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Welcome the live animal ambassadors to your classroom.
We Bring Our Residents to You
Give your class the advantage of a learning experience only living creatures can provide as they meet amazing animals and examine rare artifacts
Pre-K & K
Are they big or are they small? Do they have teeth? What colors are they? Discover what makes life on Earth special as we explore the animal ambassadors and learn what makes them stand out!
Themes/Topics
- Amazing Adaptations: NGSS: K-LS1-2, K-ESS3-1
- Do they have feathers and fly? What colors can we see, and how does that help them? Can they dig a deep burrow with special feet? Let’s find out as we explore amazing adaptations!
- It's a Bug’s Life: NGSS K-LS1-1, K-ESS2-2, K-ESS3-1, K-ESS3-3
- They crawl, and they fly! They jump and they creep! Welcome to the world of insects! Learn about insects and the role they fill, and how you can help to support insect populations!
- Colors of Nature NGSS K-E223-1
- Do they send a bright warning sign or hide in the shadows? Do their colors say hello, or do their cheeks say they are stressed? Learn about animal colors, their relation to where they live, and how they communicate with their unique patterns!
Grades 1-2
What makes plants and animals special? How are they similar and different? Let’s explore our home and where animals fit into it! Join our zoo educators and the animal ambassadors on an exploration of life on Earth!
Themes/Topics
- Amazing Adaptations: NGSS 1-LS1-1, 2-LS4-2
- Do they have feathers and fly? What colors can we see and how does that help them? Can they dig a deep burrow with special feet? Let’s find out as we explore amazing adaptations!
- It's a Bug’s Life: NGSS 1-LS1-1, 1-LS3-1, 2-LS4-1, 2-LS2-2
- They crawl, and they fly! They jump and they creep! Welcome to the world of insects! Learn about insects and the role they fill, and how you can help to support insect populations!
- Colors of Nature: NGSS 1-LS1-1-1, 1-LS3-1, 2-LS4-1
- If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a color is worth the same. From camouflage, to warning colors, colors share powerful messages in the animal kingdom. Join us and learn about the colors of nature and what you can learn from the world around you.
Grades 3-5
How do animals and plants fit into the world around them? What is their role in an ecosystem? Where do they live and why? Let’s piece together how we all fit into the biosphere and join our zoo educators and the animal ambassadors on a journey of discovery!
Themes/Topics
- It’s a Bug’s Life: NGSS 3-LS4-2, 3-LS4-3, 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 4-LS1-1, 4-LS1-2, 5-LS2-1, 5-PS3-1
- They outnumber humans by the thousands. They creep, they crawl, they climb, and they fly. They are a major part of the food web and serve a variety of functions. Learn about the amazing world of insects and join us for: It’s A Bug’s Life!
- Why Do They Do That? A Wild Dive into Animal Behavior: 3-LS1-1, 3-LS2-1, 3-LS4-2, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-2
- Some fly, some brumate (go into a reptile version of hibernation), some hunt in pairs! Animals employ a variety of behavioral adaptations to survive. Explore animal behavior and adaptations, and the behaviors ambassador animals display. Learn about ethograms (charts of animal behaviors) and how researchers study behavior in the field.
- Movin’ and Groovin’: NGSS 3-LS3-1, 3-LS3-2, 3-LS4-2, 3-LS4-3, 4-LS1-1, 5-ESS2-1
- Does it sneak, and does it slither? Does it climb or swing from above? Does it fly, swim, jump, run, gallop, trot, crawl? The world and its inhabitants move in mysterious ways. Let’s learn about locomotion in Movin’ and Groovin’ with our zoo educators!
Grades 6-8
What inferences can you make on a species diet based on its characteristics? Why is biodiversity important on Earth? How can we look at the world in new ways? Let’s investigate the role of different organisms on planet Earth and learn about the biosphere! Join our zoo educators and animal ambassadors in an investigation into nature and the connections we all have with the planet!
Themes/Topics
- Ct Critter Chat: NGSS MS-LS1-4, MS-LS1-5, MS-LS1-2, MS-LS2-3, MS-LS2-4, MS-LS2-5, MS-ESS3-3, MS-ESS3-4, MS-ESS3-5
- What do you see when you look into your backyard? A great horned owl? White tail deer? Spring peepers? Join our zoo educators to learn about Connecticut’s fauna and flora and learn what makes our state so special!
