How the Zoo Operates Workshop

To get the most out of How the Zoo Operates Workshop, we suggest studying the following aspects at school before the visit: 

To understand the students’ interests and increase motivation about the animals:

• Collect brochures, photographs, magazine articles, cards, worksheets or other materials from different zoos and other centres that have animals.
• Select the animals that they want to see at the Zoo.
  
• Make a list of the facilities that are needed to take care of animals (veterinarian’s clinic, kitchens, warehouses, sleeping areas, inside courtyards) and explain their utility or function.
  
• For years five and six: start a debate about zoos' needs to conserve species Prepare the discussion by questioning the suitability of having animals like  chimpazees, otters, lions, cows and dogs.  
• Consult the Barcelona Zoo’s animal files, looking for examples of how conservation works at the Zoo We recommend the file on the Père David’s deer and the European biso. 

To observe animals:

Visit places that house animals, like a circus, a wild animal shelter, an animal protection agency or a natural park and compare the functions of each of them (responsible ownership).

As specific objectives:

• To introduce the concept of zoos and the functions they perform: conservation, research and education.
  
• To understand the complexity of preserving a collection of living animals.