Book a FREE* activity for your students
Sessions are 45 minutes unless otherwise stated.
Sessions work best with 30 or fewer pupils, but unless otherwise stated, we can accommodate more if necessary.
Our sessions are limited in availability and very popular.
Please book as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
If you have any questions about these sessions or wish to check availability on a specific date, please contact our education department directly at 01206 332511, 01206 332512 or 01206 331292 or email education@colchesterzoo.org
Available Sessions:
- Adaptations Talk
- Animal Careers
- Art Session
- Behaviour Workshop
- Classification Talk
- Classification Workshop
- Enclosure Design
- Endangered Species
- English Session
- Enrichment Workshop
- Maths Session
- Primates Session
- Q & A Session
- Science in the Wild
- The Role of Zoos Talk
- Wildlife Forensics
Click on an education session for more details including curriculum links.
Unsure which session to book? Click here to open our session matrix in a new tab, it highlights the specific subjects and key skills covered in each session. All sessions will assist you in the teaching of ‘British Values’ and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. (SMSC)
* Colchester Zoo reserves the right to charge a £20 fee for all educational sessions which are booked but not attended either due to last minute cancellation (less than 1 week notice), or not attending on the day without a valid reason. If you attend the session they are free of charge.
Detailed Session Descriptions:
Adaptations Talk KS3 or KS4
What specific adaptations do animals have? Students will learn about structural, physiological, and behavioural adaptations. Volunteers are dressed in costumes and the group will discuss the benefits of their adaptations. For lower groups, this is then elaborated on by exploring some of the key adaptions of predator/prey animals and animals living in hot/cold habitats. Higher groups focus entirely on hot/cold habitat adaptations with a focus on homeostasis, including enzyme functions.
Click for National Curriculum links
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Science – Genetics and Evolution: differences between species; the variation between species and between individuals of the same species means some organisms compete more successfully.
Science – Relationships in an ecosystem: the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem, including food webs (herbivores, carnivores); how organisms affect, and are affect by, their environment.
Science – Biology: nutrition and digestion: the importance of bacteria in the human digestive system (discussed with reference to animal digestion).
Biology AQA – 4.7.1.4 Adaptations: Students should be able to explain how organisms are adapted to live in their natural environment, given appropriate information. Organisms have features (adaptations) that enable them to survive in the conditions in which they normally live. These adaptations may be structural, behavioural or functional. Some organisms live in environments that are very extreme, such as at high temperature, pressure, or salt concentration. These organisms are called extremophiles.
Biology AQA – 4.5.1 Homeostasis: Students should be able to explain that homeostasis is the regulation of the internal conditions of a cell or organism to maintain optimum conditions for function in response to internal and external changes.
Biology OCR – B4.1 Ecosystems: Living organisms are interdependent and show adaptations to their environment.
Biology Edexcel – Topic 3 – Genetics 3.20: Describe the causes of variation that influence phenotype, including: a genetic variation – different characteristics as a) result of mutation and sexual reproduction b) environmental variation – different characteristics caused by an organism’s environment (acquired characteristics).
Biology Edexcel – Topic 7 – Animal coordination, control and homeostasis 7.12B: Explain how thermoregulation takes place, with reference to: a) shivering b) vasoconstriction c) vasodilation.
Animal Behaviour Workshop – Biology Focus – KS3 or KS4
Please note this session is 90 minutes, and for a maximum of 20 students.
Students discover why we study animal behaviour at Colchester Zoo. As a group, students will learn how to observe, record and interpret animal behaviours. Students practice identifying behaviours of live animals and learn the difference between innate and learned behaviours. Using this knowledge, students carry out a behavioural study. They enter this data into ethograms which will be analysed by the entire group.
Click for National Curriculum links
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Science – observations; data collection; developing scientific explanations; evaluating data collection and result validity; recognising correlations and causal relationships.
Biology AQA – 2 Experimental skills and strategies WS 2.6: Make and record observations and measurements using a range of apparatus and methods.
Biology AQA – 4.7.1.2 Abiotic factors: Students should be able to explain how a change in an abiotic factor would affect a given community given appropriate data or context.
Biology AQA – 4.7.1.3 Biotic factors: Students should be able to explain how a change in a biotic factor might affect a given community given appropriate data or context.
