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Greetings to Teachers HAPPY NEW SCHOOL YEAR FROM THE INDIANAPOLIS ZOO! We have many ways to help you engage your students in learning about the natural world this year — all while having a blast! Come for a one-of-a-kind field trip. From our NEW Kangaroo Crossing exhibit to our popular Dolphin Presentation, a class visit to the Indianapolis Zoo is a wild adventure in learning: • Students will explore animals, habitats and conservation actions to save species in the wild. • Use our FREE “Wild Learning Guides” (aligned with IAS/NGSS) to enhance your field trip experience, including pre- and post-visit activities. • Add a “Science Investigation” classroom-based program (aligned with IAS/NGSS) during the day of your visit. Students will meet with a Zoo educator to practice scientific skills while having fun! • Admission is discounted for all school groups, and all school personnel admission and bus parking are FREE the day of your field trip. Let us bring the Zoo to you. Check out our virtual “Classroom Connect” programs to bring a Zoo educator into your classroom using technology for an introduction to wildlife, habitats or biodiversity conservation. How about a nighttime view of the Zoo? Our “Nocturnal Adventures” overnight programs are an unforgettable learning experience where your class can explore all that goes on at the Zoo when the sun goes down! No matter what your learning goals are for your students, the Indianapolis Zoo has the resources to help you achieve them — and have fun while doing it. We also offer plenty of professional development opportunities just for educators and ways you can get involved behind the scenes. Come learn about biodiversity, wildlife conservation and more and be inspired with new ideas you can use in your classroom.

Table of Contents

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Field Trips

Virtual Classroom Adventures

Nocturnal Adventures Overnight Experience

7 Just for Educators — Professional Learning Opportunities 8 Volunteer Opportunities

Discover the possibilities online at IndianapolisZoo.com or call 317-630-2000.

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Field Trips GET REGISTERED: • Choose your date. • Make an online reservation, so we know you are coming.

*We ask that you make your reservation at least two weeks in advance.

• No payment is required at time of reservation. Schools will be billed after the field trip.

CUSTOMIZE IT: MAP IT OUT:

Check out all the exhibits at the Zoo on our website to ensure your students see all the animals you can. The Zoo’s NEW exhibit, Kangaroo Crossing, is a must-see! As you “hop through” this exhibit, you may have a close encounter with a red kangaroo or cockatoo while learning about Australian animals and their adaptations.

CHECK THE TIMES:

Look at the daily schedule and events page on our website for your visit date to see what special animal presentations or programs will be happening. You won’t want to miss the NEW Dolphin Presentation.

PLAN YOUR FOOD OPTIONS:

• Bring your food to the Zoo. Picnic areas are available at the Zoo. Watch for details in your pre-trip email. • Prearranged box lunches. Leave the lunches to us and order box lunches for your group. Visit the Field Trip section of the Zoo’s website for menus, prices and to place your order.

DOWNLOAD A WILD LEARNING GUIDE:

Our FREE guides are self-guided enrichment activities that include pre- and postvisit activities for your own classroom and are aligned with both the Indiana Academic Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Look for them in the Teacher Resource section of the Zoo’s website.

Discover the possibilities online at IndianapolisZoo.com or call 317-630-2000.

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FIELD TRIP COSTS: Student admission.......................................................................................$7 each Adult chaperone admission....................................................................$7 each (including parents, volunteers and homeschool parents)

School employees.............................................................................................FREE (including teachers, aides and bus drivers)

*on day of field trip

Bus parking on visit date.................................................................................FREE

*on day of field trip

All other vehicles....................................................................................... $10 each

HELPFUL TIPS: • Field trip pricing is available for school groups visiting the Zoo between Aug. 15, 2022 and June 2, 2023. • Groups must have at least 15 people, including teachers and adult chaperones. One adult at least 19 years of age is required to always accompany every 10 students (through Grade 12). • Dolphin Presentations are included in your admission, but capacity is limited. Plan to find seats up to 30 minutes before the posted showtime. • Thursdays and Fridays are the most popular days of the week for field trips, especially in the spring. For smaller crowd sizes, consider visiting earlier in the week or in the fall or winter. September and October are great months to spend time outdoors at the Zoo.

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Field Trips continued EXPAND STUDENT LEARNING BY ADDING A GUIDED PROGRAM TO YOUR FIELD TRIP: SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS

Cost: $100 for a class of up to 30 students

Want to address specific academic standards on your field trip or introduce your students to a particular scientific topic? Add a Science Investigation to your class visit! These 45-minute programs allow students to explore a Zoo-themed topic through direct scientific inquiry (see topic descriptions below). All programs feature hands-on activities for the students and showcase animals and plants at the Zoo. Check program availability through our website registration page before booking your self-guided field trip for a specific date. All programs align with both the Indiana Academic Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. For more information, visit the Science Investigations section of the Zoo’s Learn and Explore page.

ANIMAL LIFE CYCLES Pre-K–2nd Grade

What does it mean to be alive? What IS an animal, anyway? Students will learn about the life cycles of animals and plants and explore their basic needs.

ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS Pre-K–2nd Grade

What does it take to survive in the wild? Students will explore animal adaptations and learn a little about themselves, too!

ZOO MATH 3rd –5th Grade

Math and animals: How does that add up?? Students will discover many of the ways numbers are used at the Zoo and solve some wild math problems!

BUILDING A HABITAT 3rd –5th Grade

Where do animals live? Students will explore some wild animal habitats and how the Zoo creates animal exhibits to meet the needs of different animals.

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TROPICAL TOPPLE 3rd –5th Grade

How are living things connected around the world? Students will learn about ecosystems and the interdependence of life on Earth while having fun keeping things in balance!

