Phoenix Zoo Outreach Programs

Let us bring the Phoenix Zoo to you!

Our ZooToYou, Zoomobile, and Distance Learning programs align with Arizona Department of Education Academic Content Standards at primary and secondary levels.

Inspiring people to live in ways that promote the well being of the natural world is part of the Phoenix Zoo’s mission statement. Our Outreach program fulfills this mission by delivering educational and exciting programs to your organization. Phoenix Zoo Outreach Specialists strive to engage audiences about the wonders of our earth and the animals with whom we share it.

Phoenix Zoo Outreach has three different programs depending upon your location in Arizona:

ZooToYou (within Metro Phoenix)
(outside Metro Phoenix)
Distance Learning (to anywhere)

ZooToYou

Our Phoenix Zoo Outreach Team will deliver exciting educational programs directly to your school! The ZooToYou Outreach program is for locations within the Phoenix Metro area. Our Outreach Specialists will engage your students by providing up-close animal experiences with a select group of invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. We strive to inspire students about the wonders of our earth and the animals with whom we share it. Use a ZooToYou Outreach program to introduce, reinforce, or culminate your classroom curriculum. Choose from one of our exciting program topics or we can create a custom program to fit your needs.

ZooToYou presentations can be either a booth setting (demonstration table with one-on-one discussion) or an interactive program with audience participation.

Program Pricing
Educational/Youth Group:
$190 1st hour/instructor, $150 additional consecutive hour or additional instructor
• Additional presentations can be booked at a discounted price

All Others:
$250 1st hour/instructor, $150 additional consecutive hour or additional instructor
• Additional presentations can be booked at a discounted price

Program Details
Duration: 60 minutes (unless otherwise noted)
Availability: Can be scheduled any day
Group Size: Maximum of 75 attendees per interactive presentation; schedule additional presentation for larger groups
Reservations: Three weeks notice and advanced payment required. Call 602-914-4333 to register.

Other Notes:
For additional information about the ZooToYou program call our Outreach Office at 602-273-1341 ext. 7356.

Program Topics

PreK
30 minutes –two consecutive thirty minute programs must be scheduled (35 attendee limit/half hour)
Animals A to Z
A is for animal, F is for fur…Scales, feathers, and fur are some of the things that cover animal bodies. Sort the animals into groups based on what is the same about them as we skip through the alphabet learning new animal words.

45 minutes (includes literacy component of reading a book) (40 attendee limit)
Colorful Creatures (ages 3-6)
Animals come in many colors … like red, green, brown, and blue. All those pretty colors might help them hide from YOU! A tale of a chameleon will help explain it all, we’ll explore animal colors and have ourselves a ball.
Book: The Mixed Up Chameleon by Eric Carle

Movin’ and Groovin’ (ages 3-6)
Twist and shout, do-si-do and turn about! While we all love to rock and sway, animals like to move their way. We will find out interesting ways animals move their bodies, and do the same with our bodies too.
Book: Doing the Animal Bop by Jan Ormerod and Lindsey Gardiner

Desert Discovery (ages 4-6)
Arizona boasts four beautiful deserts, all full of wonderful plants and animals. Join our journey through the life of the giant saguaro cactus and discover some of the animals you can see in the desert!
Book: The Seed and the Giant Saguaro by Jennifer Ward

Kindergarten – 1st Grade
Animal Kingdom
From fur to feathers, scales to exoskeletons, discover the amazing characteristics of the animal world. Identify and learn about the similarities and differences that help us categorize animals into distinct scientific groups.

Growing Up Animals
Growing up is hard to do! Join us on a journey through the stages of life as we learn what baby animals are called and see what they look like as adults.

Sonora’s Desert Journey
Sonora the Harris’ hawk meets many desert animals in her quest to find water. Follow Sonora’s story in the book Sonora’s Desert Journey and discover how animals have adapted to live in the desert.

2nd-3rd Grade
Zoobusters: Busting Animal Myths
Venture into the world of slimy, scaly, or even creepy creatures. Learn how these "creepy" animals are beneficial to plants, animals, and even their environment. See for yourself that these animals aren't as "creepy" as you thought!

Up All Night
A whole world of animals comes alive when we go to sleep. Discover some amazing adaptations that help animals navigate in the dark and learn why these animals are active at night.

3rd-4th Grade
Amazing Arizona
Desert dwellers have amazing adaptations to survive in a hot and dry climate. Discover the variety of animals that live in the Arizona deserts and explore other unique landscapes our diverse state has to offer.

What’s For Dinner?
Sharp claws, silent flight, hard scales…animals have adaptations to help them find food or avoid being eaten. Discover fascinating tactics and characteristics as we explore the wild animal survival kit.

