Taronga Zoo

This was my favorite activity that we have done so far while in Australia. It was great to go and see the different animals that are native to Australia and see how they are shown through the eyes of the zoo. The zoo was not set up like I had anticipated; I was expecting the zoo to be on a flat piece of land, but it was actually on a huge hill that was covered with natural trees and land areas. I have been to the zoo many times in Chicago and was surprised that this zoo was actually larger in size and in the amount of animals that they have. It was great to see a koala in its own habitat, to an extent, and see all the other animals that I have learned about for many years. I know that before I left for Australia I looked at the zoos website and they had print out that teachers could do with a class before the trip would be taken. This way the students are exposed to what they are going to be learning about and seeing at the zoo. When we met with the Taronga Zoo educator, it was great to see him treat us as though we were a young children’s class. He gave us an introduction about animals that I was at first afraid to touch and that I was not going to touch at all. Once we were done looking at the inside animals and reptiles, we walked along the tiled path to the hands on area to see and touch the animals. The Taronga Zoo educator was very friendly and helpful when it came to answering questions that people had about particular educational experiences that have helped the Australian students. It was also great to touch some of the animals that I have only dreamed about holding and interacting with. I liked how the Taronga Zoo educator stated that each school will experience the zoo differently; some schools will let the students run around and explore, while others will walk with the students and help them along with what they feel should be learned. After the whole experience I felt honored that we were able to experience the zoo in a way that some teachers in the United States would never be able to experience. I believe seeing the zoo this way was very eye opening to what teachers can do for their students and how it can be more beneficial to the students.