Biology OCR – Ideas about Science: data are crucial to science; developing scientific explanations.
Biology OCR – B8: Practical Skills: Physiology, responses, respiration: safe and ethical use of living organisms to measure physiological functions and responses to the environment.
Biology Edexcel – How science works: data, evidence, theories and explanations; the collection and analysis of scientific data; the interpretation of data.
Biology Edexcel – Topic 9 – Ecosystem and material cycles: suggested practical: investigate animal behaviour.
Animal Behaviour Workshop – Psychology Focus – KS3 or KS4
Please note this session is 90 minutes, and for a maximum of 20 students.
Students discover the basics of animal behaviour. As a starting point, students learn the difference between innate and learned behaviour. This leads into the theories of classical and operant condition and the different types of operant conditioning. Building on that, students discover how animal training is a form of operant conditioning.
Click for National Curriculum links
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Science – observations; data collection; developing scientific explanations; evaluating data collection and result validity; recognising correlations and causal relationships.
Psychology AQA – Understanding other people: learn the principles of classical condition and operant condition; describe and evaluate attempt to apply conditioning to change unwanted behaviour.
Psychology AQA – Methods of investigation: observation, including categories of behaviours; advantages and disadvantages of each method of investigation. Psychology OCR – Individual differences: distinguish between an unconditioned stimulus, and a conditioned stimulus; distinguish between an unconditioned response and a conditioned response; understand the process of classical conditioning.
Psychology OCR – Social psychology: explain the role of observation and imitation in learning non-verbal behaviour; describe the role of reinforcement and punishment. Psychology Edexcel – Why do we have phobias: understanding of social learning theory (modelling and vicarious reinforcement); classical/Pavlovian conditioning (association and generalisation).
Psychology Edexcel – Investigating the question: ethical issues of experiments using animals including social isolation, number and choice of species; practical issues of experiments using animals.
Animal Careers KS3 or KS4
This session will provide your students with information about the range of jobs available in the animal industry (not just being a zookeeper!). Details of these jobs including typical daily tasks as well as specific job requirements will be discussed. Suggestions on volunteering experience and what courses are useful are also covered. For each job role discussed in detail, an interview with a staff member working in that job provides a real life context for their career path.
This session works well if your students are interested in pursuing a career in the animal industry, or if your students need to know details about zoo job roles including specific requirements and qualifications. Click for key topics covered:
Art at the Zoo KS3 or KS4
Please note this session is for a maximum of 30 students.
This session opens with a brief introduction to Colchester Zoo and how we use art. Then students have the opportunity to sketch, draw, or photograph from a variety of still life resources, including: furs, skins, skulls, feathers, and more. These resources allow students to get up close and pay attention to textures, patterns, shape, and structure.
Students attending this session must bring their own dry drawing materials, sketchbooks, cameras, etc. Art materials will not be provided.
Click for National Curriculum links
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Art and Design: use a range of technique to record their observations in sketchbooks and other media; to increase their proficiency in the handling of different materials.
Design and Technology: use research and exploration; use a variety of approaches, including biomimicry, to generate creative ideas.
GCSE Art and Design: develop artistic skills, knowledge and understanding; understand arts in context; record ideas and designs from a range of objects and artefacts.
Classification Talk KS3 or KS4
After discovering why we classify things, students will learn how modern classification and binomial nomenclature developed. Following this, students get the chance to guess what characteristics define animals in different phyla, with particular focus on the five main vertebrate groups. After going through the other levels of organisation, students learn about what makes a species a species.
Click for National Curriculum links
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Science – Genetics and variation: the variation between species and between individuals of the same species means some organisms compete more successfully, which can drive natural selection.
Science – Working scientifically: understand that scientific methods and theories develop as earlier explanations are modified to take account of new evidence and ideas; interpret observations and data, including identifying patterns and using observations to draw conclusions. Biology AQA – 4.6.2.2 Evolution: Students should be able to describe evolution as a change in the inherited characteristics of a population over time through a process of natural selection which may result in the formation of a new species. The theory of evolution by natural selection states that all species of living things have evolved from simple life forms that first developed more than three billion years ago. Biology OCR – B6.3 How does our understanding of biology help us classify the diversity of organisms on Earth? Describe the impact of developments in biology on classification systems, including the use of DNA analysis to classify organisms. Biology Edexcel – Topic 4 – Natural selection and genetic modification 4.7 Describe how genetic analysis has led to the suggestion of the three domains rather than the five kingdoms classification method .
