Self-Guided Activities for your Zoo visit

STEM Trek
In addition to the curriculum guide, use the STEM Trek on your next field trip to the zoo! Whether it is used as an embedded activity to be used as a part of the STEM Quest curriculum guide or to function as a separate activity, this self-guided exploration of the tropics trail will challenge students to use problem solving, observational, math, and data collection skills to analyze the positive impact of the Minnesota Zoo has in addressing the problems facing animals in captivity.

Minnesota Trek
Keep your students engaged with this self-guided tour of the Medtronic Minnesota Trail.  This activity guide focuses on the three main biomes of Minnesota and examines how animals are adapted to survive here.  Designed for 6^th-8^th graders, this guide can be modified for use with older or younger students.

Climate Change Ocean Trek 
Engage your students with this self-guided tour of Discovery Bay.  This trek was developed for middle and upper level students to use at the Minnesota Zoo in order to examine how human actions have affected many aspects of marine life and understand methods for reducing human impacts on the oceans.
Climate Change Oceans Trek—upper grades
Climate Change Ocean Trek—upper grades KEY

Environmental Studies Trek NEW!
Asist your middle and upper level students to explore environmental studies themes throughout the Zoo.  Topics covered include habitats, environment, human impact, and climate.
Environmental Studies Trek—upper grades
Environmental Studies Trek—upper grades KEY

Russia Grizzly Coast Trek
Engage your students with this quick activity while visiting Russia’s Grizzly Coast. The scavenger hunt focuses on a variety of aspects from size to diet to adaptations. Two grade levels are available.
Russia Grizzly Coast Trek-Grades K-3
Russia Grizzly Coast Trek-Grades K-3 KEY
Russia Grizzly Coast Trek-Grades 4-8
Russia Grizzly Coast Trek -Grades 4-8 KEY

Math Curriculum
The following activities were designed to demonstrate how we use math, science, and engineering to connect people, animals, and the natural world to save wildlife. In addition to the Math Curriculum you can do At Your School, we offer math activities you can use while visiting the MN Zoo.
Grades 1-2 MN Zoo Field Trip
Grades 1-2 MN Zoo Field Trip KEY
Grades 3-4 MN Zoo Field Trip
Grades 3-4 MN Zoo Field Trip KEY
Grades 5-6 MN Zoo Field Trip
Grades 5-6 MN Zoo Field Trip KEY
Grades 7-12 MN Zoo Field Trip
Grades 7-12 MN Zoo Field Trip KEY

Zoo Trail Guides

Minnesota Zoo Animal Facts
Northern Trail Zoo Animal Facts
Share facts about some of the Minnesota Zoo’s animals with your students before your field trip.

Please note the Minnesota Zoo’s animal collection is constantly changing and shifting. Some activities may refer to animals no longer in our collection. Zoo volunteers would be able to answer questions student have about other animals.

Mussel Curriculum

Mussels are often out-of-sight and out-of-mind. But native mussels are important for healthy rivers and lakes. Sadly, freshwater mussels are the most at-risk group of animals in the United States. Five species native to Minnesota are listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Minnesota Zoo is working with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to help mussel populations by rearing mussels for release into the wild. In addition, the Zoo is working to educate the public about these important species and their role in healthy ecosystems.

This curriculum guide is designed to provide lesson ideas and activities in order to incorporate native freshwater mussels and their importance to water quality into your existing curriculum. These lessons can be used individually or together, depending upon your time and resources. All lessons are aligned to address current curricular objectives and both state and national educational standards.

Introduction

Anatomy and Life Cycle
1-Introducation to Native Freshwater Mussels – Lesson plan
1a-River Ecosystem – Student
1b-Common Freshwater Mussel list – Student

Food Webs
3a- Aquatic Food Webs and Invasive Species – Lesson Plan
3a- Aquatic Food Webs and Invasive Species – Student

Water Quality Labs
4b- Water Quality and Freshwater Mussel Lab – Lesson Plan
4b- Water Quality and Freshwater Mussel Lab – Student

4b- Water Quality and Freshwater Mussel Lab DATA GIVEN – Lesson Plan
4b- Water Quality and Freshwater Mussel Lab DATA GIVEN – Student