- Food Web: NGSS MS-LS1-3, MS-LS1-5, MS-LS2-1, MS-LS2-4, MS-LS2-5
- Hunger & thirst are the driving force of many actions. Join zoo educators to learn about the complex food webs that connect our planet's organisms. Learn about the trophic pyramid, the transfer of energy, and how organisms grow and develop.
- Predator and Prey: NGSS MS-LS1-3, MS-LS1-5, MS-LS1-7, MS-LS1-8, MS-LS2-1, MS-LS2-3
- Some animals creep through the night while being watched with sharp eyes from above. Others slip into the shadows to hide while being stalked by the unknown. Still others use their powerful senses to track down the most hidden of prey. Learn about predator-prey dynamics and the structures that support organisms in Predator and Prey!
High School
What animals can you find in Connecticut? On Earth? How can you protect endangered species? Why is biodiversity important? Let’s explore our home’s biodiversity and learn more about our own backyards while working to promote conservation action! Join our zoo educators and animal ambassadors to explore this wonderful world we call home.
Themes/Topics
- Biodiversity: NGSS HS-LS2-1, HS-LS2-6, HS-LS4-4, HS-LS4-6, HS-ESS3-3, HS-ESS3-4, HS-ESS3-6, HS-LS2-7
- Earth is an amazing place home to millions of species. From birds to bugs, and the smallest bacteria to the massive blue whale, Earth is home to a spectacular diversity of life. Explore the biodiversity on planet Earth and learn how to protect this planet we call home.
- CT Critter Chat: NGSS HS-LS2-1, HS-LS2-6, HS-LS4-4, HS-LS4-6, HS-ESS3-3, HS-ESS3-4, HS-ESS3-6, HS-LS2-7
- What do you see when you look into your backyard? A great horned owl? White tail deer? Spring peepers? Join our zoo educators to learn about Connecticut’s fauna and flora and learn what makes our state so special!
- What do you see when you look into your backyard? A great horned owl? White tail deer? Spring peepers? Join our zoo educators to learn about Connecticut’s fauna and flora and learn what makes our state so special!
- Endangered Species: NGSS HS-LS2-1, HS-LS2-6, HS-LS4-4, HS-LS4-6, HS-ESS3-3, HS-ESS3-4, HS-ESS3-6, HS-LS2-7
- Join our zoo educators to talk about our changing planet and how zoos (and you) can work to support endangered and at-risk species. Learn about Earth’s diversity and the impacts humans can have on the biosphere.
- Join our zoo educators to talk about our changing planet and how zoos (and you) can work to support endangered and at-risk species. Learn about Earth’s diversity and the impacts humans can have on the biosphere.
College
The Earth is a diverse planet full of an array of ecosystems and organisms. Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo works to support this biodiversity through conservation-themed education and action. Let’s support the next generations of leaders and bring our zoo educators and animal ambassadors to college students!
Themes/Topics
Let’s work with you to discover how we can craft a program to support your college students! Previous topics have included: Animal Care, Species Survival Plans, Saving Animals From Extinction, Careers at a Zoo, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Biodiversity and Conservation and more!
Three of our Popular Programs are Listed Below:
- Animal Communication: How do animals talk to one another? What can they say with a flash of a color or the flick of a tail? Can they understand one another? Let’s learn about animal communication and the complexities of social interactions with our zoo educators !
- Biodiversity: Earth is an amazing place home to millions of species. From birds to bugs, and the smallest bacteria to the massive blue whale, Earth is home to a spectacular diversity of life. Explore the biodiversity on planet Earth and learn how to protect this planet we call home.
- Endangered Species: Join our zoo educators to talk about our changing planet and how zoos (and you) can work to support endangered and at-risk species. Learn about Earth’s diversity and the impacts humans can have on the biosphere.
Adults
Learning comes in all shapes, sizes and ages! The zoo is happy to work with adult groups to craft the perfect educational experience. Let’s embrace the wonder of this world and join our zoo educators and the animal ambassadors in a journey of discovery!
Themes/Topics
- Animal Communication: How do animals talk to one another? What can they say with a flash of a color or the flick of a tail? Can they understand one another? Let’s learn about animal communication and the complexities of social interactions with our zoo educators.
- Biodiversity: Earth is an amazing place home to millions of species. From birds to bugs, and the smallest bacteria to the massive blue whale, Earth is home to a spectacular diversity of life. Explore the biodiversity on planet Earth and learn how to protect this planet we call home.