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Ready for a change of pace? Take a teacher workshop at Brookfield Zoo!
Our expert educators will inform, entertain, and engage you as you explore a wide range of topics. The following classes carry ISBE credit (CPDUs) and CPS Lane Credit at no additional charge. Many provide optional graduate credit for an additional fee.
Refund Policy
All class fees include a $40 nonrefundable registration fee for 1-hour graduate classes and a $75 nonrefundable registration fee for 3-hour graduate classes. Class fees, minus the nonrefundable registration fee, can be refunded or transferred to another teacher class if we receive notice of this request at least five days prior to the date of the original class.
Have you checked out our new Advanced Inquiry Program Master’s degree? It’s fun and exciting, includes travel abroad, and is very affordable. Check it out at www.czs.org/aip
For questions, contact Lanis Petrik at 708-688-8372 or Lanis.Petrik@czs.org., or Julie Wozniak at 708-688-8367 or Julie.Wozniak@czs.org
2012 Teacher Classes at Brookfield Zoo
Animals In Fact And Fiction
May 4 (4:30 -10:00 p.m.) and 5 (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.), Grades PreK-5, $140, 15 CPDUs, 1 optional graduate credit (Aurora University $100), CPS Lane credit.
Discuss our perception of animals, from the Big Bad Wolf to the wonderful Lassie, from the dreaded cockroach to the beloved dolphin. Explore examples of children’s fiction and participate in activities designed to learn animal facts in a fun way. Challenge your high level students to find the truth in fiction books! Bring an animal book to share. Take away engaging animal stories for your classroom and images of Brookfield Zoo animals from elephants and horses to snakes and bats!
Plant and Animal Interactions
May 12 at Brookfield Zoo and May 19 at the Chicago Botanic Garden. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days. Grades K-9, $140, 1 optional; graduate credit ($100 thorough Aurora University), CPS Lane Credit, 15 CPDU’s.
From tiny insects that lay their eggs on only one species of plant to fungi that selectively inhabit and kill giant elm trees, from hummingbirds that depend on flowers of a certain shape to Giant pandas that only eat specific species of bamboo, the natural world is teeming with partnerships (good or bad!) between plants and animals. Join our team of plant and animal experts to explore the dependencies in the plant and animal kingdoms
Ocean Explorers
June 18 – 22, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day, All grades, $350, 3 optional graduate science hours (Benedictine University $345) or 3 optional graduate credit hours (Aurora University $300), 45 CPDU’s, CPS Lane credit.
Our most popular summer class is back! We focus on the ocean animals at Brookfield Zoo: bottle nosed dolphin, penguins, seals, sea lions, sea stars and more. Carry out behavioral observations and develop inquiry questions for use with your students. Fee includes curriculum materials and a book
Science Talk: Communicating Science
June 23 and 30, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day. 1 graduate credit hour (Aurora University $100), or 1 graduate science credit (Benedictine University $115), CPS Lane credit, 15 CPDU’s. $140, All grades. Class meets at the Mayslake and Peabody Estate (a Forest Preserve District of Dupage County facility) 1717 West 31st Street, Oakbrook.
How we communicate science: talking, writing, texting, drawing, graphs, charts, photos, videos and more. Sometimes the least favorite for students, recording and reporting your results can be the most fun! Participate in science activities and create interesting ways to share results and assess your students. Staff from the Forest Preserve District of Dupage County, Brookfield Zoo, the Spring Valley Nature Center, Benedictine University, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and other partners look forward to spending two great days with you.
Animal Communication: Do You Hear Me Now?
June 25 and 27 (Monday and Wednesday) (8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day.), Grades 5-12, $140, 1 optional graduate credit ($100, Aurora University), CPS Lane Credit, 15 CPDUs. From the obvious roaring lion to the nearly undetectable infrasound used by elephants, from the bright colors of the male peacock to subtle postures of some species as individuals meet, animal communication is a fascinating topic! Observe animals and experience learning activities for your classroom.
Biodiversity Hotspots
June 26 and 28 (Tuesday and Thursday) (8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. each day), Grades 5-12) $140, 1 optional graduate credit ($100 Aurora University), CPS Lane credit, 15 CPDU's.
