PROJECT DESIGN: OVERVIEW

Name of Project: Animal Toys: Zoo Enrichment Design Duration: 4 weeks

Subject: Science Teacher(s): Jakil Hill­Turner Grade Level: 5th Other subject areas to be included, if any: N/A Design Team: Sheila Zhang and Sarah Kelley

Significant Content Key Knowledge and Skills derived from CCSS and/or other standards/scope and sequence

Concepts: Understandings about scientific inquiry and the ability to conduct inquiry are essential for living in the 21st

century. (Grade 5: Embedded Inquiry­ Conceptual Strand) A rich variety of complex organisms have developed in response to a continually changing environment.

(Grade 5: Life Science: Standard 5: Biodiversity and Change) Instincts are unlearned tendencies that organisms innately have to make certain responses to their

environments in order to survive. Animals in human care have the same instincts as their wild counterparts and need to exhibit those

instincts in order to remain psychologically and physically healthy. Standards:

GLE 0507.Inq.3 Organize data into appropriate tables, graphs, drawings, or diagrams. (Week 4) GLE 0507.T/E.1 Describe how tools, technology, and inventions help to answer questions and solve

problems. (Week 4) GLE 0507.T/E.3 Identify appropriate materials, tools, and machines that can extend or enhance the

ability to solve a specified problem. (Week 3) GLE 0507.5.1 Investigate physical characteristics associated with different groups of animals.

(Weeks 1­4)

Big Questions:

What is the difference between “instinct” and “learned behavior?” Why is it important that animals have an outlet for their natural instincts? What steps do zookeepers take to design enrichment activities/objects? What variables determine what enrichment activities/objects are best for an animal? How can revision help us create a better final enrichment program?

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

Learning Goals:

Explain and identify the differences between instinctual and learned behavior Explain and identify types of animal enrichment programs. Think critically about the relationship between enrichment programs and animal behaviors. Gain experience designing creative enrichment activities/objects with attention to research. Gain experience testing and revising enrichment programs. Gain experience collaborating effectively with group members, zookeepers, and teachers to achieve the

desired goals.

21st Century Competencies To be taught and assessed

Critical Thinking Taught through the use of research to produce, reflect on, and revise solutions to the design problem Assessed through project journals, blueprints, enrichment activities/objects , revised activities/objects,

design memo, and final poster/presentation Collaboration:

Taught through group work, peer­editing opportunities, and relationships with zookeeping community Assessed through emails, coherence of final product, poster/presentation and peer­editing work

Communication: Taught through group work, relationships with zookeeping community, peer­editing opportunities,

presentations, project journals, and design memos Assessed through feedback from zookeeping community, peer­editing work, presentations, project

journals, design memos, and final product Creativity:

Taught through examples of successful enrichment strategies, structured brainstorming activity, class discussion, and opportunity to create unique enrichment

Assessed through project journals, poster presentations, and final products.

Project Summary Include student role, issue, problem or challenge, action taken, and purpose

Student groups will be tasked with creating an “enrichment” program for one animal at the Nashville Zoo. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums defines enrichment as “a dynamic process for enhancing animal environments within the context of the animals’ behavioral biology and natural history” and “Environmental changes (that) are made with the goal of increasing the animal’s behavioral choices and drawing out their species­appropriate behaviors, thus enhancing animal welfare.” (Association of Zoos and Aquariums, 2014) Student groups will each collaborate with one zookeeper who cares for their chosen animal at the Nashville Zoo in order to create three enrichment ideas: two objects and one activity­ that respond to the animal’s needs by providing him/her with an outlet for his/her natural instincts. Students will then observe their animals interacting with the enrichment they have created, record their success or opportunities for improvement, revise their enrichment programs and repeat the study. Students will then report findings back to the class and the zookeeper community through a poster presentation and receive feedback for their projects.

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

Driving Question: Challenging Problem or Question(s)

How can animal caretakers provide opportunities for the animals in their care to show their wild instincts?

Literacy Connection

­ Week 1, Day 3: Students research their chosen animals using the internet as well as a curated collection of books.

­ Throughout the project: zookeeper mentors and students are encouraged to engage in using expert language, or language used by experts in the field. Zookeepers, teachers, and students will create a culture of using these words correctly in context to describe their work. (ex. enrichment, husbandry, AZA (the Association of Zoos and Aquariums), human care, puzzle feeder, etc.)