If you would like students to get the chance to see animal artefacts up close, and practice classifying animals based on their hands-on observations, book the Classification Workshop.
Classification Workshop KS3 or KS4
Please note this session is 90 minutes, and for a maximum of 40 students.
Students learn why we classify thing and how modern classification and binomial nomenclature developed. Students then learn the key characteristics which define different animal phyla, with particular focus on the five main vertebrate groups. Using this knowledge, students examine real animal artefacts (skins, skulls, etc.) and practice classifying them based on their visual characteristics. After classifying the artefacts, students will also have the chance to examine them looking for individual variation, and guessing at the cause of the variation.
Click for National Curriculum links
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Science – Genetics and variation: the variation between species and between individuals of the same species means some organisms compete more successfully, which can drive natural selection.
Science – Working scientifically: understand that scientific methods and theories develop as earlier explanations are modified to take account of new evidence and ideas; interpret observations and data, including identifying patterns and using observations to draw conclusions. Biology AQA – 4.6.2.2 Evolution: Students should be able to describe evolution as a change in the inherited characteristics of a population over time through a process of natural selection which may result in the formation of a new species. The theory of evolution by natural selection states that all species of living things have evolved from simple life forms that first developed more than three billion years ago. Biology OCR – B6.3 How does our understanding of biology help us classify the diversity of organisms on Earth? Describe the impact of developments in biology on classification systems, including the use of DNA analysis to classify organisms. Biology Edexcel – Topic 4 – Natural selection and genetic modification 4.7 Describe how genetic analysis has led to the suggestion of the three domains rather than the five kingdoms classification method .
Enclosure Design Workshop KS3 or KS4
Please note this session is 90 minutes, and for a maximum of 40 students.
Students will learn all about creating appropriate enclosures for zoo animals. Using examples from the zoo, pupils learn how enclosure design must meet the needs of the keepers, animals, and public visitors. Using this knowledge, pupils critique a current enclosure at the zoo through first hand observation. Then pupils have the chance to design their own enclosure and share their design with the group.
Click for National Curriculum links
- Design and Technology – Design: identify and solve their own design problems; develop and communicate design ideas using annotated sketches.
Design and Technology – Evaluate: test, evaluate and design their ideas and products against a specification, taking into account the views of intended users and other interested groups. AQA Design and Technology – Designing skills: design products to meet the needs of clients and consumers; analyse and evaluate existing products; consider the conflicting demands that moral, cultural, economic, and social values and needs can make in the planning and in the designing of products; communicate the design proposal in an appropriate manner; understand the advantages of working collaboratively as a member of a design team. OCR Design and Technology – Introduction to designing and making: use appropriate recording and drawing techniques; produce a detailed specification for the product; use detailed notes and annotated drawings to record original design ideas. Edexcel Design and Technology – Design: present alternative initial design ideas that are realistic, workable and detailed; demonstrate their understanding of materials, processes and techniques; address specification points through their initial design ideas.
Edexcel Design and Technology – Review: present objective evaluative comments against their original specification criteria; use user group feedback to evaluate their initial design.
English – Debating Skills KS3 or KS4
Please note this session is for a maximum of 40 students.
Spoken English, including formal debates and structured discussions are key components of the English curriculum. At Colchester Zoo we recognise that zoos are an often debated topic. In this session, students are introduced to key debating terms and practice their speaking and listening skills. Through a series of debating games students learn the concepts of agreement, disagreement, and persuasive speaking. After the session, students are provided with worksheets for them to record first-hand observations about the pros and cons of the zoo. At the end of the session, teachers are provided with our detailed ‘Zoo Debate’ lesson plan, which includes two critical reading exercises. These classroom activities, in conjunction with the worksheets students complete at the zoo, culminate in a classroom debate about the purpose and benefit of zoos.
Click for National Curriculum links
- Citizenship: students are equipped with the skills to think critically and debate political questions..
