Year 9 Science had a wonderful experience with scientist Whitney Buchman, from the Lee Richardon Zoo in Kansas. The girls are studying endangered species as part of their topic Global Issues and Whitney discussed some these and even brought them into the studio from the zoo to show the girls. He spoke to the girls, answered their questions, used a green screen to show them diagrams and videos and, most successfully, he picked up live animals from his zoo and showed them as they were discussed.
The chinchilla, which lives in the Andes mountains of South America, was a particular favourite as he had a little one in his studio. He discussed the dangers of poaching and the girls were stunned to hear that one fur coat is made of more than 300 chinchillas. The black-footed ferret, North America’s most endangered animal, was also popular and the girls discussed reasons for it becoming endangered such as habitat loss, disease and hunting, while looking at some of the ferrets at the zoo. He also used a green screen to look at maps, such as one of the fragmented habitat of the endangered orangutan of Indonesia. The armadillo was also fascinating and the girls had a lot of questions that they were able to ask while looking at it running around and being held by Whitney.
Overall the girls were thrilled to see these unfamiliar animals that they may not be able to see at home and hear from an expert who could provide extra insight into the global issues they are studying in class.
The chinchilla, which lives in the Andes mountains of South America, was a particular favourite as he had a little one in his studio. He discussed the dangers of poaching and the girls were stunned to hear that one fur coat is made of more than 300 chinchillas. The black-footed ferret, North America’s most endangered animal, was also popular and the girls discussed reasons for it becoming endangered such as habitat loss, disease and hunting, while looking at some of the ferrets at the zoo. He also used a green screen to look at maps, such as one of the fragmented habitat of the endangered orangutan of Indonesia. The armadillo was also fascinating and the girls had a lot of questions that they were able to ask while looking at it running around and being held by Whitney.
Overall the girls were thrilled to see these unfamiliar animals that they may not be able to see at home and hear from an expert who could provide extra insight into the global issues they are studying in class.