­ Throughout the project: Written assignments in the form of project journals, memos, class activities, and posters are woven throughout the four weeks.

­ Throughout the project: Students will regularly write to and read professional email correspondence from their zookeeper mentors. In this way, they will gain experience using professional and academic language and distinguishing it from casual language.

Teacher Preparation ­ Contact the Nashville Zoo to ask for zookeeper mentor participation and send an organized and detailed schedule for participating zookeepers:

­ Education Team: education@nashvillezoo.org ­ School Group Visits & Field Trips: fieldtrips@nashvillezoo.org

­ Meet with zookeeper mentors before the project begins to: ­ Describe and answer questions about your student population so that they have a general idea of the

students’ prior knowledge ­ Acquire a samples of “expert language,” such as a list of vocabulary words and phrases, that

students can use in order to truly access the zookeeper community (ex. enrichment, husbandry, AZA (the Association of Zoos and Aquariums), human care, etc.)

­ Encourage zookeepers to introduce those words and phrases to the students and use them in context.

*Note: As the zookeeping staff is ultimately responsible for the health and safety of the animals, all decisionmaking about enrichment items must be approved by them before implementation. A positive, respectful, and professional relationship with the zookeeping staff is absolutely vital to this project’s success.

­ Notify media center/library/literary specialist that you will need help with resources about animals for Week 1, Wednesday’s research activity.

­ Begin collecting products for students to use in their enrichment programs: milk cartons, cardboard, recyclables, etc.

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

­ Advertise Certification party to the community Entry Event Students will enter into their science classroom on the first day to find fun puzzles and objects on their desks (silly

putty, objects with candy hidden inside, bubble wrap, play doh, slinkys, puzzles, moon sand, baby toys, music instruments, rubix cubes, etc.) Their directions are to stay at their desks and keep conversation at Level 2. After 3 minutes or so, a zookeeper from the Nashville Zoo will come to the class to talk about her job, explain enrichment, and discuss why animals need it by connecting back to the “enrichment” just given to the students. Either 1.) the zookeeper will bring a small “education animal” and some enrichment with her from the zoo to show the students how animals interact with enrichment (Note: usually education animals are small “pet” animals like tortoises, rabbits, etc.) OR 2.) Students will split into groups and each will be assigned a video from one of the categories below with very little information. They will write notes about what is going on in the video and answer the questions below in their project journals, then report back to the class. The class will then share and debrief. Questions for each group:

What are an animal’s “instincts?” What animal was receiving enrichment in the video you watched? What did the enrichment look like? What senses did the animal use to interact with the enrichment? What instincts did the object or activity help the animal to use?

Videos: Enrichment day at the Nashville Zoo and explanation of enrichment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOP1hWXT31s Unusual Smells and Foods: *uses senses of smell and taste Lynx enrichment at the Nashville Zoo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImkdoTewHqA Bat enrichment at the Nashville Zoo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI7g369rUe0 Enrichment Toys: *uses senses of sight, touch, and hearing Cougar enrichment at the Nashville Zoo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6npj6LWMw4 Hidden Food: *uses senses of sight, touch and taste Meerkat enrichment at the Nashville Zoo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdSHhxNsshM Puzzle Feeders: *uses senses of sight, touch, and hearing Red River hog enrichment at the Nashville Zoo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVF75WNlzG0

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

Giraffe enrichment at the Nashville Zoo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CAQGha5xRE Baths: *uses sense of touch Elephant enrichment/caretaking at the Nashville Zoo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5rY0cc6psc Farm animal enrichment at the Nashville Zoo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGtfXSEDp50 Valentine’s day enrichment at the Nashville Zoo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbYVxaeZlf4

Products (throughout unit and/or culminating unit)

Individual: Specific content and competencies to be assessed: Project Journal­ Each student will keep track of her/his designs, interviews, notes, and observations in a project journal.

GLE 0507.Inq.3­ Organize data into appropriate tables, graphs, drawings, or diagrams. GLE 0507.T/E.1­ Describe how tools, technology, and inventions help to answer questions and solve problems.

Team: Specific content and competencies to be assessed: Enrichment Program: Teams will choose one animal at the Nashville Zoo and create three (3) activities or objects that respond to the animal’s enrichment needs. One of the three products should be an activity and two of the three products should be an object. Each team’s enrichment program will be tested, reflected upon, revised, and re­tested during the course of the project.

