Distance Learning Expeditions

NOW, THE WORLD-FAMOUS
BRONX ZOO
is just a phone call away!

Take your students on a trip to the Zoo without setting foot outside your own classroom! Using two-way videoconferencing technology, the Bronx Zoo can bring engaging programs for K-12 students right into your own classroom—live! All Distance Learning Expeditions include several live animal "guests"—gorillas, alligators, owls and more. Programs are 45 or 50 minutes and include extensive teacher support materials. These time-tested, teacher-endorsed programs are aligned with the National Science Education Standards and have received rave reviews from students and teachers alike.

Technical Requirements
Bronx Zoo Distance Learning Expeditions are broadcast at a minimum speed of 384 Kbps using a Tandberg Codec 6000 videoconference unit via H.320 standard over ISDN lines and also via H.323 standard over Internet Protocol (IP). To receive an IP videoconference, you must have a broadband connection. Check with your district or building technology coordinator to see if your school is compatible.

Call or write today for more information. Or, click here to complete a registration form.

Erica Sopha
Distance Learning Coordinator
Phone: (718) 741-1693,  Fax: (718) 733-2921/ 4460
Email: distancelearning@wcs.org

Distance Learning Expeditions are available Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM Eastern Time.  Each program is priced at $150 per single class with a maximum of 35 students. Recording of programs is not permitted. Due to the popularity of these programs, please reserve early. New lessons are in development all the time, so visit http://bronxzoo.com/distancelearning for the latest information. To learn about other Bronx Zoo education programs for teachers and students, visit http://bronxzoo.com/bz-education.

An extensive teacher guide accompanies every program including:

• tips on preparing for a videoconference
• content background
• National Science Education Standards correlation
• lesson plans for pre-conference activities
• lesson plans for post-conference activities
• reproducible student materials
  
  
  

SIZE & SHAPE
Grades K-1, Approx. 45 minutes
Why is a ferret long and thin? Youngsters consider this and other questions about how an animal's size and shape are related to its way of life. By observing a variety of animals, students discover some fundamental concepts about how size and shape help an animal survive. Students also draw conclusions about where an animal lives and what it eats.
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE A REGISTRATION FORM.

ANIMAL COLORS
Grades K-3, Approx. 45 minutes
This appealing program capitalizes on children's natural curiosity by engaging them in observation and deduction. Using visuals, games, and live animals, students will explore the role that color plays in animal survival. Students will learn that an animal's color may help it to attract a mate, to warn off other animals, and to hide from other animals.
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE A REGISTRATION FORM.

MOVES & MEALS
Grades K-3, Approx. 45 minutes
There seems to be no end to the ways in which animals move. Some slither, swim, hop, fly, run, crawl, and swing. In this lesson students explore the many different ways animals move about in order to find their food and to avoid becoming someone else's food!
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE A REGISTRATION FORM.

FOOD WEBS
Grades 4-6, Approx. 50 minutes
Each individual species is concerned with obtaining energy - energy to  keep going, energy to grow, energy to reproduce, energy for survival. Starting with analyzing their own breakfast, students examine the flow of energy in living systems as represented in food chains and webs. Students discover the role of producers, consumers, herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, as they build an actual food web.
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE A REGISTRATION FORM.

AWESOME ADAPTATIONS
Grades 5-8, Approx. 50 minutes  
If you've been to a zoo lately, you may have seen some odd-looking creatures and wondered why some animal body parts are so unusual. In this program students will uncover the mystery of land animals' feet. Adaptation, a challenging yet essential concept, becomes clear in this program. Understanding how physical adaptations are related to the environment will lead students to additional insights, such as why an animal cannot survive when its habitat is destroyed. 
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE A REGISTRATION FORM.

Coming in July!  LEAPING LEMURS! CONSERVATION ON THE EDGE
Grades 6-8, Approx. 50 minutes 
Take your students to the heart of Madagascar. Visit diverse habitats and explore the relationships between lemurs and their environments. Live cameras will transport your class to the Bronx Zoo's new Madagascar! exhibit, where students will observe lemurs, fossas, and a ring-tailed mongoose, and make decisions on how to best protect them and their native habitats.
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE A REGISTRATION FORM.

GORILLAS, GENTLE GIANTS IN CRISIS (available May-October )
Grades 7-12, 50 minutes
Remote live-cams bring your students right into the Bronx Zoo's Congo Gorilla Forest exhibit! The class will be fascinated by the behaviors of our western lowland gorillas as our instructor challenges students to consider the predicament of this critically threatened rainforest species. Students discover the ways in which human activities impact the African Congo rainforest ecosystem, how the conservation process works, and the social priorities that foster or impede conservation programs.
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE A REGISTRATION FORM.

Coming in July!  MADAGASCAR, CONSERVATION ON THE EDGE
Grades 9-12, Approx. 50 minutes
How do scientists protect the future of a species?  Students will answer this question as they explore the diverse world of lemurs at the Bronx Zoo's new Madagascar! exhibit.  Live cameras will transport your class to our lemur exhibits, where students will explore the world of biodiversity.  Through obersvtation and classroom activities, students will learn what it takes to ensure a future for lemurs.  This program has a strong focus on the role of genetics and geography in wildlife conservation, and includes visiting our fossa and ring-tailed mongoose exhibits.
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE A REGISTRATION FORM.

VIDEOCONFERENCE DEMONSTRATION
Teachers & Administrators, 15 minutes, Free of Charge
Is your school new to videoconferencing? Connect with the Bronx Zoo to explore its Distance Learning Program. Teachers and administrators will observe a  live animal and have the opportunity to ask questions regarding lessons and registration policies and procedures. 
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE A REGISTRATION FORM.

Bronx Zoo Distance Learning Expeditions are available during the summer.  Contact the Distance Learning Coordinator for information on summer offerings.