Did you know that over half of the world's biodiversity inhabits less than 2% of the world's landmass? These fragile areas in our living world and the fascinating species that call them home need conservation. This class will expose you to the different hotspots around the world and the animal life that lives within as well as the challenges that face them. Learn how Brookfield Zoo is aiding these species and promoting conservation worldwide. Receive “Return to the Wild” video for your classroom.
Invertebrates (New!)
July 9–13, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day. 3 graduate science credit hours (Aurora University $300), CPS Lane Credit, 45 CPDU’s. $350 all grades.
This class focuses on the characteristics of the major invertebrate orders. Participate in activities and experiments, develop grade appropriate lessons, research a species, and observe invertebrate species. Participants will develop and implement inquiry observations of selected animal species: bugs, sea creatures, butterflies and more. Visit animatronic and real bugs in Brookfield Zoo’s new summer exhibit, x-treme Bugs! Power point images of Brookfield Zoo’s great animals will be distributed.
Foundations Of Inquiry
July 16–20 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day. 3 graduate science credit hours (Aurora University $300), CPS Lane Credit, 45 cpdu’s. $350 all grades. The Cycle of Inquiry is a user friendly version of the scientific method that emphasizes the inquiry question format to promote thinking and investigation. Science, reading and math are shown as the foundations of inquiry. This class shows teachers how they can engage their students in studies of important curricular subjects, encouraging them to learn by asking questions and using the school’s natural surroundings as a living laboratory. You’ve taken Inquiry classes before, but you’ll leave this one knowing how to create your own student investigations!
X-treme Bugs (New!)
July 21, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and 22, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Note: this is a Saturday/Sunday class.) Grades K to 6, $140 fee, 1 optional graduate credit ($100, Aurora University), 15 CPDUs. Explore Brookfield Zoo’s latest exhibit X-treme Bugs, where giant animatronic bugs mingle with visitors and real creatures can be viewed (and touched!) in the insectarium. Zoo staff will introduce you to some kid friendly creatures and you’ll spend time planning and sharing curriculum ideas based on these amazing animals. Be the bug expert in your classroom this fall!
An Educator's Afternoon with Bugs
Saturday, July 21, 2012, 1:00 - 4:00 PM. $50.00 per person, 3 CPDUs. The Chicago Zoological Society, in partnership with Terminix, is presenting a half-day workshop on bugs for teachers of K to 6th grade. Come and learn how insect education can come alive in your classroom. For attending, you will receive a Harry's Big Adventure Teacher Toolkit, provided by Terminix. This kit contains lesson plans and curriculum, activities for your class, books about insects, bug magnifying glasses, finger puppets, life cycle kits, and other insect items to make learning about nature fun. To top off the afternoon, you will have a free tour of the Xtreme Bugs exhibit. Space is limited, so register now. If you are interested in a morning session, call 708-688-8372.
Art in the Zoo
July 23- 27, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day. 3 graduate credit hours (Aurora University $300), CPS Lane credit, 45 CPDU’s. $350, All grades. From Art deco signage and buildings dating back to the Zoo’s opening in 1934 to the latest in Zoo exhibits and signs of the 21st Century, we’ll discovery art, illustrations, statues and photographs. Our Brookfield Zoo photographer will help you to take your own “award winning” photos and resident artists and exhibit designers will share their expertise and stories. Plan ways to incorporate art into your science and literacy lessons, ESL classes and focused field trips and more.
Going, Going, Gone: Endangered Species And Shrinking Habitats
July 30-August 3 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day. 3 graduate credit hours (Aurora University $300), CPS Lane credit, 45 CPDU’s. $350, All grades. Examine the causes of extinction and endangerment, find out how zoos care for endangered species, support species in the wild, and encourage people to care about animals and act for conservation. We’ll spend part of one day doing stewardship work that could inspire you to make conservation a project for your own class!
Deserts
December 1 at Chicago Botanic Garden, December 8 at Brookfield Zoo. (1 credit hour), 8:30-a.m.-4:30 p.m. each day. Grades K-8, $140, 1 optional graduate credit through Aurora University for $100, 15 CPDU’s, optional CPS Lane credit. Learn about deserts worldwide and the survival strategies and adaptations that have been developed by desert inhabitants: both plant and animal! Participate in hands-on science and art activities, get assessment ideas and receive materials, desert plants and power point images for use in your classroom.