GLE 0507.T/E.3­ Identify appropriate materials, tools, and machines that can extend or enhance the ability to solve a specified problem. GLE 0507.5.1­ Investigate physical characteristics associated with different groups of animals.

Preliminary Blueprint: Teams will submit a first blueprint of their proposed program. For objects, they will provide a sketch of the object they will build/alter. For activities, they will provide a sketch of their chosen animal’s enclosure and how they will set up enrichment materials in the space.

GLE 0507.T/E.3­ Identify appropriate materials, tools, and machines that can extend or enhance the ability to solve a specified problem. GLE 0507.T/E.1­ Describe how tools, technology, and inventions help to answer questions and solve problems.

Final Blueprint: Teams will submit a final blueprint of their program before assembling objects and

GLE 0507.T/E.3­ Identify appropriate materials, tools,

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

activities. For objects, they will provide a sketch of the object they will build/alter. For activities, they will provide a sketch of their chosen animal’s enclosure and how they will set up enrichment materials in the space. Students must have approval of their assigned zookeeper mentor and teacher before building and implementing their programs.

and machines that can extend or enhance the ability to solve a specified problem. GLE 0507.Inq.3­ Organize data into appropriate tables, graphs, drawings, or diagrams. GLE 0507.T/E.1­ Describe how tools, technology, and inventions help to answer questions and solve problems.

Project Memo: After their first observation, groups will produce a memo concerning opportunities for improvement and new ideas to address those challenges in the form of a graphic organizer.

GLE 0507.Inq.3­ Organize data into appropriate tables, graphs, drawings, or diagrams. GLE 0507.5.1­ Investigate physical characteristics associated with different groups of animals.

Poster/Presentation: Teams will present a poster and verbal presentation at the conclusion of the project to the zookeeper and McKissack communities detailing what they have accomplished, observed, and learned.

GLE 0507.Inq.3­ Organize data into appropriate tables, graphs, drawings, or diagrams. GLE 0507.T/E.1­ Describe how tools, technology, and inventions help to answer questions and solve problems. GLE 0507.5.1­ Investigate physical characteristics associated with different groups of animals.

Public Audience Experts, audiences or product users students will engage with during/at end of project

Public Audience: Nashville Zoo Zookeepers, all interested community members Private Audience: Science classes, science teachers, and parents at McKissack Middle Prep

Resources Needed On site people, facilities:

Science lab/classroom Gymnasium or outdoor space

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

Equipment: Enough computers for each group to work simultaneously Projector Videotaping equipment or devices

Materials:

Items for Entry Event (silly putty, objects with candy hidden inside, bubble wrap, play doh, slinkys, puzzles, moon sand, baby toys, music instruments, rubix cube)

Various materials (mostly recyclables, such as milk cartons, cardboard, etc.) to create enrichment objects. Students will create a list of materials they need and come up with plans to acquire them.

One Project Journal notebook per student Animal profiles provided by the zookeeper mentors (Name of animal, likes/dislikes, age, etc.­ JUST

information about that specific animal, not about the species) Paper for various class activities Poster paper for various class presentations Printed copies of worksheets listed in the Appendix Markers/crayons/colored pencils One (final) poster per group Various craft supplies Painters/masking tape Stickie notes “Jr. Zookeeper” certificates for final certification party Optional: food, drink, party supplies

Community Resources:

Zookeepers who are willing to act as mentors for a group of students, helping them to create, test, revise, and present an enrichment program

Exhibits/animals at the Nashville Zoo in which to test enrichment items

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

Reflection and Revision Individual, Team, and/or Whole Class (such as journal, whole class discussion, or peer feedback)

Students will observe their chosen animals interacting with the enrichment they have created, record their success or opportunities for improvement, revise their enrichment programs and repeat the study. Students will then report findings back to the class and the zookeeper community through a poster presentation and receive feedback throughout and at the conclusion of the design process.

Week 1

Content Focus: What is the difference between instinctual behavior and learned behavior? What is the definition and significance of animal enrichment? What does animal enrichment look like? What makes “good” enrichment vs. “poor” enrichment? Project Progress: Students will learn the definitions of instincts, learned behavior, and enrichment. Students will choose an animal for their project and interview the animal’s assigned zookeeper at the Nashville Zoo. Students will research the animal they have chosen and begin to think critically about what makes a good enrichment program. Materials: Entry Event “enrichment” items (See Entry Event description above,) computers, projectors, paper, markers/colored pencils/crayons, project journals, individual animal profiles provided by zookeeper mentors, enough poster paper for each group to have two sheets, project journals, stickie notes

Weekly Plan

Day Activity/Lesson Function Description

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

M What are instincts?