Symbiosis
6a- Ecological Relationships – Lesson Plan
6a- Ecological Relationships – Student

Mimicry
6a- Who is this mussel pretending to be – Lesson Plan
6a- Who is this mussel pretending to be – Student

Nutrient Cycling
7a- What Matters with Missing Mussels – Lesson Plan
7a- What Matters with Missing Mussels – Student

Invasive Species
8a- Where are the Zebra Mussels – Lesson Plan
8a- Where are the Zebra Mussels – Student

8b-Zebra Mussels and Invasive Species Population Dynamics – Lesson Plan
8b-Zebra Mussels and Invasive Species Population Dynamics – Student

Human Impact
9a- River Runs Through It – Lesson Plan
9a- River Runs Through It – Student

Resources for the Show Us Your Mussels Challenge
10a- Sample Project Description and Rubric
10b- FAQs for the Challenge
10c- YouTube Story Board
10c- YouTube Teacher Guide
10c- YouTube Student Guide
10d- Tracking Website Visitors Teacher Guide
10e- Instagram Teacher Guide
10f- Checklist

Zoo Quest Curriculum

STEM Quest Curriculum Guide: Analyzing Human Impact in Malaysia
STEM Quest is a curriculum guide meant to help students realize humans act as part of an ecosystem and use science, technology, engineering and math in the conservation and protection of habitats and species that live in Southeast Asia, specifically the country of Malaysia.  You and your students will learn about the positive and negative impacts of human engineering and technology and the consequences and destruction that animals now face in their natural habitat. This curriculum prepares students for STEM Trek

Minnesota Quest
Explore Minnesota’s biomes and discover how animals adapt to our unique landscape and climate with engaging, standards-based classroom activities.  This curriculum guide was developed for 6^th-8^th graders but can be easily adapted for older or younger students.  Bring along the accompanying Minnesota Trek, an on-site self-guided tour of the Medtronic Minnesota trail to focus your field trip learning.  This is a great complement to any unit on Minnesota history, wildlife, environments, or biology.  This curriculum prepares students for Minnesota Trek

Math Curriculum

We have updated our math curriculum! The following activities were designed to demonstrate how we use math, science, and engineering to connect people, animals, and the natural world to save wildlife. There are four primary topics: Feeding Animals, Animal Measurements (AKA: Animal Shapes, Sizes and Weights), Animal Speeds, and Exhibit Design which you can use easily in your classroom. There is also a MN Zoo Field Trip worksheet to utilize on your next visit. It is a mixed of the primary topics but the students need to visit the exhibits to obtain some of the data needed for the solve problem. All together it creates a complete unit. The Minnesota Graduation Standards were considered carefully during the development of this packet.

Grades 1-2
Grades 1-2 Animal Measurements
Grades 1-2 Animal Measurements KEY
Grades 1-2 Animal Speeds
Grades 1-2 Animal Speeds KEY
Grades 1-2 Exhibit Design
Grades 1-2 Exhibit Design KEY
Grades 1-2 Feeding Animals
Grades 1-2 Feeding Animals KEY

Grades 3-4
Grades 3-4 Animal Measurements
Grades 3-4 Animal Measurements KEY
Grades 3-4 Animal Speeds
Grades 3-4 Animal Speeds KEY
Grades 3-4 Exhibit Design
Grades 3-4 Exhibit Design KEY
Grades 3-4 Feeding Animals
Grades 3-4 Feeding Animals KEY

Grades 5-6
Grades 5-6 Animal Measurements
Grades 5-6 Animal Measurements KEY
Grades 5-6 Animal Speeds
Grades 5-6 Animal Speeds KEY
Grades 5-6 Exhibit Design
Grades 5-6 Exhibit Design KEY
Grades 5-6 Feeding Animals
Grades 5-6 Feeding Animals KEY

Grades 7-12
Grades 7-12 Animal Measurements
Grades 7-12 Animal Measurements KEY
Grades 7-12 Animal Speeds
Grades 7-12 Animal Speeds KEY
Grades 7-12 Exhibit Design
Grades 7-12 Exhibit Design KEY
Grades 7-12 Feeding Animals
Grades 7-12 Feeding Animals KEY