STEM Trek - Minnesota Zoo

STEM
TREK
EXPLORING THE TROPICS TRAIL
Welcome to the
MINNESOTA
ZOO
Tropics Trail STEM Trek!
USE THIS STEM TREK TO HELP YOU LEARN HOW HUMANS AT THE
ZOO CAN PLAY A POSITIVE ROLE IN AN ECOSYSTEM, INCLUDING
WORKING AT THE MINNESOTA ZOO.
We are meeting together at the Minnesota Zoo for ____________________________.
(lunch or program)
Meet at _____________________at ____________.
(location)
(time)
The bus will be leaving at ____________.
(time)
Meet at _____________________ before we depart.
(location)
Other reminders:
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
2
ANIMALS OF THE
TROPICS TRAIL
RING TAILED LEMUR
RED RUFFED LEMUR
RADIATED TORTOISE
DWARF CROCODILE
FRUIT BATS
COLOBUS MONKEY
ROCK HYRAX
DEBRAZZA’S MONKEY
RED RIVER HOG
KOMODO DRAGON
BALI MYNAH
GIBBON
ASIAN FISH
ASIAN SMALL CLAWED OTTER
RHINO HORNBILL
FLAMINGO
TREE KANGAROO
TAPIR
BINTURONG
ASIAN TORTOISE
TROPICAL REEF (FISH AND SHARKS)
RED PANDA
WARTY PIG
LINNE’S TWO TOED SLOTH
CHINCHILLA
BURMESE PYTHON
50 SPECIES OF BIRDS
TAMANDUA
GOLDEN LION TAMARIN
COTTON TOP TAMARIN
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
3
FIELD TRIP
OBJECTIVE
FIELD TRIP OBJECTIVE:
Humans live within and are part of ecosystems and have engineered
and developed technology that can solve problems in habitats as
well as create them, both in a zoo and out in the wild.
PRE-VISIT QUESTIONS:
Write questions below that you hope to find the answer to when
you visit the zoo.
WHAT ______________________________________________?
WHY________________________________________________?
HOW ________________________________________________?
WHERE ______________________________________________?
What can you do if you can’t find the answer to these questions on
your own during the field trip? List some ideas of where you can
investigate further.
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
4
DESIGNING
ANIMAL EXHIBITS
MEETING ANIMAL NEEDS
Zoo planners designed the tropics trail with light panels that
increase light intensity during winter to mimic the 11-13 hours of
sunlight found in the Tropics. This allowed Lemur zookeepers to
add plants native to the Lemur’s home of Madagascar such as the
Dragon and Umbrella Tree. These plants were chosen because they
are durable, easy to clean.
ACTIVITY:
Zoo keepers need your help to determine if the location of the
Madagascar plants in the exhibit were a good idea. They want to
avoid high activity areas so the plants don’t get ruined by Lemur
activity. Read the ethogram, a chart that shares the behavior and
location of the lemurs every 5 minutes for an hour. Then, choose one
lemur to watch for the remaining 5 minutes to help finish the data
in order to suggest where to put the plants.
X = Location of the lemurs
Which location should the zookeepers have the plants? Why?
Which location would be a bad decision to place the plants? Why?
How does knowing where the lemurs hang out and go to the
bathroom help determine where to place the plants?
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
5
DESIGNING
ANIMAL EXHIBITS
DESIGN TO ENCOURAGE NATURAL
BEHAVIORS
Exhibit designers make considerations during the design
process to encourage natural activities . For example, the
Fruit Bat exhibit has branches to hang out, places to put
fruit so the bats can reach, and a darkened area for them
to hide. All are important so encourage the bats to use
their instincts and natural behaviors just like they would
in the wild.
ACTIVITY:
Get in the mind of a zoo exhibit designer. Take a look
around the Dwarf Crocodile exhibit. Look over the
questions the designer had to consider when planning.
Explain what the exhibit designer included in the exhibit
to help address their questions.
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
6
DESIGNING
ANIMAL EXHIBITS
COMFORTING ANIMALS
The Rock Hyrax is a shy animal. Zoo exhibit designers have
created three different hiding boxes on the exhibit for defense
and protection, and staying warm. The Rock Hyrax like to
sunbathe, however, on rainy days they often stay hidden
because they are too cold to come out.
ACTIVITY:
Draw the exhibit. Mark an X for each place you think the Rock
Hyrax hiding boxes should be so visitors can still see them on
a rainy day.
Why did you choose those three locations?
What could you add to the exhibit so the Rock Hyrax comes out
of their hiding boxes to be seen better?
