If your camper liked Summer Safari, they will LOVE Fall, Winter, and Spring Safari Mini-Camps! When school is out, Safari Camp is in! These camps run from November through March. There’s a Safari for every season!
Bio-Mimics
4th and 5th grade
Camp Description
Some are good at stealth, others have extraordinary healing capabilities, but the best of the best… they copy and duplicate the remarkable abilities found in others! Are you a Bio-Mimic? Are you cut out to clone and modify the adaptations of incredible animals and channel them into unique engineering marvels? What can we learn from a giraffe in order to build a better bridge? Why is the extreme durability of a rainforest seed important for saving elephants? What are the mechanics of bird-flight? Discover how to absorb the best adaptations of zoo animals and reassemble them in ways that can help both humans and animals!
Week Overview
Daily Schedule Subject to Change
**Ask your camper the questions below to learn about their day!
Monday: Copying from Creatures
- Questions of the Day: Animals often “steal” great ideas from other animals! How and why do animals mimic (pretend to be)other animals, plants, or that they have extra body parts? Humans often “steal” great ideas from animal adaptations. Can you find a primate adaptation that would help you build something to solve a secretchallenge?
- Zoo Exploration: Tropical Discovery and Bighorn Sheep
- Animal Experience: Who did I meet today?
- Engineering Challenge: Design something that mimics an animal –pattern of venomous animal, eye spots, tail that looks like head, etc.
Tuesday: Designing from Desert-Dwellers
- Questions of the Day: Can you design something to help you survive in the desert, based on camel, mongoose, or tortoise adaptations? Can you use a desert animal adaptation to help you build something to solve a secret challenge?
- Zoo Exploration: Desert Animals
- Animal Experience: Who did I meet today?
- Engineering Challenge: Design a solution based on desert animal adaptations.
Wednesday: Grasping...Feet!
- Questions of the Day: How can unique animal feet inspire designs? Can you use animal foot adaptations to help you build something to solve a secret challenge?
- Zoo Exploration: Predator Ridge
- Animal Experience: Who did I meet today?
- Engineering Challenge: Build a structure based on animal foot animal adaptations to attach to your shoe, which could either help you: walk on snow, help you catch fish, or help you swim
Thursday: Planning from Bears and Elephants
- Questions of the Day: Can you design something to help you survive in a mountain forest, based on bear adaptations? What can we learn from an elephant about how to build a better bridge?
- Zoo Exploration: Harmony Hill, Toyota Elephant Passage
- Animal Experience: Who did I meet today?
- Engineering Challenge: Design a solution based on bear adaptations.
Friday: Engineering from Plants
- Question of the Day: Can you complete a Zoo-Mazing super-challenge in the time allotted? Can you use a plant adaptation to help you build something tosolve a secretchallenge?
- Zoo Exploration: Tropical Discovery, look for as many species of plants and animals as you can count!
- Engineering Challenge: You must use a plant adaptation to create a leaf shape (choosing from the given materials) that dries off quickly when sprayed with water!
- Further Exploration: City Park H2O Odyssey Fountains
Reminders
- Camp runs in rain or shine. Make sure your camper is dressed for the weather.
- Campers are required to bring:
- Backpack
- Sack lunch + 2 snacks
- Water bottle
- Please note the day your child’s camp group will take a walking field trip to the City Park H20 Odyssey Fountains. While playing in the fountains, campers must keep their camp shirt and pants/shorts on – quick dry shoes and shorts are recommended on this day, but not required. Campers are welcome to bring a change of clothes, but are usually dry by the time we return to the zoo.
- Drop-off and Pick-up occurs at the Special Programs Entrance (Gate 1), according to their designated time window.
- Drop-off:
- 8:45-9:00 AM – 6-8th Grade + 2-3rd Grade
- 9:00-9:15 AM – 4-5th Grade + K-1st Grade
- Pick-up:
- 3:45-4:00 PM -- 6-8th Grade + 2-3rd Grade
- 4:00-4:15 PM – 4-5th Grade + K-1st Grade
- Drop-off:
- You will need to bring an ID every day for pick-up.