Teachers

Pack

Tropical World
Roundhay Park, Leeds

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
 TROPICAL WORLD

ROUNDHAY PARK, LEEDS.

TEL: 0113 266 1850 FAX: 0113 237 0077

SCHOOL BOOKING CONFIRMATION

Please present this confirmation form on admission to Tropical World.

Name of School:
Address:

Telephone Number:

Contact Name:

Date of Visit: Time of Arrival:

Age Group: Time of Departure:

Number of Students: Number of Adults:

Additional Requirements:

Admission Fee:

Method of Payment:

Office Use.

Date Confirmed.

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
 TROPICAL WORLD
HEALTH AND SAFETY BRIEFING SHEET

CONDUCT

Please arrange groups outside of Tropical World to avoid congestion

inside the shop
The Lead teacher is responsible for class conduct
No eating or drinking is allowed inside Tropical World
No flash photography
Please respect the plants and animals, as many of them are rare
species and are part of ongoing conservation breeding programmes
There are many animals at liberty, although tame, we ask you not to
disturb them in any way.
Please remember members of the public are also visiting Tropical
World
We do not have any storage facilities at Tropical World.
Public toilets can be found inside Tropical World and behind Tropical
World Caf (through the metal gates beside the road). Please do not
lead your class through the caf.
We currently have no undercover facilities for lunches, however, the
newly restored shelters in the park are perfect for a undercover
picnic!

FIRE PROCEDURE

In the event of a fire the fire alarm will sound

Staff will guide you towards the nearest exit
Please assist them by keeping your group calm and orderly
You are responsible for keeping your group together and for a head
count once outside the building

ACCIDENT PROCEDURE

If you require first aid, please contact any member of staff.

Our staff are here to help you.
We are obliged under Health and Safety law to ensure an incident
form is completed.

HEALTH AND SAFETY REFERENCE FILES

If you would like to consult the Health and Safety file for more
detailed information please call Roundhay Park Estate Office.
Also refer to Education Leeds, Handbook for Educational Visits.

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
 WELCOME TO TROPICAL WORLD

Step onboard HMS Tropical World for an unforgettable, fun adventure on a

Tropical Island.

If you require more resources we are currently developing links from our main
web site: www.leeds.gov.uk.

Should you require any assistance or have any questions, please ask a
member of staff usually dressed in green, so look carefully or you may miss
them!

To add to the experience for Years 1 & 2 Tropical World staff are happy to
stamp Barnaby Bears Passport, just ask at the admission desk!

Souvenir bags are available for the children at a cost of 1 each (these will
include a Tropical World pencil, eraser and postcard). These can be arranged
for you when booking your visit.

Tropical World Caf can also arrange packed lunches for the class at a cost of
2.65 each and will include; sandwich, crisps, drink and jelly beans. Please
call 0113 237 0495, giving as much notification as possible, to arrange this.

TROPICAL WORLD MISSION STATEMENT

Above all provide a high standard of animal welfare and husbandry

To deliver a first class service to the visiting public by representing
the tropical and arid areas of the world
To promote the awareness of endangered animal and plant species
through education
To provide a key role in scientific education with universities at local
and national level

Tropical World is a member of the Zoo Federation of Great Britain and Ireland.
We take conservation and animal welfare very seriously and regularly
participate in breeding programmes of endangered species.

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
 THE BEACH
As you step ashore onto the white sandy beach: discover beach huts and lush
planting. The environment is very different here to at home. An environment is
every thing living and non-living, that surrounds us.

Ecology investigates how plants and animals live with and affect their natural
environment.

What you do as an individual affects your environment as well as every living

thing around you.

Contrast the differences between living at home and on an island beach;

Where do people live?
How do you heat food and water?
Where does food come from?
Where does all the rubbish go?
What plants and animals live around you?
Where do clothes come from?

On an island everything is hand produced. This includes the clothes people

wear. On our island people produce cloth using a process called Batik.