MATH PIT STOP
Locate the Bali Mynah birds on your way to the Komodo Dragon. If typical Bali
Mynah birds weigh 100 grams, how many grams do all the Bali Mynah birds at
the Minnesota Zoo weigh all together?
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
7
DESIGNING
ANIMAL EXHIBITS
COMFORTING ANIMALS
In the wild, the Komodo Dragon experiences temperatures from
126 during the day to 75 at night. Because the Komodo Dragon is
cold blooded, exhibit designers included seven in floor temperature
zones to help the Komodo Dragon control its body temperature!
ACTIVITY:
Four of the seven temperatures of the heated floor zones are
below. Read the thermometers below to find out what each zone
temperature is.
Which zone do you think the Komodo dragon would go to warm
up fast if he was way too cold?
Where in the exhibit do you think that is? Why?
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
8
CARING FOR
ANIMALS
ANIMAL MONITORING AND ENRICHMENT
In the wild, gibbons spend a lot of time foraging for
food. Keepers provide dietary enrichment by adding
food items to the gibbons main diet with special
treats like “monkey brownies or “gibbon cupcakes.”
Sometimes oatmeal paste is smeared on branches
in their exhibit. Gibbons tend to respond with more
excitement when their treats are hidden. Food may
also be hidden in paper bags or have special puzzle
feeders to encourage foraging behaviors.
ACTIVITY:
To help the zoo keepers figure out the best place
in the exhibit to put a dietary enrichment for
the Gibbons, collect data each minute about the
Gibbon’s behavior and location for 5 minutes. Use
the behavior key below.
Behavior Key:
B: Bathing
C: Calling/Howling
D: Dominance
E: Eating
G: Grooming
R: Resting
S: Swinging
S: Socializing
Z: Sleeping
Using your data, where would you suggest to put the dietary enrichment? Why?
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
9
CARING FOR
ANIMALS
ANIMAL MONITORING AND ENRICHMENT
Otters at the zoo eat a lot of fish such as Herring, Mackerel, and
Capelin. Zoo staff have trained otters to line up to eat in a particular
order, but they needed a more accurate way to tell if the otters were
eating from the right dish. Microchips were implanted into their
noses to help them collect data for an Otter Health Study!
ACTIVITY:
The zoo keeper otter diet notes are hard to understand and
disorganized. Help her organize her feeding notes better by writing
more detailed step by step instructions on how to care for the otters!
Daily Feeding Instructions for the Asian Small Clawed Otter:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
10
ENDANGERED ANIMAL
CONSERVATION
SPECIES SURVIVAL PLANS (SSP’S)
In captivity the Malayan tapir is managed for breeding
purposes by a Species Survival Plan (SSP), which helps
to breed captive zoo animals in order to support the
population. The Minnesota Zoo currently participates
in 23 SSP programs, including the Malayan tapir SSP.
Since 2001, Minnesota Zoo has birthed 5 Malayan tapirs
that have gone into the SSP pool, and hope to breed
more soon.
ACTIVITY:
The three animals at this stop are considered to be ‘Hot
Spot’ Animals, meaning they are all endangered in the
wild. Look at the graph below to learn more about what
is happening with Hot Spot animals.
What information is this graph sharing with you?
What type of animal improved over time? What type of animal should
we be more concerned with?
Read the Hot Spot (on the exhibit sign) from one of the animal’s above.
Why is it a Hot Spot animal? What do humans have to do with it?
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
11
ENDANGERED ANIMAL
CONSERVATION
EDUCATING THE PUBLIC
The Minnesota Zoo helps to educate people about the threat
animals are facing in the wild in order to get people involved.
The dive show and shark feeding at the Tropical Reef is a great
way to hear about the fish and how the Zoo takes care of them
when there are so many fish to feed!
ACTIVITY:
In order for you to see the dive show, Minnesota Zoo staff works
hard to monitor the water quality to make sure you can learn
and the fish while the fish stay comfortable. There is a lot of
water to monitor. Answer the questions below to find out just
how big this tank is!
A normal bath tub holds 70 gallons. This tank can hold 1,178
bathtubs! How many gallons can this tank hold?
If there are 400 fish in this tank, how many gallons of water
space does each fish get?
To make the tank like salt water ocean, they had to add 350
boxes of ‘Instant Ocean’ into the water. Each box had 3 bags.
How many bags did they need to empty?
Find out when the next Dive Show is. How much time (in
minutes) do you have until it starts? (If it is over, how much
time has passed?)
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
12
ENDANGERED ANIMAL
CONSERVATION
COLLECTING RESEARCH
There is reason to believe that red pandas are an
endangered species caused by habitat destruction,
hunting for their fur, and the pet trade. Their true
status is difficult to determine because they are active
mainly at night, spend most of their time in trees, and
often live alone. Living at high altitudes in places that
can only be reached by foot within countries that are
usually off-limits to visitors makes researching and
collecting accurate population numbers of Red Pandas
difficult in the wild.