­ Students will define and distinguish between “instinct” and “learned behavior”

­ Teacher will be able to gage her students’ prior knowledge about the content area

Definition Brainstorming: Students work in table groups to hypothesize a definition for “instincts”

and “learned behavior” on sticky notes. They stick their completed notes in the front of the room. Students browse other groups’ answers and revise their own answers.

[Teacher Tips:] By this point in the semester, students may have already learned this content. The purpose of this activity, then, is to prepare students to make connections between what they have learned in previous classes and content application in the project context. Project Journal: Teacher and students work together to combine their answers into communal, accurate definitions of “instinct” and “learned behavior” Instinct/Learned Behavior Game:

Teacher gives the following examples of behaviors and table groups quietly debate over whether that behavior is instinctual or learned behavior.

Groups report their hypotheses back to the class and the teacher gives the correct answer. (Keep score if you want to!)

Six Clips: (Play the first five seconds of each; clips continue onto next page) A parrot talking (learned behavior) A fish swimming (instinct) A dolphin jumping through a hoop (learned behavior) A newborn baby sucking her thumb (instinct) A bear hibernating (instinct) A racoon looking for food in a trash can (learned behavior)

T Entry Event ­ Intro to PBL unit ­ Students define and give

examples of enrichment

(See “Entry Event” section in introduction to unit)

W Research and Instagram Activity

­ Groups choose an animal for their project

­ Students practice internet and book research skills at their school library

Project Assignment: Groups are assigned to one Nashville Zoo zookeeper who will act as their “zookeeper mentor” and will choose their target animal from the animals that their zookeeper mentor oversees (and offers).

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

­ Students map out their learning trajectory through the KWL project journal task

­ Students will research and present information about the animal they have chosen

Project Journal: Groups fill out the first two columns of a “K­W­L” on their animal, which will eventually indicate what they KNEW before the project, what they WANT to know, and what they have learned. (The chart can have three columns with each letter at the top. At this phase, students will only fill out the “K” and “W” columns.) Research and Instagram Activity:

Students move to the library, where any books on their animals as well as computers have been set aside for their use.

Students use books and www.nashvillezoo.org to research their chosen animal.

Students identify 5 new facts about their animal that are relevant to their project (i.e. What the animal likes to eat, instincts, etc.)

Students draw and color a picture of the animal’s imaginary Instagram feed and somehow represent those 5 facts in their sketch.

Group members discuss their new understandings of the animal with each other.

Groups present their Instagram pictures and findings to the class [Teacher Tips:] To make the Instagram Activity more dynamic, the teacher could also revise the logistics of the presentation. Instead of showing the imaginary Instagram feed directly to the class, students could take turns hanging their Instagram feed inside of a big outline of a cellphone on the whiteboard or a poster­board at the front of the classroom. As each group finishes their presentation, other students could add sticky notes to the feed with “likes” symbols or “comments”.

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

Th Pre­Project Activity: Email Drafts

­ Students develop collaboration and communication skills through email workshop

Email Etiquette Lesson and Interview: Teacher gives the contact information (email address) of the zookeepers

to different groups and a short mini­lesson on professional email etiquette.

Students receive a profile of the actual animal they are designing for­ his/her name, what he/she likes and dislikes, how he/she spends the day)

With the help of a checklist provided by the the teacher, groups summarize the information they need to get from their zookeeper mentor before they start designing enrichment for their chosen animal.

Groups write down their questions in an email draft. Teacher collects and assists on revising the email drafts. After the teacher’s approval, group members send out the emails to zookeepers.

F Critical Review of Enrichment

­ Further familiarization with enrichment

­ Students identify factors that make good enrichment items and poor enrichment items

­ Critical thinking around and problematization of certain types of enrichment for certain animals through project journal task. What makes good enrichment for my chosen animal? What makes poor enrichment for my chosen animal?

Introductory Video: What makes good enrichment? Video from Science North Enrichment Evaluation Activity and Project Journal Entry:

The teacher arranges the enrichment objects that the students saw in the project’s entry activity on different tables. Each of these tables operates as a station.

Students walk from station to station to observe and play with the enrichment objects again, looking at them through the lens of the animals they have chosen.

