Educator Resources

Use the resources provided here, both in your classroom and on a field trip to the Zoo, to connect your students to wildlife, plants, and wild places. You will find a variety of activities and lesson plans incorporating different curriculum areas. 

Inquiry Packs - Temporarily Unavailable (These will be back in Fall 2020.)

The North Carolina Zoo has new "inquiry" packs for teachers (including home school teachers) to checkout during their field trip to the Zoo. These packs have all the materials and directions to do grade-appropriate activities on site that meet the North Carolina Essential Standards. 

Lesson Plans and Field Trip Activities

• Resources for Grades K - 2
• Resources for Grades 3 - 5
• Resources for Grades 6 - 8
• Resources for Grades 9 - 12

Untamed Science Video Series

Join Rob Nelson, from Untamed Science as he learns more about the North Carolina Zoo in this exciting and educational video series. Each video is approximately five minutes. Some of the topics include hellbender conservation, African vulture conservation, composting, polar bear reproduction, and animal enrichment.

Share Your Bright Ideas

Email your ideas for lessons or activities and we will consider them as a resource for our website.

Noteworthy Links and Downloads

Citizen Science

• SciStarter - Citizen Science

Conservation

• Conservation Comment - African Elephant
• Conservation Comment - Giraffe
• Conservation Comment - Native Snakes
• Conservation Comment - Pine Barrens Tree Frog
• Conservation Comment - Red Wolf
• Conservation Comment - African Vulture
• Conservation Training
• Field Trip Earth
• Lessons in Conservation
• North Carolina Zoo Conservation Report
• Polar Bear International

Environmental Education

• Aquatic WILD
• Environmental Protection Agency - New Bedford Harbor
• National Geographic
• Natural Wonders: A Guide to Early Childhood Environmental Education
• North America Association for Environmental Education
• North Carolina Environmental Education
• Project Learning Tree

Play

• Be Active Kids
• Sharing Nature
• The Strong National Museum of Play

Backyard and School Yard Habitats

• The National Wildlife Federation
• USDA Backyard Conservation
• Audubon - Making Your Backyard Wildlife Friendly on a Budget
• Birds & Blooms - Creating the Ultimate Backyard Wildlife Habitat
• Discover Wildlife - How to make a bee-friendly garden
• Kids Gardening - Creating a Bee-Friendly Garden
• USFWS Schoolyard Habitat Project Guide

Science Education

• National Science Teacher Association