ACTIVITY:
Reliable population numbers are hard to find, partly
because other animals have been mistaken for the red
panda. Below is a picture of a Civet, an animal that
closely resembles the Red Panda at night. Help identify
the similarities and differences between these two
animals by filling out the Venn Diagram so its easier to
know when a Red Panda is spotted in the wild.
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
13
CAPTIVE SPECIES
SUPPORT
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Minnesota Zoo is proud to have helped write the
Animal Husbandry Manual for Sloths, a how to guide
on taking care of sloths in captivity. This is important
to the animal’s survival in a zoo and the reason we have
a winter sloth exhibit! Sloths require outside heat to
maintain their 75-91 degree body temp. Their normal
corner of the Tropics does not remain warm enough for
them to be in that exhibit in the winter.
ACTIVITY:
The Minnesota Zoo needs the keep the Sloth indoors.
Some zoos have perfect temperatures for Sloths be
outside during the day. Design and draw an outdoor
sloth exhibit using facts from the Sloth Care Manual.
Outdoor Housing Requirements:
• Wooden pole climbing structure
with rope
• Raised feed and water stations
• Grass, shrubs, bamboo, trees, large
log features
• Shallow pool
• Artificial rockwork mounds
• Mesh roof no less than 5 meters
tall
• “Walkthrough” public viewing
area barrier with 1 meter high
glass, the rest is open
MATH PIT STOP
Stand in front of the Burmese Python exhibit. Look on the ground. How many
feet long can Burmese Python’s get? What fraction of the python’s length does
your body height represent?
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
14
CAPTIVE SPECIES
SUPPORT
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
Knowledge of bird nests is very important to supporting
birds during the breeding stages. Zookeepers often
provide materials that birds can pick up and add to their
nest during this critical stage. The Aviary is home to
over 150 birds. With so many, there are a variety of nests
available that birds can customize and call them home.
ACTIVITY:
Scan the Aviary and find three different types of nests.
Draw each nest that you see. Then, using the nesting key,
identify what type of nest you observed.
Draw the nest around each bird for three types of nests you see.
Nest #1 Type:
Nest #2 Type:
Nest #3 Type:
Why is it important to birds to make their own nests?
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
15
CAPTIVE SPECIES
SUPPORT
ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE
Primates are really good at finding pills and spitting
them out, or hiding them in their cheek pouches and
spitting them out later. This makes them an even
greater challenge to medicate! Sometimes zookeepers
take advantage of competition between animals to get
a monkey to scoop up the medicated treat before his
roommate gets a chance. Other times training is used
to ensure medications are administered successfully.
Animals, like primates, can be trained to take liquids
through a syringe, and medication can be formulated
into a flavored liquid.
ACTIVITY:
Often the Tamarins notice the syringe and go the other
way making it harder to give medicine. Zookeepers
need your help to engineer a disguise for the syringe
so the Tamarins feel comfortable approaching the
Syringe Disguise Prototype Design
zookeeper because the syringe is disguised.
Things to Consider Before Designing:
• What are some common things
found in a Tamarin Habitat/Exhibit?
• Do Tamarin’s live by themselves?
• Favorite foods are fruit, insects,
nectar, and small lizards.
• Tamarins often live in groups of 3-9.
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
16
CONSERVATION
IN ACTION
HUMANS PLAY MANY IMPORTANT ROLES
Minnesota Zoo is a great place for the human and animal
populations to be connected. In your own words, give examples
you learned about that show how humans at the Minnesota Zoo
demonstrate their positive role in their ecosystem using each of
the topics below.
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
17
DATA AND OBSERVATION NOTES
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
18
DATA AND OBSERVATION NOTES
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
19
Tropics Trail Map
GRAY WOLF
WOLVERINE
MEDTRONIC
BEAVER
MINNESOTA
TRAIL
TROPICAL
REEF
PUMA
TARGET ®
BLACK
BEAR
TAMARIN
LEARNING
CENTER
TAPIR
TROPICS
TRAIL
WINGS FINANCAL
WORLD OF BIRD SHOW
RAMP TO
LOWER LEVEL
(SEASONAL)
GIBBON
UPPER
PLAZA
NURSING
AREA
EAST
ENTRANCE
(SEASONAL)
SNOW
MONKEY
TIGER
PARKING
LOT
UPPER
SOUTH
ENTRANCE
UPPER PLAZA INSET
STEM TREK 4–5th grades
20