Students answer the following questions: Is this a useful enrichment item for our animal? Why or why not? How

would our chosen animal probably interact with this object? Is this a safe enrichment item for our animal? Why or why not? How could I improve this item so that it could be useful for our animal’s

enrichment? (After reviewing all of the items)

Which of the items that we observed would be best for our animal? Which would be the worst?

What characteristics would make good enrichment for our animal? What characteristics would make poor enrichment for our animal?

Groups share their evaluations with the class. The class creates a poster of challenges they need to consider when working on their enrichment programs.

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

Week 2

Content Focus: How can I provide opportunities for animals to show their wild instincts in human care? What are the challenges in this task? What are the design, revision, and production processes of effective enrichment items and activities? Project Progress: Students will brainstorm and create blueprints of their designs, receive feedback from the zookeeper mentors and their peers, and redesign their ideas to account for the feedback they have received. Materials: Computers, projector, project journals, poster paper, colored pencils/markers/crayons, stickie notes

Weekly Plan

Day Activity/Lesson Function Description

M Practice Enrichment Day

­ Students practice designing enrichment items

­ Students identify factors they need to keep in mind when designing enrichment

­ Students practice giving and receiving feedback on their designs

Tiger Enrichment Project: Students are separated into design groups, given various craft supplies

and assigned the task of representing an enrichment program for tigers on a poster paper.

On the poster and/or in the presentation, students should creatively represent their answers to the following questions:

How will you explain the words “animal enrichment” to your friends?

What are some examples of animal enrichment? Why is animal enrichment important? What are three instincts that tigers have? How do your enrichment items allow tigers to use those

instincts? Draw a picture of your enrichment items/activities on the poster What materials would you need to create this enrichment?

Students present their ideas to the class and receive feedback from their peers. Is it realistic? Is it safe? Does it help the tiger to use her natural instincts? [Teacher Tips:]

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

Make sure that students know to indicate both the advantages and disadvantages of the enrichment program when giving feedback to their peers as this is a key part of seeing and evaluating programs with a critical lens.

T Blueprint Introduction, Email Review, and Initial Brainstorming

­ Students learn the definition, function, and benefits of blueprints.

­ Students practice internet research skills

­ Students are given a detailed and clear overview of the requirements for the final product of the project

­ Students work from feedback given by experts to begin the brainstorming process

Teacher presents one sample of a blueprint through class projector. Project Journal: Students individually answer then share with their groups their responses to the following questions:

What is a blueprint? (definition) How are blueprints used? (function)

Then, acting as the class researcher, one student takes control of the computer. Students raise their hands to contribute different keywords for searching the answers for the above two questions. The class researcher chooses several keywords, types them into a search engine, and shows the research results through projector. The whole class chooses 1­2 search results to read together. After coming to a communal definition and understanding of blueprints, the teacher outlines the process students will use to design blueprints for their project. Blueprints will include descriptions of the object’s/activity’s purpose.

Activity blueprints will be a scaled drawing of the animal’s exhibit indicating where the activity materials will be set up

Object blueprints will be scaled drawings of the objects Project Journal: Students receive the email responses from their assigned zookeeper mentors. Using the research they have conducted and their feedback, students are given 10 minutes (timed!) to produce 10+ ideas for enrichment items for their animal. At this time, students should list­ not blueprint­ their ideas.

W Brainstorming and Blueprints

­ Students gain experience in the brainstorming process

­ Students produce blueprints for their programs

Project Journal: 2 minutes: Students pick the 5 best ideas from their list 10 minutes: Students edit and sketch quick drawings of those 5 ideas 5 minutes: Students pick the best 3 ideas from those 5 ideas 20 minutes: Groups work on preliminary blueprints for their 3 ideas.

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

­ Students submit designs to zookeeper mentors for further feedback

During this process, the teacher visits each group to scaffold and support the brainstorming process. At the end of the class period, students take pictures of their designs and upload them to an email for the zookeeper mentors, including descriptions of their enrichment ideas. Students send emails to zookeeper mentors.

Th Peer Presentation and Feedback

­ Students refine ideas and present to the class

­ Students receive feedback on their designs

Preliminary Presentation and Feedback: Students spend a few minutes working with their team to remind

themselves of their ideas and pick a spokesperson for their group. Students draw their three ideas on poster paper. Each group spends 5 minutes explaining:

Which animal they chose That animal’s instincts Their 3 ideas How those ideas will address the animal’s instincts

And receives feedback and questions from the class. Each student writes down one thing she liked about each group’s

enrichment program and one suggestion she has for their consideration. Each group is given their feedback stickie notes at the end of the

presentation. [Teacher Tips:] Rather than focusing on “what’s wrong” with the designs, the teacher should encourage students to give the other groups specific advice for addressing potential issues. This peer­review process is not only aimed at improving each group’s design, but also at providing students with sufficient chances to develop their problem­solving skills and peer­review etiquette .

