Zoo sleepover inspires school students
Year 3 students from ACG Sunderland will have some exciting experiences to draw on when it comes time to do their adventure story writing unit, after spending a night at Auckland Zoo.
‘‘Year 3 is all about building independence and preparing students for upper primary,’’ Year 3 Teacher Mandy Taylor said. ‘‘Having a sleepover away from home is a great way to build confidence and independence. It’s also a great bonding experience for the students.’’
The students learn a lot from the trip. ‘‘From an academic perspective they learn about different kinds of animals, what makes them special, how they interact with other animals, how families of animals evolved. They also learn about the impact of our choices on others - both human and non-human,’’ she explained.
Seven-year-old Vincent Yao said his favourite parts of the trip were the night walk and the hippo. He learned that in the wild, sailors flip over the turtles and eat them.
Riley Ankcorn, 7, said he loved seeing the giant turtles and being able to have his mum sleeping at the zoo with him.
As well as connections with science and social studies, the students will use the experience to enhance their literacy – practising their letter writing skills and drawing on the adventure for writing short stories.
ACG Sunderland has an open day on September 3 from 10.30am to 2.30pm. Visit www.acgedu.com/nz/ sunderland for more information.