Edinburgh Zoo

Outreach

RZSS Edinburgh Zoo's Outreach 'Into Africa'

This is an unique opportunity to experience a ‘flavour’ of Africa within your classroom by booking the zoo’s educational outreach officer to visit your school. Edinburgh Zoo sponsors an in-situ research base in the Budongo Forest, Uganda, helping to manage chimpanzee conservation and rainforest projects. Linking into the curriculum guidelines for each of the primary age groups, the education officer will deliver an exiting interactive programme within a global citizenship framework concentrating on the animals and people living in The Budongo Forest.

Aim

The aim of the outreach work is to raise awareness of issues surrounding the animals living in the Ugandan rainforest and to compare and contrast children’s lifestyles in Uganda to those in Scotland.

Content

All age groups will explore similarities and differences of lifestyles and culture between Uganda and Scotland by experiencing a selection of tastes, smells, games, music and costumes from Africa along with real-life events from the people and animals, especially chimpanzees, living there.

Nursery

Using the five key aspects of 3–5 curriculum framework.

Primary

All primary lessons are focused on ‘Global Citizenship’, ‘The Handbook for Primary Teaching’ by Oxfam, and cover the following strands –

Knowledge and Understanding  

•  Social justice and equity
•  Diversity
•  Globalisation and interdependence
•  Sustainable development

Skills 

•  Critical thinking
•  Ability to argue effectively
•  Ability to challenge injustice and inequalities
•  Respect for people and things

Values and attitudes 

•  Empathy and sense of common humanity 
•  Valuing and respecting diversity 
•  Concern for the environment and commitment to sustainable development
•  Belief that people can make a difference

OUTREACH: NURSERY, PRIMARY 1 and 2

Lesson duration 1 hour

A fun packed hour of activities with the class making their own rainforest, chimpanzee facial expressions and artwork; storytelling and finishing with an African childrens' game.

*PLEASE NOTE:Nursery children benefit from smaller group numbers in this lesson therefore a maximum of 15 pupils would be required per session*

OUTREACH: PRIMARY 3 AND 4

Lesson duration 1.5 hours

The class will hear the story of Monday, an Ugandan boy their age, from dawn to dusk, interspersed with African themed activities.

OUTREACH FOR  PRIMARY 5, 6 and 7

Lesson duration up to 2 hours

This will consist of an interactive game ‘Chimp Challenge’ linking into the 5 – 14 Environmental Guidelines and Global Citizenship.  Again, pupils will experience a selection of tastes, smells, music, costumes and problem solving from real-life situations that the animals and people of Budongo Forest face.

Contact Us

For further information please phone 0131 314 0324 or email acollins@rzss.org.uk  

Edinburgh Zoo is owned by The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, registered charity number SC 004064
Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, EH12 6TS, t: 0131 334 9171, f: 0131 314 0384 info@rzss.org.uk