English – Spoken Language: Giving short speeches and presentations, expressing their own ideas and keeping to the point; Participating in formal debates and structured discussions, summarising and/or building on what has been said; Planning for different purposes and audiences, including selecting and organising information and ideas effectively and persuasively for formal spoken presentations and debates; Listening and responding in a variety of different contexts, both formal and informal, and evaluating content, viewpoints, evidence and aspects of presentation English AQA – Speaking and Listening: Present and listen to information and ideas; respond to the questions and views of others; make a range of effective contributions; participate in a range of contexts, including real life uses of talk and audiences beyond the classroom.
English OCR – Speaking and Listening: Engage in speaking and listening activities in a variety of formal and informal contexts; present and listening to information and ideas; respond appropriately to the questions and views of others’ participate in a range of real-life contexts in and beyond the classroom; listen and respond to speaker’s ideas and perspectives, and how they construct and express meaning’ create and sustain different roles.
English Edexcel – Speaking and Listening: Present and listen to information and ideas; respond appropriately to the questions and the views of others; participate in a range of real-life context in and beyond the classroom; interact with others, shaping meanings through suggestions, comments and questions and drawing ideas together.
Enrichment Workshop KS3 or KS4
Please note this session is 90 minutes for a maximum of 40 students.
Students learn how we keep our animals entertained. The problems of stereotypical behaviour (abnormal behaviour) and boredom in captive animals is examined. After that, students will get the chance to get hands-on and make some enrichment. After it’s made, the enrichment will be placed in with the animals and students will get the chance to watch the animals interacting with the things they have made.
Maths Session KS3
Please note this session is for a maximum of 30 students.
Students work in small groups practicing real world hands-on maths skills. Groups rotate around different stations with animal artefacts, animal diets and even live animals. At each station, students work together to solve a maths problem including designing enclosures, calculating medicine dosages, measuring speeds, and converting currencies. Click for National Curriculum links
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KS3 Maths
Develop fluency: select and use appropriate calculation strategies to solve increasingly complex problems; substitute values in expressions, rearrange and simplify expressions, and solve equations.
Reason mathematically: interpret when the structure of a numerical problem requires additive, multiplicative, or proportional reasoning.
Solve problems: develop their mathematical knowledge, in part through solving problems and evaluating the outcomes, including multi-step problems; develop formal mathematical knowledge to interpret and solve problems, including in financial mathematics.
Number: order integers; use the four operations; define percentages and interpret percentages interpret percentages as operators; use standard units of mass, length, time and money; use a calculator and other technologies to calculate results accurate accurately.
Geometry and measures: derive and apply formulae to calculate and solve problems involving perimeter and area.
Statistics: describe, interpret and compare observed distributions of a single variable through appropriate measures of central tendency.
Primates and Us Session KS3 and KS4
Students will discover how diverse primates are, why they are amazing, what the zoo is doing and what they can do to help save primates. The group will investigate the evolutionary story of primates – included in this are the differences between primate species with a focus on the four main groups of primates: posimian (lemurs, etc.), new world monkeys, old world monkeys, and apes. With this knowledge students will better understand why primates are worth saving from the many threats primates face in the wild. The session ends with a discussion about what the zoo is doing to help, and what each student can personally do to help save primates. The entire session uses props and artefacts to help reinforce learning. Click for National Curriculum links
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Science – Genetics and evolution: heredity as the process by which genetic information is transmitted from one generation to the next; differences between species; the variation between species and between individuals of the same species means some organisms compete more successfully, which can drive natural selection; changes in the environment may leave individuals within a species, and some entire species, less well adapted to compete successfully and reproduce, which in turn may lead to extinction.
Science – Relationships in an ecosystem: the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem, including food webs and insect pollinated crops; how organisms affect, and are affected by, their environment, including the accumulation of toxic materials.
History – Ideas, political power, industry and empire: Britain, 1745-1901: Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’
Geography – Human and physical geography: understand human geography relating to population and urbanization; international development; and the use of natural resources; and understand how human and physical processes interact to influence, and change landscapes, environments and the climate.
Citizenship: students are equipped with the skills to think critically and debate political questions; the roles played by public institutions and voluntary groups in society, and the ways in which citizens work together to improve their communities
Biology AQA – 4.7.3.1 Biodiversity: Biodiversity is the variety of all the different species of organisms on earth, or within an ecosystem. The future of the human species on Earth relies on us maintaining a good level of biodiversity. Many human activities are reducing biodiversity and only recently have measures been taken to try to stop this reduction.