Batik is patterned cloth woven from cotton or silk. It is decorated using wax
resist. A pattern is drawn with melted bees wax onto the cloth. When it has
dried the cloth is dyed using vegetable-based dyes; the wax is later removed
by placing the cloth in boiling water. This leaves the pattern made in wax a
different colour to the rest of the cloth, which was dyed.

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
 THE SWAMP
As you make your way inland, you will find waterfalls tumbling into jungle
pools and butterflies of every colour flying through the canopy.

Everything around us is constantly changing. Some changes are rapid; others

take millions of years.

One of the most astonishing in life cycles of living things is that from a
caterpillar into butterfly in a process called metamorphosis.

A caterpillar transforms itself into a pupa, a shell like cocoon, then between a
few weeks and a few months, depending upon species and climate, a butterfly
emerges. Once emerged the insect must dry out its wings, usually by hanging
upside down before it can fly away.

The Swamp is home to a variety of living things, many of which can also be
found at home, yet in Tropical World they are different;

Observe the similarities and recognise the differences;

The Banana plant
Leaf cutter ants
Koi Carp
Butterflies

There are about 150,000 different species of moths and butterflies.

The food trays in the swamp are full of soft fruit, as it is easier for the butterfly
to suck up. The tube with which they suck up their food is called the
probiscus.

Between 30 and 40 varieties of butterflies may be seen here within this

mature environment of flowering exotic plants and citrus trees.
Some of the specimens are bred here from the pupae, which can be seen
displayed in the cabinet.

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
 LOWER RAINFOREST CANOPY
Our lower canopy environment is based upon an Australasian Rainforest.
Although the driest, hottest, infertile and climatically aggressive of all the
populated continents, Australasia is full of life.

A continent is a large landmass containing several countries. There are seven

continents, Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Antarctica
and Australasia.
People some times confuse Australasia with Australia. Australia is a country
but Australasia is a continent.

Australasia contains a breathtaking array of distinctive species and dramatic

landscapes. From the vast arid interior of Australia containing the worlds
oldest rock formations to the colourful coastal creatures inhabiting the barrier
reef.

Discuss the contrasting continental differences;

How is the weather different in Australasia to the Europe?

How does this affect plants and animals?
Why does it feel cooler by the waterfall?
How are the flowering plants different to those in Europe?

The climate in different regions of the world changes throughout the year
according to the season. The main influences are the distance from the
equator, distance from the ocean (it is drier inland) and the height above sea
level (higher you go the colder it gets).

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
 UPPER RAINFOREST CANOPY

Welcome to the moist heat of the Amazonian environment. The lush

vegetation gives refuge to a number of birds including a pair of Macaws. Here
beautiful specimens of Orchid are displayed amongst the larger jungle
vegetation, a fountain splashes into the Amazon pond helping to keep the
moisture levels high.

Tropical rainforests stretch around the equator, covering large parts of Central
and South America, Central Africa, South East Asia and Northern Australasia.
Extremes of heat and moisture mean there are an amazing variety of animals
and plant lives. These forests are the most complex ecosystems in the world
and contain a wealth of resources. Despite their importance they are being
destroyed at an alarming rate.

Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. It is expressed as a

percentage. A relative humidity of 100% means the moisture content
of the air is the maximum possible. When humidity levels are high we
feel hot and sticky. What would you expect the humidity levels to be
in the rainforest?
Trees in rainforest have broad leaves with tips to encourage the
heavy rain to run of the leaves. What other benefit does having such
large leaves have in a tropical rainforest?
The rainforests are carefully structured, with an emergent layer at
the top, a canopy that forms a green roof, and understorey with
smaller trees, a shrub layer and an herb layer. Why are the larger
trees at the highest point?

Rainforests grow in areas where rainfall and temperatures are both high and
constant. Over millions of years they have developed into the worlds richest
wildlife habitats. They cover less than 10% of the planets land surface but
they contain between 50% and 80% of all plant and animal species.

