Central Park Zoo

Task 1.

Step one, students will look at the Central Park Zoo website in order to choose an animal they will study further. By going on the website they can see the different animals on exhibit at the zoo.  The student will pick one that they would like to study further and be the "expert" on that animal.
http://www.centralparkzoo.com/

Task 2.
Step two, students will use dictionaries, encyclopedias, or the internet to research the animal they will investigate while visiting the zoo.

a. Students will find out where in the world the animal originated.

b. What food does the animal eat?

c. Does the animal have predators?

d. What features/traits of the animal make it fit into its environment?

e. Can you think of any other physical features that the animal could have to make it even more adaptable to its environment? (think teeth, claws, fur, tail, height, etc)

http://www.wikipedia.org/

Task 3.

Based on what they researched and observed at the zoo, students are to make a shoebox habitat of the animal of their choice.

a. Must contain the animal of choice

b. must have the food it eats

c. must keep the climate in mind 

Helpful websites of how to creat a diorama/shoebox-habitat
http://www.education.com/activity/article/shoebox-habitat/
http://www.ehow.com/how_12761_make-diorama.html
 
Task 4.

Write a one page paper highlighting the research they did on their animal, siting specific reasons for how they set up their shoebox habitat, as well as what they observed at the zoo.