Biology AQA – 4.7.3.3 Land use: Humans reduce the amount of land available for other animals and plants by building, quarrying, farming and dumping waste.
Biology AQA – 4.7.3.2 Waste Management: Rapid growth in the human population and an increase in the standard of living mean that increasingly more resources are used and more waste is produced. Unless waste and chemical materials are properly handled, more pollution will be caused. Pollution kills plants and animals which can reduce biodiversity.
Biology AQA – 4.7.3.4 Deforestation: Large-scale deforestation in tropical areas has occurred to: provide land for cattle and rice fields, grow crops for biofuels.
Biology OCR – B6. Global Challenges: B6.1b Describe both positive and negative human interactions within ecosystems and explain their impact on biodiversity.
Biology OCR – B6. Global Challenges: B6.1c explain some of the benefits and challenges of maintaining local and global biodiversity.
Biology Edexcel – Topic 9 – Ecosystems and material cycles: 9.9 Explain the positive and negative human interactions within ecosystems and their impacts on biodiversity.
Biology Edexcel – Topic 9 – Ecosystems and material cycles: 9.10 Explain the benefits of maintaining local and global biodiversity, including the conservation of animal species and the impact of reforestation.
Biology Edexcel – Topic 9 – Ecosystems and material cycles: 9.11B Describe the biological factors affecting levels of food security, including: a) increasing human population b) increasing animal farming and the increased meat and fish consumption c) the impact of new pests and pathogens d) environmental change caused by human activity e) sustainability issues.
Citizenship Studies Edexcel: Theme D: Power and influence: Examples of how citizens working together or through groups attempt to change or improve their communities through actions to address public policy, challenge injustice or resolve a local community issue.
Q & A Session KS3 and KS4
Please note this session is for a maximum of 50 students.
This session is a bookable timeslot for your students to ask Colchester Zoo staff questions. Zoo staff are prepared to answer questions on a wide range of topics including how we use science at Colchester Zoo, how we meet the needs of our customers, health and safety concerns of a zoo, case study examples of our conservation projects around the world, or a focus on any other topic.
This session is ideal for students who are required to gather specific information for completing mock assessment, portfolios, workbooks, etc.
Students attending this session MUST come prepared with a list of question to ask the speaker.
Saving Endangered Species Talk KS3 or KS4
Many animals are endangered and threatened with extinction. In this session, students will learn about the major threats facing endangered animals: habitat loss, over use, pollution, and for older students, invasive species and poaching. Students will get the chance to see real animal artefacts up close, and learn some of the shocking facts about endangered species. These problems are contrasted with positive actions students can take to help endangered animals, with a specific focus on product labelling and how to make smart consumer choices.
Click for Prescribe Learning Outcomes: KS3, KS4
Click for National Curriculum links
- Geography – Human and physical geography: understand human geography relating to population and urbanization, international development, and the use of natural resources; understand how human and physical processes interact to influence, and change landscapes, environments and the climate.
Science – Relationships in an ecosystem: the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem, including food webs and insect pollinated crops; how organisms affect, and are affected by, their environment, including the accumulation of toxic materials.
Citizenship:students are equipped with the skills to think critically and debate political questions; the roles played by public institutions and voluntary groups in society, and the ways in which citizens work together to improve their communities Biology AQA – 4.7.3.6 Maintaining biodiversity: Students should be able to describe both positive and negative human interactions in an ecosystem and explain their impact on biodiversity .
Biology AQA – 4.6.3.6 Extinction: Extinctions occur when there are no remaining individuals of a species still alive. Students should be able to describe factors which may contribute to the extinction of a species.
Biology AQA – 4.7.2.4 Impact of environmental change: Students should be able to evaluate the impact of environmental changes on the distribution of species in an ecosystem given appropriate information. Environmental changes (specifically human interaction) affect the distribution of species in an ecosystem.
Biology AQA – 4.7.3.2 Waste management: Rapid growth in the human population and an increase in the standard of living mean that increasingly more resources are used and more waste is produced. Unless waste and chemical materials are properly handled, more pollution will be caused. Pollution kills plants and animals which can reduce biodiversity.
Biology AQA – 4.7.3.4 Deforestation: Large-scale deforestation in tropical areas has occurred to: provide land for cattle and rice fields; grow crops for biofuels.
