World Oceans Day

at

ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

Teachers notes KS 1 & KS 2

This booklet will help you to focus your self guided trail on ocean animals, looking at the adaptations of

the species and focusing in on the problems that are endangering the ocean habitat. It also support your

students in thinking about the things that they can do to help protect these species in the wild.

The World Oceans Day route involves the following animals and are circled on a map on the following

page.

1. Penguins

2. Sea Lions

3. Flamingos

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Flam

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World Oceans Day Trail Worksheets: Teachers Notes KS 1 & KS 2

Below are details of areas of the National Curriculum links that will be covered as part of this trail:

Science KS1 Science KS2

Working Scientifically

-Asking simple questions and recognising that they can be answered in different ways

-using their observations and ideas to suggest answers to questions

-gathering and recording data to help in answering questions

-identifying and classifying

Animals, including humans

-Identify and name a variety of common ani-mals including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals

-Describe and compare the structure of a variety of common animals

Living things & their habitats

-Identify and name a variety of plants and ani-mals in their habitats

-Identify that most living things live in habitats to which they are suited and describe how different habitats provide for the basic needs of different kinds of animals and plants, and how they depend on each other, -Describe how animals obtain their food from plants and other animals, using the idea of a simple food chain

Working scientifically

-asking relevant questions and using different types of scientific enquiries to answer them

-Recording findings using simple scientific language and tables

- Using straightforward scientific evidence to answer questions or to support their findings

Living things and their habitats

-Recognise that living things can be grouped in a variety of ways

-Recognise that environments can change and this can sometimes pose dangers to living things

Animals including humans

-Construct and interpret a variety of food chains

Evolution and inheritance

-Identify how animals and plants are adapted to suit their environment in different ways

Geography KS1

Location Knowledge - Name and locate the worlds five oceans Geographical skills and fieldwork - Use world maps to identify countries, conti-nents and oceans studied at this key stage.

Pre-visit activity

Talk with your students about why they think the ocean is important.

Either individually or as a class, choose an ocean animal and think about why this animal might be

endangered and what could happen if we don’t protect our oceans.

Get the students to create a poster about what you have discussed.

What is ZSL doing to help protect the oceans?

ZSL recognises the importance of improving the management and sustainable use of our oceans as a

resource. ZSL staff participate in a range of different projects to target the problems the are affecting our

oceans. Some of them are listed below:

Project Ocean

Net Works

Angel sharks

Indian Ocean Tiger Sharks

Eel Conservation

Chagos Archipelago

EDGE corals

Fish Nets

Our Sea Our Life

You can find our more information about these projects and others online at:

http://www.zsl.org/conservation/habitats

About Word Oceans Day

World Oceans Day is an annual event that celebrates our oceans. The world’s oceans provide many

functions for us including: regulating our climate, providing oxygen and food, recreation, renewable

energy and livelihoods.

Before your visit to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.

During you visit to ZSL Whipsnade Zoo

Visit Penguins.

Penguin adaptations.

Ask your students to look at the signs around the penguin enclosure, the ‘practical penguin’ sign and

small spinning signs after you enter the gates to penguins give details of penguin adaptations. Students

can pick three from any of these.

Adaptation—a feature which help an animal or plant to survive in its habitat.

Eye—special lens so they can see underwater.

Bill—sharp to catch slippery fish.

Wings—paddle like for moving through the water.

Body—layer of fat for insulation and torpedo shape to glide through water.

Feathers— penguins have 100 downy feathers per square inch for insulation, they have a special

gland by the tail that secrets oil. Spreading this over the feathers makes them waterproof.

Life in the freezer? spinning sign will tell students that only 2 species of penguin live in Antarctica there

are many other places where penguins can be found. This sign will list some places and so will the spe-

cies signs in the enclosures with our penguins.

Below is circled are places where you can find penguins.

The penguin enclosure is divided into two sections, the left hand side enclosure

has rock hopper penguins in, the right hand side enclosure has African Black

footed penguins in.

Species of penguins at Whipsnade Zoo.

African Black footed penguin Rock hopper penguin

IUCN Red list status of the species.

IUCN: Vulnerable IUCN: Endangered

Reason for Species being endangered

Pollutions from oil spills, overfishing and hunted

by seals.

Pollution from oil spills, overfishing and hunted by

seas and sharks.

The spinning signs after you enter the gates can also be used here:

All penguins are legally protected from egg gathering and hunting.

Ocean warming

How can you help penguins

To help with the problem of Overfishing.

This is the Marine Stewardship council logo,

They promote sustainable fishing practices so

Fish with this logo has been caught using methods

which care for the environment.

To help with ocean warming and climate change.

By Unplugging electricals when they are not being used.

Reducing, recycle and reuse.

While at the Flamingos

Which group do flamingo belong to?

Flamingos belong to the vertebrate groups Birds.

All birds have feathers, lay hard shelled eggs and have wings, but not all birds fly like penguins and ostrich.

Why do flamingos need to stand in water?

Flamingos get their food from the water, they feed on tiny animals that live in the water.

If we pollute the rivers how will this affect the flamingos?

Get your students to look through the small water cycle in their answer booklets and encourage a short

discussion with them.

All our waterways are connected so any pollution or rubbish that is put into our rivers will make its way out

into our oceans and affect the animals that use those habitats that it flows through. Chemicals in rivers

could make the flamingos or their food source sick. Rubbish that gets into our rivers could easily end up

drifting across the ocean. Many animals that live in our oceans have eaten plastic by accident as they

confuse it with food.

Fun Fact!

Flamingo chicks are grey! This is because the pink colour of

the feathers comes from the beta carotene in the small ani-

mals they eat.

Visit Sea Lions

What group do sea lions belong to?

Sea Lions are mammal. Mammal are covered in fur, give birth to live young and are warm blooded.

Sea Lion Adaptations.

Great sense of smell, hearing and eyesight. Good to find prey and avoid predators.

Front flippers can be used to support the body on land and to move them through the water.

Nostrils that close when the dive.

Layer of blubber under the skin to help to stay warm in the water.

Sensitive whiskers allow them to feel what is around them.

Sea Lion food chain.

Plants—small fish—big fish—Sea Lion—Killer whale.

Extension: You could discuss terms like predator, prey, carnivore, herbivore, omnivore, producer and

consumer.

This could also be an opportunity to look at group animals based on these terms as well as group into

vertebrate groups.

Fun Fact!

You can tell a sea lion from a seal by looking at the ears. Sea

Lions have earflaps on each side while seals just have tiny

openings.

Sea Lions are able to bring the back flippers forward, under

their body to help them move on land, seals can not do this.

Fun Fact!

Sea Lions don’t need to drink a lot of water, they get

most the water the need from the food they eat.

Extension: Discuss with your students what other things

animals need to be healthy.

Food, water, shelter, vet, and toys.