Create a Zoo - Science/Math Collaboration Assignment

Collaboration Project (math and science)

Students collaborate and create a giant zoo! First, tape sheets of grid paper together (cut off the white borders). Next, cut out various irregular shapes off the giant grid for the students (see image). Give each student a piece from the grid. Their mission is to figure out the area and perimeter of their land for their exhibit. They choose an animal and plot out important aspects of its habitat. Does their animal live in the arctic, forest, grasslands, or rainforest. Students think about what colors to use to correctly match their animal's habitat. They must make their animal feel at home in its exhibit. Does their animal play in the water, hide in a cave, or roll around in the mud? They add details to the exhibit. Then, they find an image of their animal online and glue it into the habitat they made. When all of the students are finished, they work together and create a zoo! They problem solve where each animal should go. Should the rhinos be near the elephants? They, glue their designs on an oversized sheet of butcher paper. Then, they add paths, signs, and fences.

Via: E is for Explore Blog

Animal Adaptations

I have done a similar activity before. Students had to create an animal that had adaptations suitable for the biome they chose. This is a neat version of this where students take two animals and create a venn diagam to morph the two together, including their name and features.

Food Chain Tag

 This activity is inspired by Eecko World's "We're All In This Together." Rather than having kids play tag using organisms from a single food chain, make it more challenging by adding a variety of food chains!

Give each child a construction paper headband with a different plant or animal that is part of a food chain (include organisms from different habitats). Take students to a large open area outside. Kids have to look for a plant or animal that their organism consumes. They tag what they eat! If a child is tagged, they must freeze (stand still)! Who is left at the end of the game?!

Afterwards, have kids try to find organisms that belong to their habitat (creating small groups). Kids must problem solve and try to figure out who belongs in their "group." Also, where would you find the organisms in their group? What habitat do they live in?!

Science Centers

Science Centers are a great idea to change up the 'stations' in your class. I know many primary classes have centers for play-based learning and I have seen some classes do 'math centers' and 'literacy centers' but more recently I have been exploring science centers and ways to adapt units to work within this idea.

So when I saw this post I was excited!



Read It - Reading about topic and writing a couple notes. You can be specific with questions for them to answer if you wish. EG: Polar Bears, write two facts about them. or two adaptations for cold environment.

Sort It - With a t-chart or venn diagram students can sort facts about two topics/items. EG: Comparing Grizzly Bears and Polar Bears.  or Frogs and Toads.

Match It - photos to match up or words and definitions or items and facts. EG: photos of animals feet and their environments to match. Baby and Adult animal names.

Create It - read and create using drawing or building or writing. EG: Read about two animals and ten create your own animal that could survive in a different biome, for example camel in Arctic. Could write a story on topic.

Draw It - Draw item for each vocabulary word

Tech It - using tablets or computers. EG: type up information, research information, create etc.

Analyze It - analyze video, photo, article on topic.

Explain It - read on topic, writing to example EG: Read about Black bears and polar bears, compare/contrast them. Maybe answer questions.


Some ideas, templates and more are provided here. But feel free to create your own 'Science Centers'