F Revision and Redesign

­ Students receive feedback from zookeeper mentors.

­ Students revise designs with regard to zookeeper

Project Journal: Students re­design their products based on feedback from the class and their zookeeper mentors. For each product, they should answer:

What did our zookeeper mentor like? What did she think I could improve? How can I make these improvements?

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

mentors’ and peer feedback

­ Students produce materials lists for their designs

­ Students submit revised designs to zookeepers for final approval

What did my classmates suggest? Do I think that’s a good idea? Why or why not?

and provide a sketch of the new design. Materials Lists: Student groups each create 2 copies of a list of materials they would need to build their designs and give one copy to the teacher. Materials should be VERY low cost, free, or something that the zoo already has. Revision Emails: Students send their revisions to zookeeper mentors.

Week 3

Content Focus: What do I need to take into consideration when building something for an animal? How can I effectively revise my work? What does a biologist or zoologist look for when observing animal behavior? Project Progress: Students will build, test, and evaluate their programs.

Materials: Materials to build enrichment, painter’s tape, project journals, video cameras or videotaping devices for each group to use at the zoo

Weekly Plan

Day Activity/Lesson Function Description

M Production Day 1 ­ Students begin the production process of their first object

Zookeeper Mentor Approval: Students receive the final yes/no on product designs from zookeeper mentors and their teachers and may begin the project when approved. (*Note: As the zookeeping staff is ultimately responsible for the health and safety of the animals, all decisionmaking about enrichment items must be approved by them before implementation. A positive, respectful, and

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

professional relationship with the zookeeping staff is absolutely vital to this project’s success.)

Students work in groups to create one of their enrichment items using items brought from home or by the teacher. This process can be scaffolded by a worksheet or project journal task. Project Journal: If students are “done” with their products early:

Could anything about your product be dangerous to the animal? Does your product look like the blueprint? How could you improve your product? How could you make your

product look more natural, both for the animals and the visitors at the zoo?

How could you make your product more attractive to the animal? (i.e. is your animal attracted to bright colors? Strong smells? Will your animal be scared of such a big, unknown object?)

Did you plan a few alterations that the zookeepers can make if the animal doesn’t seem interested in your object at first?

T Production Day 2 ­Students begin the production process of their activities

Activity Modeling: Class moves to the gymnasium or outdoors where there is more space. Students/teacher mark the exact space of each group’s exhibit with

masking/painters tape and a yardstick in order to see how much room they have.

Students discuss with their design groups the step­by­step directions of the activity.

Students model how their enrichment activity will occur, assigning some students roles as animals and some students roles as zookeepers. The student who acts as the animal should mimic the animal’s traits (ex. for a turtle, move very slowly on four legs, if the activity is to hide food around the exhibit area, one student closes her eyes while the other hides objects in the area.)

Project Journal: Students record observations in their journals:

For the student who acted as the zookeeper: What was difficult about my experience as a zookeeper in this activity? How can I make this activity easier for the zookeeper?

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

For the student who acted as the animal: What was difficult about my experience as an animal in this activity? How can I make this activity better for the animal? (Think: how do my animal’s traits affect the activity?)

What was successful about your activity? What was unsuccessful about your activity? What did you notice about the activity that you didn’t consider before? What should you change about your activity to make it more successful? Write out step­by­step instructions for the zookeepers conducting this

activity. W Production Day 3 ­ Students begin the

production process of their second object.

Students work in groups to create the second enrichment item using items brought from home or by the teacher. This process can be scaffolded by a worksheet or project journal task. Project Journal: If students are “done” with their products early:

Could anything about your product be dangerous to the animal? Does your product look like the blueprint? How could you improve your product? How could you make your

product look more natural, both for the animals and the visitors at the zoo?

How could you make your product more attractive to the animal? (i.e. is your animal attracted to bright colors? Strong smells? Will your animal be scared of such a big, unknown object?)

Did you plan a few alterations that the zookeepers can make if the animal doesn’t seem interested in your object at first?

Th Final Building Day

­ Students refine their enrichment programs and prepare them for testing on Friday!