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
 DESERT AND NOCTURNAL HOUSE

Plant, animal and bird specimens from the arid areas of the Americas and
South Africa are to be seen here in the Desert House.
Living things are greatly affected by the conditions around them. The
temperature, rainfall and other aspects of the climate in an area all affect the
growth and behaviour of the plants and animals found there.

All living things must adapt to survive. Adaptation is the result of long term
interaction with the environment. It includes changes in both behaviour and
physical features.
Some animals hibernate during periods of drought, like toads lying dormant in
the mud until the next rains. Animals can often store water in their bodies or
adapt to live on only tiny amounts of moisture. Many are nocturnal and come
out only at night to hunt and feed. Cacti have developed spines instead of
leaves to prevent water loss. Plants have vast root systems to collect what
little water there is.

Watch the Meerkats behaviour, how do they keep cool in such a hot
environment?

Why do the animals in the nocturnal house only come out at night?

Why do all the animals in the nocturnal house have such large ears
and eyes?

Desertification can also occur when dry marginal land is turned into desert
due to human activities such as over grazing or cutting down trees.

Conservation protection of wildlife and habitats is now more important than

ever. By becoming more aware of how we all affect the earths environment
we will be able to safeguard the natural world.

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
Curriculum links and Classroom Ideas

SCIENCE
YEAR 1. UNIT 1B GROWING PLANTS.
Introduction to the idea of plants as living things which grow and change.

Take children for a walk around the school and Tropical World and
challenge them to find as many plants growing in as many different
places as they can.
Introduce the idea of green plants needing light to grow and ask the
children whether they think this Is true or not. Put some cress seeds
in two dishes lined with damp kitchen paper. Put one in a dark
environment and put the other on a window ledge.

YEAR I, UNIT 1D LIGHT AND DARK

Children learn that darkness is the absence of light and that in the absence of
sunlight other light sources are seen more easily.

When visiting Tropical World ask the class how they feel when
entering the Nocturnal House and to remember those feelings when
you return to school.
Create a dark area in the classroom. Ask a child to find a particular
object in the room. Gradually increase the light and ask the child to
identify when they can use sight to identify the object.

YEAR 4, UNIT 4B HABITATS

Understanding the concept of a habitat. How it provides organisms with
conditions for life.

The natural home of a group of plants and animals is called habitat

and what lives in that habitat is called a community. Look at some
habitats; under a stone, by a stream, in woodland. Compare these to
the habitats seen at Tropical World.

YEAR 4, UNIT 4C KEEPING WARM.

Use the understanding of science to explain everyday phenomena about
keeping warm and cooling down.
Record climate changes through photographs
Ask children to draw a map of the classroom showing hot and cold
areas. Then use a thermometer to record the temperature in those
places for 24hours.

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
GEOGRAPHY
YEAR2, UNIT 3 AN ISLAND HOME
Develop childrens understanding of geographical features and ideas.
Use an atlas to find the countries in Tropical World
List the similarities and differences between the Tropical countries
and their locality.

YEARS 1-2, UNIT 5 & UNIT 24 WHERE IN THE WORLD IS BARNABY

BEAR? PASSPORT TO THE WORLD
Barnaby travels with different people connected to the school as well as on
school visits, creating a sense of personal involvement for he class..
Tropical World admission desk will be happy to provide a name
stamp for passports.

YEAR 2, UNIT 7 WEATHER AROUND THE WORLD.

Developing ideas about weather conditions around the world.
Discuss with the class where hot and cold places tend to be located
through discussion of holidays and atlas work, introducing the idea of
climatic zones.

YEAR 5, UNIT 11 WATER

Learning about water supplies around the world.
Using an atlas identify places with very high and very low rainfall.
CITIZENSHIP
KEY STAGE 1 & 2, UNIT 5 LIVING IN A DIVERSE WORLD
Children learn about their identities and communities and about different
places in the world.
In pairs the children discuss the things they have in common and the
differences between them. They consider all the characteristics
humans share.
Draw a picture of their home and discuss the beach hut at Tropical
World.

PE
YEAR 3, UNIT 3 DANCE ACTIVITIES
Children think about how to communicate and explore ideas and issues and
their own feelings.
Express the classes visit to Tropical World, describing the animals,
plants and feelings they experienced.