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION 6th – 8th Grade

How can we help protect animals and plants in the wild for the future? Students will develop a connection to living things by exploring why they become endangered and what we can do to help.

CLIMATE CHANGE 6th – 8th Grade

How is the climate changing, and why does it matter? Students will use game-based activities to observe how greenhouse gases affect our planet’s climate and what that means for life on Earth.

ORANGUTAN MEMORY AND PROBLEM SOLVING 9th –12th Grade

Want to have some fun with your brain? Students will engage their memory skills and problem-solving abilities while learning more about the cognitive skills of orangutans.

BIODIVERSITY 9th –12th Grade

There’s more to biodiversity than meets the eye! Students will explore preserved biological materials and participate in an activity to learn about three levels of biodiversity: species-level biodiversity, genetic biodiversity and ecosystem-level biodiversity and how these help us understand the world around us.

ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS

Cost: $100 for a class of up to 30 students

Get up close with one of the Zoo’s Ambassador Animals on your next field trip. Add this 20-minute experience to learn more about a specific animal, their care at the Zoo and how the Zoo works to protect their wild counterparts. Check program availability through our website registration page before booking your self-guided field trip for a specific date.

Discover the possibilities online at IndianapolisZoo.com or call 317-630-2000.

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Virtual Classroom Adventures CAN’T MAKE IT TO THE ZOO IN PERSON? Virtual Classroom Connect Sessions bring the Zoo live into your classroom instead! Students can chat with a Zoo educator using a virtual platform. Each session lasts 30 minutes. You can choose from a topic-based session (see list below) or a Question & Answer session.

CONNECT BY TOPIC

Cost: $75 for a class of up to 30 students

A Connect by Topic session includes a discussion about your selected topic, enhanced with Zoo artifacts or videos, with time for questions and answers. Various program topics are available. If you do not see the topic you would like, custom programs may be accommodated with advanced notice. • Adaptations • Elephants • Habitats • Indiana Wildlife • Penguins • Rain Forests • Walrus and Other Pinnipeds • Wildlife Conservation • Zoo Careers

CONNECT QUESTION AND ANSWER Cost: $50 for a class of up to 30 students

Not looking for a lesson, but just have lots of questions? You and your students can connect with a Zoo educator for a Question & Answer session. To allow us time to prepare and answer as many questions as possible, we will ask for questions to be submitted at least a week before the date of the program.

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Nocturnal Adventures

COME EXPLORE THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF THE ZOO AT NIGHT! Designed especially for school and youth groups, each night is themed and includes behind-the-scenes tours, viewing some of the Zoo’s animal residents at night, and hands-on exploration of how the Zoo helps to save species from extinction. After a night of slumber in a climate-controlled area of the Zoo, groups gather together in the morning for a continental breakfast and private animal encounter before being released to explore the Zoo on their own. Check online for upcoming dates and content themes. Cost: $70 per person (includes all evening activities, evening snack, breakfast, private animal encounter and a full day’s admission to the Zoo the following day for all participants)

Discover the possibilities online at IndianapolisZoo.com or call 317-630-2000.

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Just for Educators PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES ANIMAL ENRICHMENT CHALLENGE

Oct. 1, 2022, 9 am–3 pm | Cost: $25 | Registration open

Animal enrichment materials and activities are a key component of keeping animals healthy at the Zoo. Enrichment comes in all shapes, sizes, smells, etc. and is designed to stimulate natural behaviors and engage an animal’s body and brain. In this program, educators (grades 3 – 12) will delve into the enrichment program at the Zoo and discover how their students can try their hand at creating their own animal enrichment ideas. Educators who participate in this program will have the opportunity to enter their students in the Indianapolis Zoo Animal Enrichment Challenge. Students will research and gather information, develop ideas, create a design, generate a prototype, test it and make revisions. The Enrichment Challenge aligns with both the Indiana Academic Standards and Next Generation Science Standards.

WILDLIFE SCIENCE

April 15, 2023, 1–4:30 pm | Registration begins early 2023

Discover how conservation scientists use science, technology, engineering and math to study and save wildlife. Educators will learn tangible ways to apply this knowledge with students to inspire and encourage STEM learning. Participants will gain experience working with wildlife camera traps and apps for collecting data and find out about free community-based science projects you can use in your classroom.

2023 CONSERVATION EDUCATOR ACADEMY Summer 2023 | Registration begins early 2023

In collaboration with Ball State University, we offer an insider’s view of the Zoo with learning opportunities to develop and implement inquiry-based lesson plans in the areas of science and biodiversity conservation.

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Volunteer Opportunities ADULT VOLUNTEERS Adult Volunteers (ages 18+) are key members of the Indianapolis Zoo team! If you love animals and are ready for the experience of a lifetime, check out how to get involved. Opportunities include: • Assisting with animal care • Assisting with our gardens and landscaping • Educating guests about the animals at the Zoo

ZOO TEENS Do you know a teen interested in wildlife conservation or who wants to give back to their community through service? The Zoo Teen program provides high school students ages 14 – 18 from Central Indiana with opportunities to learn how a world-class zoological facility functions, meet new people, learn job skills and have fun! Zoo Teen positions may include: •

Dolphin Presentation Assistants

•

Guest Services Assistants

•

Naturalists

Applications for this program are open from Nov. 1–Dec. 31. Completed application packets, including a letter of recommendation from a teacher, must be received no later than Dec. 31, 2022.

Discover the possibilities online at IndianapolisZoo.com or call 317-630-2000.

1200 W Washington Street Indianapolis, IN 46222 317-630-2000