Third graders from Avon Heritage South take a virtual tour of Buffalo Zoo with a focus on topical rainforests. The session lead by Rebecca Balk from the zoo was highly interactive and exciting for the students. The class identified the layers of the rainforest and the animals that make that location their home. Rebecca discussed the physical characteristics that make them successful in that layer. Several insects were placed on the document camera for the students to get an up close and personal view of them and their unique adaptations.The students were also treated to a live viewing of some the animals in the zoo through camera placed in their exhibits. The students enjoyed the cameras of the sloth and a close up of the animals face. The camera angles and picture quality were amazing. The students had a better view of the exhibits than if they were onsite. Rebecca has the ability to move and zoom her cameras around the exhibit to make the live viewing exciting for the students.
The Buffalo Zoo is a program that has become a staple in our teacher’s curriculum. Mrs. Johnson has scheduled this program for the third straight year. She actually contacted the zoo in October to schedule the program in May. To learn more about the Buffalo Zoo and their distance learning programs you can visit them on the web at www.buffalozoo.org/distance_learning.html