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
MUSIC
YEAR 1-2, UNIT 7- RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY.
Develops childrens ability to recognise how sounds and instruments can be
used expressively and combined to create music in response to stimuli.
Talk about different kinds of weather that make a sound. Find words
to describe them and say them in a way, which reflects their
meaning.
For each type of weather experienced at Tropical World, ask the
children to suggest instruments that make sounds like those
described by the selected words
IT
YEAR 5, UNIT 5F MONITORING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND
CHANGES.
Children learn that devices can be connected to a computer to monitor and
measure changes in environmental conditions.
Demonstrate that a device attached to a computer can take readings
of conditions such as light, temperature and sound levels.
Allow the children to experiment with different stimuli to create a
reaction from the monitoring device.
How would the class monitor Tropical World?
ART
YEAR 1-2, UNIT 2B MOTHER NATURE, DESIGNER.
Children make observations of natural objects and use their observations as
the basis for textile design
Look at a display in Tropical World of natural objects. Ask them to
observe carefully the shapes and textures of the objects, using
magnifying glasses to find interesting qualities.
Make a number of careful drawings
Develop the image into a collage.
YEAR 5-6, UNIT 6C A SENSE OF PLACE
Exploring urban and rural landscapes, recording observations through
drawing and photography.
Whilst visiting Tropical World draw sketches on views and interesting
features.
In the classroom show the class mediums artists have employed to
relate their ideas.

RE
UNIT RC, WHO WAS NOAH?
Children will learn about Noah as an introduction to the stories of the Old
Testament.
Read children the story of Noah from a childrens bible.
Use the class visit to Tropical World to think about the Ark, How did
Noah collect all the animals/ Did the Ark smell? Why did all the other
animals die?

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
GLOSSARY

Adaptation The process by which living things adjust to their

environment.

Aestivation A state in which body functions slow right down to allow

an animal to survive a period of intense heat or drought

Climate Large scale weather conditions that are characteristic of a

certain region

Conservation The protection and management of the natural world

Deforestation The cutting down of trees for fuel or development

Desertfication Land is turned into desert through human activities

such as over grazing or cutting down trees.

Ecology The study of the interactions between living things and their
environment

Extinction - The dying out of a species and its disappearance from

earth. Extinction is forever.

Hibernation The functions of the body slow right down to allow an

animal to survive for long periods in extreme conditions.

Photosynthesis How plants use the suns energy to build

carbohydrates from water and carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen in the
process.

Symbiosis The close relationship between two different species that

live together and gain from their interaction. Such as larger fish allowing
smaller ones to feed on parasites that live in its mouth.

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
 WIN A MEET THE KEEPER
EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR CLASS
SIMPLY COMPLETE AND RETURN THIS FORM

TROPICAL WORLD
EVALUATION

Name of School:

Year Group:

Date of Visit:

Purpose of Visit/Topic Studied:

How long did the class stay at Tropical World and did they utilise the Park?

What was most valuable about your visit?:

Would you appreciate a dedicated education room at Tropical World?

Would you welcome staff led workshops and animal encounters?

Would your school benefit from outreach projects based on Tropical Worlds
collection?

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Tropical World Teachers Pack
CUSTOMER SERVICE QUESTIONS; 1- Very Good, 5 Very Bad

Where did you first hear about Tropical World.

Was it easy to book your school into Tropical World?

Was enough information provided before your visit?

Did your class feel welcome on arrival at Tropical World?

Was enough information provided to guide you clearly through Tropical
World?

Did you ask the Tropical World staff for assistance? YES / NO
Were they helpful?

If the class purchased items from the shop, was it a happy experience?

Did the class leave Tropical World with ease?

Additional comments may be attached to this sheet.

Thank you,
Please return to;
Carol Fenner
Visitor Services Manager,
1, Park Cottages,
Roundhay Park Estate,
Leeds.
LS8 2ER

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Tropical World Teachers Pack