Te Nukuao Wellington Zoo offers a range of unique learning workshops with our experienced Zoo Educators, from ECE age all the way up to Year 13. A Learning Workshop at the Zoo provides ākonga with the chance to meet some amazing animals, both global and native, to help them understand the role of a progressive Zoo and learn how they can care for animals and the environment.
The Zoo is an Enriching Local Curriculum (ELC), funded by the Ministry of Education. This means we can offer specialized learning experiences to schools and ECE groups at reduced prices.
Animals of Aotearoa - Years 11-13
Year 9 - 13 | Aotearoa New Zealand
How have Aotearoa’s animals come to be here? Learn about the evolution of NZ species, the impact of introduced animals and local conservation efforts to protect our taonga.
Activities on this day
Explore New Zealand’s biodiversity, how some of our unique animals have evolved over time and what effect introduced animals have had on the ecosystem. Learn about local conservation efforts and what action you can take to help protect our precious taonga.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the evolution and unique adaptations of animals in New Zealand.
- Give examples of challenges native animals face in response to human action
NZ Curriculum
Science: Living World
• Ecology Level 6: Investigate the impact of natural events and human actions on a New Zealand ecosystem.
• Ecology and evolution Level 7: Explain how the interaction between ecological factors and natural selection leads to genetic changes within populations.
• Life processes, ecology, and evolution Level 8: Understand the relationship between organisms and their environment. Explore the evolutionary processes that have resulted in the diversity of life on Earth and appreciate the place and impact of humans within these processes.
Related NCEA Standards:
• Biology 2.6 AS91158: Investigate a pattern in an ecological community, with supervision (4 credits, Internal)
Animal Behaviour for Biology 3.1 - Year 13
Year 13 - 13 | Year 13 Biology
Observe and discuss animals’ behaviour as we introduce key concepts in behavioural research. Then come back to conduct your own observations and present your findings.
NZ Curriculum
Science: The Living World
Life processes, ecology and evolution Level 8: Understand the relationship between organisms and their environment. Explore the evolutionary processes that have resulted in the diversity of life on Earth and appreciate the place and impact of humans within these processes.
Animal Behaviour for Biology 3.3 - Year 13
Year 13 - 13 | Year 13 Biology
Observe and discuss animals’ behaviour and link them to key concepts. Topics include: intraspecific and interspecific relationships, hierarchies, reproductive strategies and group living.
Activities on this day
Can you speak Capuchin? Is that Monkey angry or hungry? Through guided observations, students will explore the behaviours of animals at Wellington Zoo. We will investigate some strategies animals use to find and defend resources, different ways of communicating and building relationships, how they reproduce and care for young; as well as strategies to avoid predators. With support, the students will be encouraged to discuss the advantages or disadvantages of the behavioural strategies they have observed.
Learning Outcomes
• Identify and explain how animals’ behaviours influence their ways of life. • Identify and explain how animals’ behaviours influence their ways of life.
• Discuss how behavioural adaptations enable animals to occupy an environmental niche.
NZ Curriculum
Science: Living World Science: Living World
• Life processes, ecology and evolution Level 8: Understand the relationship between organisms and their environment. Explore the evolutionary processes that have resulted in the diversity of life on Earth and appreciate the place and impact of humans within these processes.
Related NCEA Standards:
• Biology 3.3 AS91603: Demonstrate understanding of the responses of plants and animals to their external environment.
Homeostasis for Biology 3.4 - Year 13
Year 13 - 13 | Year 13 Biology
Discover the internal thermoregulation mechanisms of our bodies and compare them with a selection of animals. Test yourself and your responses in this practical workshop.
Activities on this day
Get hands-on and compare yourself and your responses to temperature change to a selection of Zoo animals. Discover how they regulate their temperatures and what happens when their homeostatic systems are disrupted.
Learning Outcomes
• Understand the effects of temperature on human and animal homeostatic systems
• Compare and contrast the ways different animals respond to changes in their environment
NZ Curriculum
Science: Living World
• Life processes, ecology and evolution Level 8: Understand the relationship between organisms and their environment
Related NCEA Standards:
• Biology 3.4 AS91604: Demonstrate understanding of how an animal maintains a stable internal environment (3 credits, Internal)
Primate Evolution for Biology 3.6 - Year 13
Year 13 - 13 | Year 13 Biology
Working with model skulls and stone tools, try to piece together the human evolution process. We’ll compare a human skeletal model and a chimpanzee model, and discuss key pieces of evidence for dispersal theories.
Activities on this day
There are many theories about how humans have evolved: using replica skulls, stone tools and skeletons, students will attempt to piece together the human evolution process and discuss key pieces of evidence for dispersal theories. Following the workshop with our Zoo educator, students are encouraged to independently observe the primate species that live at Wellington Zoo.
Learning Outcomes
- Observe characteristics of primate species
- Analyse the evolutionary trends in skull, skeletal and cultural development of hominins.
- Use scientific methods to form and test ideas about human evolution theories
NZ Curriculum
Science: Living World
- Life processes, ecology and evolution Level 8: Understand the relationship between organisms and their environment. Explore the evolutionary processes that have resulted in the diversity of life on Earth and appreciate the place and impact of humans within these processes.
Related NCEA Standards:
- Biology 3.6 AS 91606: Demonstrate understanding of trends in human evolution (4 credits, External)
Speciation for BIology 3.5 - Year 13
Year 13 - 13 | Year 13 Biology
How are kea different to Kākā? And why do Giraffes eat thorny trees? Using real-world examples, discover how different modes and patterns of speciation have led to the diversity of species around the world.
Activities on this day
How have animals evolved and what factors have influenced this process? Discover how species have developed to fill an ecological niche, or in response to selection pressures.
Learning Outcomes
• Explain different evolutionary processes.
• Identify the role of these processes in shaping New Zealand’s unique flora and fauna.
NZ Curriculum
Science: Living World
- Life processes, ecology and evolution Level 8: Understand the relationship between organisms and their environment. Explore the evolutionary processes that have resulted in the diversity of life on Earth and appreciate the place and impact of humans within these processes.
Related NCEA Standards:
Biology 3.5: AS91605: Demonstrate understanding of evolutionary processes leading to speciation. (4 credits, External)
- Biology 3.5: AS91605: Demonstrate understanding of evolutionary processes leading to speciation. (4 credits, External)
