Lesson Title: Third Grade Bought a Zoo

Subject: Science
Grade Level: Third Grade
Learning Objectives: Students will understand how an animals health and
happiness depends on its habitat. Students will understand the conservation efforts
of humans. Students will understand the value of money and the importance of an
income to run an effective business.

Standards:
o
o
o

S3L1. Students will investigate the habitats of different organisms and the
dependence of organisms on their habitat.
S3L2. Students will recognize the effects of pollution and humans on the
environment.
SS3E4 The student will describe the costs and benefits of personal spending
and saving choices.

Duration: This will be a 9-day unit to supplement the curriculum on animals and
habitats. The game will need to be introduced, which will take a day. The next two
days will be exploring, working out bugs, and enjoying the free play mode. Then the
students will have 4 days to complete various objectives. Another 2 days will be
used to draw conclusions and write up what they have learned from the activity.

Game Integration: This game will be integrated by having the class devote
their science lesson to the game for 9 days. As a class, we will go to the computer
lab (game must be played on a PC) so that I can first demonstrate how the game is
played. I will show them how to begin tutorials and understand the rules of the
game. After the students have played the intended 4 days, they will still have
access to their scenario while they work on their write-up. This will give the students
concrete examples to back up their findings. They will be able to tell me exactly
what they did in their zoo to try to complete the objectives. This game will only be
available to the student in school, during science class.

Procedure:

PRE-LESSON: The teacher should have already introduced the animal and
habitat unit in science, so that students are familiar with certain animals to
study and has heard/read that animals need their own habitat to survive.
(The game will further that understanding, but the basics should be there for
the game to build on)
DAY 1: Students will go to the computer lab, where the game will be projected
onto the board. The teacher will go through the game step by step,
demonstrating how to choose a mode (scenario or free play), how to see your
resources, and how to build exhibits. The teacher should demonstrate each
aspect of an exhibit fencing, ground levelling, ground type, foliage, and
extra toys an animal might require in their exhibit. Once placing an animal in
the exhibit, the teacher will show how to determine an animals happiness.

Then the teacher should show how students can work with the humans of the
zoo. Guests will need pathways to see the animals. The teacher will need to
make mistakes to show important factors spend too much money. Place an
animal in a poor exhibit. Forget to place garbage cans or to hire zookeepers.
DAY 2-3: Students will get to enjoy the free-play mode on the game. This will
give students a chance to explore the game on their own and see what it is
capable of doing. They will become more familiar with where resources are
and how to research/build things in the game.
DAY 4-7: Students will choose a scenario based on the choices the teacher
allows them. For example, the Endangered Species Zoo scenario requires
students to:
1. Earn a suitability rating of at least 70 for 12 exhibits.
2. Achieve a zoo rating of 70.
3. Achieve an average guest happiness of 93.
4. Achieve an average animal happiness of 90.
5. Possess a baby black leopard, okapi, and white Bengal tiger.

Whereas the Revitalize Burkitsville Zoo scenario focuses on:

1. Achieve a zoo rating of 50.
2. Achieve an average animal happiness of 75.
3. Exhibit at least 8 different animal species.
Its up to the teacher to decide what they want the students to focus on in the
lesson or what they want the options to be. Students will spend the next 4 days
working on these zoos, keeping their objectives in mind while also keeping track of
their resources. Students will get frustrated at times, and should take notes on the
problems they encounter during the game. This will help them with their final write
up in the final two days of the unit.

DAY 8-9 Students will have saved their game and finished working on it.
Students will spend the next two days writing about their findings.

Evaluation
Students will be given two days and access to a printout of their zoo to
help them write about their experience with the game. They will be required
to answer these questions in the final write up:
1. What scenario did you choose and what were the objectives?
2. Did you complete each objective? Explain how/why each
objective was or wasnt completed.
3. How did you decide what to buy first? How important was
money during your game?
4. If you could do this project again, what would you do
differently? Explain why.

Students will be graded based on their write up. They must acquire
these key points:
-

Answer each question completely.

Answers use correct grammar.

Part of their grade will also come from the map of their zoo. It needs to
show that they made changes to the original zoo and the write up needs to
explain how the changes were made (or should have been made) to benefit
the zoo most.

Materials Needed: For this lesson you will need a PC for each
student, Zoo Tycoon software, a projector, and a printer. These are of course
flexible, as teachers can make adaptations for their classrooms and students.