Curriculum and program expectations that are covered with the Reptiles & Amphibians program:
Kinder:
Early numeracy
Environment and Community Awareness
Personal and social responsibility
Physical skills
Grade 1:
Needs of Plants & Animals
Senses
Seasonal Changes
Grade 2:
Hot and Cold Temperature
Small Crawling & Flying
Grade 3:
Hearing and Sound
Life Cycles
Grade 5:
Wetland Ecosystems
Reptiles & Amphibians
How many kinds of toads, frogs, snakes and lizards do we have in Alberta?
If we find them in the wild, how can we be safe around them?
How do they survive the winter?
What does a baby salamander look like?
How can we help the turtles?
How do they poop?
These and many more pressing questions will be answered in an inquiry-based, child-led, play-forward program that is both dynamic and informative.
This is our program with the most animal interactions, because the animals are the most sociable. It is therefore the best choice for young participants such as those under kinder!
We'll bring 6-8 "special guests" which who will come around for a meet and greet. We work one-on-one with the animals and participants so all present get a chance to have an encounter on their own terms. We start small and move up to the bigger critters. This is a great time to get over phobias! These are all safe creatures: we don't bring anything dangerous... Well, Wally the tortoise thinks of himself as pretty dangerous, and he sometimes tries to nibble on brightly colored socks or shoes (but don't worry, he's very slow - easy to dodge!).
Get up close and personal with a 25 year old ball python, meet a snake that lives in Canada, and learn all about how frogs and salamanders survive our cold winters in Alberta. Get up close with Canada's largest amphibian, and feel the dinosaur-like skin on turtle toes. We will discuss diversity, leaving wild animals in the wild, what makes some animals good or bad pets. We'll learn about skeletons and anatomy, how they hear, eat, see, and sense their world, and how they interact with humans. Endangered animals will be discussed, as many reptiles and amphibians are getting more and more rare in the wild: and we will learn simple steps everyone can take to help these special creatures.
Our presenters are comprehensively trained on both animal knowledge and inquiry-based teaching: we work hard to ensure everyone in the room (big and little!) has a safe, enjoyable time.
Expect the content and language to be curated for your age group and curriculum. There will be time for questions throughout, and at the end.