5th-6th Grade
CSI: Critter Scene Investigation
Calling all animal detectives…Help investigate the clues that animals leave behind. Whether you’re an expert biologist conducting research or just an amateur wildlife watcher, tracks, scat, feathers, fur, and lots of other evidence found at a “critter-scene” can be revealing and helpful. Can you crack the case?

Structural Integrity
The foot bone is connected to the ankle bone…the bicep is connected to the triceps. The parts of the body all work together to help animals, and us, move. Many fascinating things happen inside an animal’s body! Discover how it all works together as we look at living systems and learn with the help of our animal ambassadors.

7th-8th Grade
Rainforest Adventure
Discover the ways in which humans depend on the rainforests in their everyday lives. Learn about the characteristics of tropical rainforests, including stratification and the biodiversity of plant and animal species that exist in this unique environment.

Eat or Be Eaten
Dive into the world of predators and prey! Explore some adaptations and strategies predators use to catch prey, and how prey avoid getting caught. It’s a food web full of suspense to determine who will survive.

9th-12th Grade
Inspired by Nature (best for class sizes of 40 or less)
Did you know Velcro was created after an encounter with burrs? Nature, including animals, has been inspiring people for hundreds of years. Explore with the help of our animal ambassadors and discover how nature has directly influenced our past and present, and how it can benefit our future.

Custom Programs:
If our standard program offerings do not fit your needs, please contact the Outreach

Academic Standards

The Phoenix Zoo Zoomobile sponsored by Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation

Zoomobile Outreach programs are designed to reach schools in communities outside the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan area. The Phoenix Zoo is proud to celebrate over 30 years of partnership with the Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation to offer our Zoomobile program.

Please call 602.914.4329 to find out if your school qualifies.

Program Pricing
Free while supplies last. All fees are generously underwritten by Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Foundation.

Program Details
Duration: Programs usually last 60 minutes

Availability: The Zoomobile is scheduled to be in each area of the state for a limited period of time. Programs are typically offered to K-12 schools on a first come, first serve basis within the scheduled travel area.

Group Size: Maximum of 75 attendees per hour program; two consecutive programs per school may be scheduled for a total of 150 attendees per school.

Reservations: Are made through the Zoomobile Coordinator and are subject to availability. Please call 602.914.4329 for more information.

Program Topics**
**Most ZooToYou program topics are appropriate for Zoomobile. Program topic is selected by the Zoomobile Coordinator.

Distance Learning

Phoenix Zoo Distance Learning broadcasts into your classroom with live animals, engaging activities, and inquiry-based programs – the same quality programming you expect from the Phoenix Zoo, just virtual. All you need is a computer, a projector, and an internet connection and you’ll have access to dynamic programming from our Outreach team.

Program Pricing
$90 per program/classroom
Our Distance Learning Outreach programs are designed for a single classroom to interact with our Outreach team.

Program Details
Duration: 45 – 60 minutes, depending upon the age of the students

Availability: Wednesday and Thursday mornings starting on November 7, 2012. Please contact our Reservations Department for available slots.

Group Size: Maximum of 40 attendees for each session.

Reservations: Three weeks notice and advanced payment required. Call 602.914.4333 to register.

Program Topics

Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tails (Grades K - 2)
In this 45 minute program students will explore animal body features and be introduced to the concept of physical adaptation. Our Outreach Specialists will utilize a combination of live animals, captivating video and imagery, and interactive games. Ultimately, students will work together to create their own imaginary animal as they develop an understanding of why various body features are essential for animal survival.

The Amazing World of Adaptations (Grades 3 - 4)
Designed to compliment learning standards for grades 3 and 4, this program explores the physical and behavioral adaptations of a variety of plants and animals. Our Outreach Specialists will utilize a combination of live animals, captivating video and imagery, and interactive games to introduce or review the topic of adaptations.

The Science of Black-footed Ferret Conservation (Grades 5 - 6)
Students become conservation biologists in this interactive, inquiry-based program that explores how the scientific method is used to solve real-world conservation challenges. Students will use behavioral and physical data to determine the ideal housing structure for a captive black-footed ferret breeding program and then compare their results to the Phoenix Zoo’s program through a virtual tour of our breeding facility.

Conservation and Human Impacts (Grades 7 - 8)

Exploring Evolution (Grades 9 - 12)

Let the power of video, imagery, live animals, and interactive games help your students explore important aspects of evolution such as: natural selection, genotypic and phenotypic variation, and the influence of environmental factors on species evolution. This program may serve as an introduction or review of these key topics in evolutionary study.