Students work in groups to finalize their enrichment items/activities using items brought from home or by the teacher. This process can be scaffolded by a worksheet or project journal task. Project Journal: If students are “done” with their products early:

Could anything about your product be dangerous to the animal? Does your product look like the blueprint? How could you improve your product? How could you make your

product look more natural, both for the animals and the visitors at the zoo?

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

How could you make your product more attractive to the animal? (i.e. is your animal attracted to bright colors? Strong smells? Will your animal be scared of such a big, unknown object?)

Did you plan a few alterations that the zookeepers can make if the animal doesn’t seem interested in your object at first?

Then, the teacher invites them to revise their object. F Trip to the Zoo! ­ Students visit the Nashville

Zoo to observe their enrichment items/activities in use.

­ Students have an opportunity to debrief the experience with their zookeeper mentors

­ Students film enrichment sessions for future analysis

Students visit the Nashville Zoo. Student groups meet with their zookeeper mentors, travel to their animals’ exhibit, and observe/film their enrichment items/activities in use. Project Journal: Record any and all observations about the animal’s use of your objects/activities. For each component:

How does the animal interact with your object/activity, if at all? What are some problems you notice? What ideas do you have to solve those problems?

Students meet with zookeeper mentors to debrief, gather their feedback, and brainstorm solutions to problems. [Teacher Tips:] For further scaffolding, the teacher could design a chart or similar graphic organizer with keywords and questions to guide the students’ observations..

Week 4

Content Focus: How can we improve/revise our work to address the challenges we witnessed during our observations? Project Progress: Students analyze preliminary data, receive more peer feedback on their designs, re­design and rebuild their programs to account for feedback, analyze new data, create poster presentations with graphic representations of new data, and present their findings to the community.

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

Materials: Computer, projector, posters (2 per group), paper for design memo, copies of scaffolding worksheet, copies of double bubble map, project journals, craft supplies for posters, party supplies (optional­ food, drink, decorations), “Junior Zookeeper” certificates, feedback forms

Weekly Plan

Day Activity/Lesson Function Description

M Design Memo and Project Improvement

­ Groups reflect on the challenges they observed during their trip to the zoo

­ Students brainstorm practical ways to revise their programs and summarize these ideas in a design memo

­ Students finalize their projects

Project Journal: Students re­watch the video clips that they recorded on Friday. Students

record relevant data from the clips: How long did the animal remain engaged with the enrichment? How often did the animal engage with the enrichment? How many animals interacted with the enrichment in the exhibit?

What is the percentage of animals that interacted with the enrichment?

[Teacher Tips:] These data points will be used in Week 4 (Thursday) to evaluate the animals’ engagement during the enrichment programs and as an opportunity for students to practice expressing data through charts and graphs. During this lesson, the teacher should indicate the purpose of the video­clip data collection so that students are aware of the meaningfulness and importance of accuracy in their task. Group discussion:

Group members take turns sharing the existing/possible problems of their design work based on their observations and the video clips.

Each group member takes notes of the challenges on the left side of her design memo.

Group members brainstorm new ideas to solve these problems. Each group member writes down these solutions on the right side of her

design memo. Students attach their design memos to the Project Journal.

Students work in groups to refine their enrichment projects.

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

Expert Exchange: Each group assigns a “project expert” from their group members who

acts as an expert on their project. Two groups are paired together and exchange project experts. The project expert is responsible for learning how the other group has improved their enrichment, playing their enrichment object/activity, and giving feedback.

Project Experts report back to the group.

T Revision Day ­ Students revise and re­build their objects according to zookeeper mentors’ and peers’ suggestions

­ Student send revisions to zookeeper mentors for reintroduction to the animals

Brainstorm Ideas for Revision: Students are provided with a scaffolding worksheet (see Appendix A)

that will help them to brainstorm and record new revisions to their projects.

Organize Ideas for Revision:

Groups will review feedback from their zookeeper mentors and peers. Groups will 1. choose which of their peers’ suggestions they want to implement and 2. plan ways to implement all suggestions made by their zookeeper mentors and the suggestions they have chosen from peer feedback.

Groups email revision specifications to their zookeepers. Zookeepers will introduce the revised objects and activities to the animals on Wednesday. *Note: As the zookeeping staff is ultimately responsible for the health and safety of the animals, all decisionmaking about enrichment items must be approved by them before implementation. A positive, respectful, and professional relationship with the zookeeping staff is absolutely vital to this project’s success.