Biology OCR – Topic B6: Global challenges B6.1b: describe both positive and negative human interactions within ecosystems and explain their impact on biodiversity.
Biology OCR – Topic B6: Global challenges B6.1b: B6.1c explain some of the benefits and challenges of maintaining local and global biodiversity.
Biology OCR – B6.4 How is biodiversity threatened and how can we protect it? 1) Describe both positive and negative human interactions within ecosystems and explain their impact on biodiversity d) Explain some of the benefits and challenges of maintaining local and global biodiversity .
Citizenship Studies OCR – 2.6 Citizenship participation in the UK: Analyse the roles played by public institutions, public services, interest and pressure groups, trade unions, charities and voluntary groups in providing a voice for and support to different groups of citizens.
Biology Edexcel – Topic 9 – Ecosystems and material cycles 9.9: Explain the positive and negative human interactions within ecosystems and their impacts on biodiversity, including: a) fish farming b) introduction of non-indigenous species c) eutrophication.
Biology Edexcel – Topic 9 – Ecosystems and material cycles 9.10: Explain the benefits of maintaining local and global biodiversity, including the conservation of animal species and the impact of reforestation.
Biology Edexcel – Topic 9 – Ecosystems and material cycles 9.11B: Describe the biological factors affecting levels of food security, including: a) increasing human population b) increasing animal farming and the increased meat and fish consumption c) the impact of new pests and pathogens d) environmental change caused by human activity e) sustainability issues, e.g. use of land for biofuel production and the cost of agricultural inputs.
This talk focuses on the specific issues causing endangered species and what people can do to help. If you would like a focus specifically on poaching and the illegal wildlife trade book the Wildlife Forensics Workshop.
Science in the Wild KS3
Students will learn how our real life wildlife ranger team use science in the wild at our nature reserve in South Africa. After an introduction to the topic, students learn a variety of real wildlife sampling techniques, including tracks, scat, browse, and mark-recapture calculations. The students then get hands-on in the classroom with real field skills and identify animals found on the reserve through a variety of methods to answer the question: what part of the reserve has the greatest biodiversity. Click for National Curriculum links
- Science – Relationships in an ecosystem: the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem.
Science – Working Scientifically: Experimental Skills and Investigations: ask questions and develop a line of enquiry based on observations of the real world, alongside prior knowledge and experience; make predictions using scientific knowledge and understanding; make and record observations and measurements using a range of methods for different investigations, and evaluate the reliability of methods and suggest possible; apply sampling techniques.
Science – Working Scientifically: Analysis and Evaluation: apply mathematical concepts and calculate results; interpret observations and data, including identifying patterns and using observations, measurements and data to draw conclusions.
Science – Working Scientifically: Measurement: use and derive simple equations and carry out appropriate calculations; undertake basic data analysis including simple statistical techniques.
The Role of Zoos Talk KS3 or KS4
What do zoos do, and why? Students learn the main goals of a modern zoo. Based on these goals, students can consider their own opinions about zoos while discovering how zoos play vital roles in conservation. Colchester Zoo’s contributions to in-situ and ex-situ conservation will be discussed using specific case studies.
Click for National Curriculum links
- Citizenship – think critically and debate political questions; the roles played by public institutions and voluntary groups in society.
Science – Relationships in an ecosystem: the interdependence of organisms in an ecosystem; how organisms affect, and are affected by, their environment, including the accumulation of toxic materials.
English – Spoken language: participating in formal debates and structured discussions, summarising and/or building on what has been said.
Biology AQA – 4.7.2.4 Impact of environmental change (biology only): Students should be able to evaluate the impact of environmental changes on the distribution of species in an ecosystem given appropriate information. Environmental changes affect the distribution of species in an ecosystem.
Biology AQA – 4.7.3.6 Maintaining biodiversity: Students should be able to describe both positive and negative human interactions in an ecosystem and explain their impact on biodiversity. Scientists and concerned citizens have put in place programmes to reduce the negative effects of humans on ecosystems and biodiversity. These include: breeding programmes for endangered species; protection and regeneration of rare habitats; reduction of deforestation; recycling resources rather than dumping waste in landfill.
Biology OCR – B6. Global Challenges: B6.1b Describe both positive and negative human interactions within ecosystems and explain their impact on biodiversity.
