Level 3 (Secondary School)

Relates to experiences and outcomes in the third level of the curriculum for excellence including the outcomes:

SCN 3-01a I can sample and identify living things from different habitats to compare their biodiversity and can suggest reasons for their distribution.

SOC 3-10a I can investigate the climate, physical features and living things of a natural environment different from my own and explain their interrelationship.

A visit to Amazonia may be able to compliment a number of sections of the curriculum. Please phone to discuss any particular requirements and our education team will be happy to assist.

Before Your Visit.

1. Take the opportunity available to teachers to visit us free of charge before your booked group visit. This will allow you to ask the staff at Amazonia any questions you may have about your visit. You will also be able to familiarise yourself with the layout and animals of Amazonia.
2. You may wish to split the class into groups and get each group to investigate one of the suggested animal species below before their visit. Each of these animals can be seen during their visit to Amazonia. These are links to information to get you started.

Leaf cutter ants

Kinkajou
Egyptian fruit Bats
Goeldi's monkey

Spectacled caiman

During your visit.

Your structured visit to Amazonia will last for 2 hours and be organised into 4 sections which are described below. Please note that if your group is late one or all of these may have to be cut short to accommodate other groups. It is your responsibility to be on time. These sections may not occur in this order. We recommend that you allow extra time for lunch and visiting the gift shop and you are welcome to revisit the rainforest area following your allotted time if you wish.

1. Your Guided Tour (appox 45 minutes)

During this time the pupils will be guided around the animal enclosures in Amazonia by one of our experienced education team. For high school groups your guide will cover some of the more in-depth details of the animals’ lives in the wild. If you have any specific topics you wish to be covered for your class do not hesitate to call ahead to Amazonia before your visit and we will tailor your tour to your needs.

2. Your Handling Session (approx 30 minutes)

3. Your Own Free Time (approx 15 minutes).

You are free to look around yourselves. Your ranger guide will be on hand to provide further information and answer any questions. This time may be used to complete any worksheets the class may be working on or simply for the children to have another look at their favourite animal.

4. Amazonia interactive (approx 30 minutes)

The children are split into groups to enter our brand new interactive exhibit where they are ‘transported’ into a rainforest scene to find out more about the animals that live there. Amazonia interactive can accommodate up to 12 children at any time and each group will spend 10 minutes in the room. Activity tables are set up outside for children not in the interactive room.

After your visit.

1. Have the children, in their groups, prepare and give a brief presentation on the animal they investigated before their visit including anything new they learned in Amazonia. Make sure each group includes the reasons their animal is important to the rainforest ecosystem, what special job does that animal perform?
2. Many of the animals the children will have seen in Amazonia have special adaptations to help them live in their particular layer of the rainforest e.g. prehensile tails, sticky toe pads, or camouflage ( often green for canopy animals and brown for forest floor animals). Split the class into 4 groups and assign each group a layer (forest floor, understory, canopy, emergent layer). Have each group design an imaginary predatory animal and prey animal for their layer.

• Rainforest Worksheet (PDF)