Zoo Negara Educational Programme - World of Amphibians 17Jan2011

We participated in the Zoo Negara's Young Biologist programme with a few families from CLiC (a cooperative learning centre based in USJ/Kota Kemuning)

The programme is headed by Edwina (pictured above). She intends to raise the bar in the quality of the education unit.

I didn't to interfere to much into how the programme was to be conducted as I felt that a teacher should have free reign into how best to deliver a lesson. I only expressed my interest in having a hands-on and with lots of interaction with the animals.

Edwina and her team had an uphill task to cater to kids aged between 3 to 15 years old.

Looking for green paddy frogs and tadpoles in the pond by the entrance. I had never noticed this pond before.

Ean taking a close look.

Green paddy frog

A tiny frog captured by Fai

We headed for the amphibian section which was cordoned off for our group. There were samples of frogspawn for us to look at

Tadpoles.

There is one which had developed hind legs.

Frog identification activity

Match the picture of the frog to the frog in the aquarium. Write down its name or the number(if you can't write or read) that is pasted on each aquarium.

JY found it too easy

Han filled his worksheet with scribbles

Fai wrote out the name for the first frog then came running to me and said " It would take me half a day to finish writing out all the names for all the frogs!!"

"I don't want to do this!"

I told him that Edwina said that it was all right to just write out the number instead of the frog's name" Fai went on to finish his worksheet in record time and got down to doing what he wanted to do all along - his sketch

Fai's sketch

Check out the frogspawn, tadpoles and frog's tongue.

Checking out the frogs.

Craft activity

Edwina had cut out frog shapes to stick onto ice-cream sticks.

Ean loved this activity. He kept tearing off the frog's limbs and running back to Edwina to stick them back on.

Sam's favourite part of the programme. She made a bear instead of a frog.

She also drew manga all over her worksheet :)

Boys looking at the curator misting the frog's enclosure.

Instructions for tadpole care.

We were given some frogspawn to look after.

I handed it to WL with instructions to put them infront of her laptop daily at 11am to let the rest of the group view the development of the eggs via Skype for an hour.

WL sent me a message later that day " The lives of the frogs are hanging by a thread..." There is always a little drama with WL around

We wandered around the zoo after the 2hour programme and I managed to catch a footage of giraffes walking. You see, they walk in a peculiar fashion...2 left legs forward...2 right legs forward.....2 left legs forward....repeat....

I find it fascinating

There were lots of painted storks perched on a tree by the giraffes.

Look out for their droppings. Fai went around collecting their feathers.