Biology OCR – B6. Global Challenges: B6.1c explain some of the benefits and challenges of maintaining local and global biodiversity.
Biology Edexcel – Topic 9 – Ecosystems and material cycles: 9.3 Describe the importance of interdependence in a community.
Biology Edexcel – Topic 9 – Ecosystems and material cycles: 9.9 Explain the positive and negative human interactions within ecosystems and their impacts on biodiversity, including: b) introduction of non-indigenous species.
Wildlife Forensics Session KS3 or KS4
New! This session is now only 45 minutes.
Please note this session is for a maximum of 40 students.
Students explore the issues of illegal wildlife crime, learning about the problems of hunting, poaching, pets, souvenirs, medicine, and bushmeat. While examining real, seized artefacts of the illegal wildlife trade, students learn how organisations are helping to stop these crimes by identifying criminals and identifying the animal victims. Some of the methods, such as finger print analysis and firearm analysis may be familiar, but students will also get to try feather identification, and skull identification as well as learning about DNA analysis for species and parentage. Students will leave with new science skills and an appreciation of the threat caused by wildlife crime.
Click for National Curriculum links
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Citizenship – develop a sound knowledge and understand of the role of law and the justice system; are equipped with the skills to think critically and debate political questions; the roles played by public institutions and voluntary groups in society, and the ways in which citizens work together to improve their communities.
Science – Working scientifically: ask questions and develop a line of enquiry based on observations of the real world, alongside prior knowledge and experience; make predictions using scientific knowledge and understanding.
Biology AQA – 4.7.3.1 Biodiversity: The future of the human species on Earth relies on us maintaining a good level of biodiversity. Many human activities are reducing biodiversity and only recently have measures been taken to try to stop this reduction.
Biology AQA – 4.7.3.6 Maintaining biodiversity: Students should be able to describe both positive and negative human interactions in an ecosystem and explain their impact on biodiversity. Scientists and concerned citizens have put in place programmes to reduce the negative effects of humans on ecosystems and biodiversity.
Citizenship Studies AQA – 3.3.1 What laws does a society require and why? Rights in local to global situations where there is conflict and where rights and responsibilities need to be balanced.
Citizenship Studies AQA – 3.3.5 How do citizens play a part to bring about change in the legal system? The roles played by pressure and interest groups, trade unions, charities and voluntary groups, public institutions and public services in providing a voice and support for different groups in society campaigning to bring about a legal change or to fight an injustice.
Citizenship Studies AQA – Understand the role of law in underpinning relationships among individuals, groups, and institutions; develop enquiry, critical thinking and decision-making skills through investigation of legal issues that are important, real, and relevant to the world, and base reasoned judgements and arguments on this evidence.
Biology OCR – Ideas about Science: data are crucial to science; developing scientific explanations.
Biology OCR – B6. Global Challenges: B6.1b Describe both positive and negative human interactions within ecosystems and explain their impact on biodiversity.
Citizenship Studies OCR – 1.3 The Legal System: Know and understand the operation of the justice system: the role and powers of the police.
Citizenship Studies OCR – 3.1 Identities and diversity in UK society: Know the main factors that affect people’s sense of identity at individual, group, national and global scales.
Law OCR – understand the role of law in underpinning relationships among individuals, groups, and institutions; develop enquiry, critical thinking and decision-making skills through investigation of legal uses that are important, real, and relevant to the world in which they live, and base reasoned judgements and arguments on this evidence.
Law OCR – Police powers: the balance between supporting the rights of individuals and allowing the police the power to investigate crime.
Biology Edexcel – Working Scientifically: data, evidence, theories and explanations; the interpretation of data.
Biology Edexcel – Topic 9 – Ecosystems and material cycles: 9.3 Explain the benefits of maintaining local and global biodiversity, including the conservation of animal species and the impact of reforestation.
Citizenship Studies Edexcel – Theme E: Taking citizenship action: Identify an issue, problem, cause of social need that relates to citizenship concepts and issues studied as part of the course.
Citizenship Studies Edexcel – Theme C: Law and Justice: The role of law in everyday life in dealing with complex problems .
This session focuses on the illegal wildlife trade including poaching. If you would like a more general talk on the many other reasons for endangered species, and human actions to help endangered species, book the Saving Endangered Species Talk.
