Teacher Resources
Need activities to supplement your teaching?
Let the Red River Zoo be your scientific resource!
The Red River Zoo provides a variety of educational opportunities and programs for educators and students of all grade levels. These high quality, hands-on curriculum-based activities are excellent resources designed to assist educators and supplement lesson plans. Scientific concepts range from basic animal information to using scientific procedures to do scientific inquiry about our natural world. We can adapt any program to meet your educational needs. Thank you for considering the Zoo as a way to enrich you students’ learning experiences!
Edu-Boxes
We can prepare a box of resources that teachers can use to enhance their classroom curriculum. Resources include puppets, subject-specific books, posters, furs, feathers, skulls, sheets and videos.
- For teachers and informal educators
- Pick up in the admissions building after reservation is made
- Available year-round They can be loaned out for one week at a time
- Edu-boxes are FREE with a $20 refundable deposit (shipping or delivering a box to your location requires additional fees). Please reserve your box at least one week in advance.
Field Trips
Provide your students with an opportunity to see exotic wildlife in natural habitat exhibits – bring them to the Red River Zoo! Our outdoor exhibits feature animals and plants from Asia and the North American Great Plains.
- For students and educators of all ages
- Offered year-round. Contact us to arrange a date and time.
- Admission fees apply. For groups of 10 or more, students receive $1 off admission. One teacher per 10 students is free.
Please contact us with any questions about our resources at 701.277.9240 or education@redriverzoo.org
Curriculum-based Activities
The materials provided in these activities have all been specifically designed to prepare students for their visit to the Red River Zoo. These activities are intended to be implemented before, during or after a visit to the Red River Zoo. They are aligned with the North Dakota science standards, and can be extended cross-curricularly to include language arts, art and social studies.
Culture of Cranes
2.2.2, 2.4.2, 3.2.2, 3.2.3, 3.4.3, 4.2.2, 4.4.2., 4.4.4, 5.2.1-2, 5.4.3., 5.1.1, 5.1.2, 5.1.3, 6.1.1, 6.2.1, 6.2.2, 6.2.4-5, 7.1.4, 7.4.6, 7.2.1, 9-10.1.2, 9-10.2.1, 9-10.2.3
Oh, Deer!
By following this teacher’s guide and using the provided picture templates, students will create signs that convey messages to the public that help protect the vulnerable White-lipped deer. This would be a great activity to do before visiting the deer at the zoo! Complete with printable clip-art sheet and glossary.
K.4.1, 1.4.2, 2.4.2, 4.4.2, 7.4.6
Living in a Pack
Use this fun activity to describe the structure of a wolf pack, including the different roles of each wolf. Children will learn how wolves communicate with each other and be able to compare human families to a wolf pack.
K.2.1, 1.4.2, 2.2.2, 3.4.1, 4.4.2, 4.4.3, 4.4.4
No Ordinary Cat!
By following this teacher’s guide, students will use their observational skills to describe, compare and contrast the physical attributes of the Pallas’ Cat with domestic cats. Complete with worksheet, printable pictures, and glossary.
K.4.1, 1.4.2, 2.4.2, 3.4.1, 3.4.3, 4.4.2, 4.4.3
Oh Those Otters!
As a project, have students research, design and create an exhibit for our River Otters! Students will use the process of science inquiry, observation skills and knowledge of the basic concepts and principles of life science to complete this task. Complete with printable activity sheet and extension activities.
3.2.2, 4.2.2, 5.2.1, 6.2.2, 6.2.4, 7.2.1, 8.2.4, 9-10.2.1, 11-12.2.1, 11-12.2.7