W Presentation Preparation

­ Students prepare posters and materials for their project experience.

Project Journal/Group work: Groups create an outline or graphic organizer of their presentation

content. Based on their outline or graphic organizer, group members decide what

materials they want to use for presentation and how to arrange their posters.

Groups finalize their presentation posters. SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

Groups pair up to rehearse their presentations. Groups write “likes” and “opportunities for improvement” in their feedback notes.

[Teacher Tips:] At this point, groups will not have information about how their objects/activities tested after revision, but this should be included in the final presentation.

Th Final Results Analysis

­ Students receive videos of animals interacting with the latest iterations of their designs

­ Students analyze video data

Project Journals: Students watch the video clips of the animals interacting with the revised

designs sent by their zookeeper mentors. Students record relevant data from the clips:

How long did the animal remain engaged with the enrichment? How often did the animal interact with the enrichment? How many animals interacted with the enrichment in the exhibit?

What is the percentage of animals who interacted with the enrichment?

Students create graphic representations of their data (pie chart, bar graph, etc.) with help from teacher

Students update poster presentations with data representations Project Journal/Evaluation Activity: With students now positioned as experts on animal enrichment, student groups will each re­watch one video from the entry activity and answer the following questions:

Describe the enrichment activity/object being used and how the animal is interacting with it.

How is this enrichment program successful? How is this enrichment program in need of improvement? How would I suggest improving this enrichment program?

Students should then copy their ideas onto a poster. F Final Presentation

and Certification Party *Certification party can also be a separate, special

­ Students present their programs, posters, and experiences to a public audience.

Gallery walk: Students should have completed their project journals by this time, which detail their evolving understandings of “enrichment.” On Tuesday of Week 1, students hypothesized the definition of “enrichment” on stickie notes and in their project journals. On Thursday of Week 4, students offered evaluations and suggestions of enrichment programs currently used at the Nashville Zoo.

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

Saturday night event!

To reflect these sections of their Project Journals, the teacher hangs the stickie notes from Week 1 and the posters from Week 4 on the classroom walls. Students, teachers, and other audience members are invited to walk around the classroom to see how much students learned by comparing their thoughts at the beginning of the project to their thoughts at the end of the project. *Note: This event can also take place at the zoo, with each student group/zookeeper mentor setting up a table and poster in front of their animal’s exhibit to explain to passing guests about their projects. Presentation & Feedback:

Groups take turns to present their enrichment programs (with posters on the classroom walls and any enrichment objects they have created).

Each group is given 10 minutes for questions. The audience is invited to give feedback on students’ project

performance via feedback forms provided on the seats. Certification Celebration:

Students receive “Junior Zookeeper” certificates (with signatures of both the teacher and zookeeper mentors) for their excellent project performance.

Students are welcome to dress up and bring their friends. Food, drink, and music are provided.

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

References

Enrichment. (2014). Retrieved from https://www.aza.org/enrichment/

Nashville Zoo. (2015). Retrieved from www.nashvillezoo.org

Nashville Zoo. Nashville Zoo Enrichment Day 2014 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOP1hWXT31s (2014)

Nashville Zoo. Animal Enrichment­ Lynx Training [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImkdoTewHqA (2013)

Nashville Zoo. Animal Enrichment­ Bats [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI7g369rUe0 (2013)

Nashville Zoo. Animal Enrichment­ Cougar [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6npj6LWMw4 (2013)

Nashville Zoo. Meerkat Enrichment [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdSHhxNsshM (2013)

Nashville Zoo. Red River Hog Enrichment [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVF75WNlzG0 (2013)

Nashville Zoo. Animal Enrichment­ Giraffe [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CAQGha5xRE (2013)

Nashville Zoo. Elephant Bathtime [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5rY0cc6psc (2013)

Nashville Zoo. Enrichment at the Farm [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGtfXSEDp50 (2013)

Nashville Zoo. Valentine’s Day Enrichment [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbYVxaeZlf4 (2013)

Science North Science Education Centre. (2014) Cool Science: Animal Enrichment [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywQtyPJCpUQ

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep

Tennessee Department of Education. (2015). Academic Standards for Science. Nashville, TN. Retrieved from

https://www.tn.gov/education/article/science­standards

Appendix A

SOURCE: Buck Institute for Education; ADAPTED: EDUC 6080, Principles of Curriculum Development, Vanderbilt University and McKissack Middle Prep