. Find a flying insect (Section A or D) and compare its wings with your flying bird. What is the difference in the way each flies?

Look in other sections at animal wings (including bats - Section F).

Weapons & Armour (Section E)

Super heroes battle with weapons and shields. Animals use armour (shields) and weapons (claws, teeth, venom) for attack and defence.

Activities

1. Find an animal with a weapon – what is it used for?

2. Find an animal with armour – what does it look like?

3. Find a ‘tooth’ weapon and ‘skin’ armour at the touch stations. Find these two animals - who would win if they battled? Why?

Look in other sections for animals with weapons and armour. Don’t miss the small armoured mammal near the hippo. Where is it from?

Animal Super Powers Activities