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 Any budding scientist needs to develop the skills necessary to acquire results and disseminate their findings. Students studying for an AS or A level in biology must be able to design, plan and carry out experiments and investigations, and identify any problems and limitations. They must also be able to interpret, assess and report on observations and experimental data.
Noah's Ark offers the opportunity to develop such skills as part of a workshop aimed at students in further education.
“We were very impressed with the good variety of animals and the high standard of the enclosures…the workshop was excellent and very relevant to the topic”. National Diploma Animal Management, Weston College.
- The day will start with a brief introduction to your chosen topic, giving the background information necessary for the students to design an appropriate investigation using the materials and equipment available.
- Working in small groups the students will then be able to carry out their investigations around the zoo, and will be given time to collate their results and interpret their findings.
- In the afternoon there will be the opportunity for students to present their investigation to the rest of their peers, and gain valuable experience in giving and receiving feedback.
For Secondary Educational Resources, please click here.
 Ethology is the study of animal behaviour, which can be assessed as a response to an organism's internal and external environment.
Students will be allocated one of the species housed at the zoo and will be asked to design an experiment to observe behaviour in the captive environment. Using their findings, students will also be introduced to the concept of using animal behaviour as an indicator of welfare.
We have post visit educational resources to continue learning after your visit.
 As a zoo, Noah's Ark has an important role to play in educating people about the amazing biodiversity on our planet and the issues that threaten to diminish it. Zoos also have a responsibility to help conserve endangered species.
With the emphasis on zoo animals, students will learn how to observe behaviour in the captive environment and use the findings to assess animal welfare.
Conserving the biodiversity of ecosystems is important to us both as a zoo and as a working farm.
Using our designated conservation areas students will be able to measure biodiversity hands-on as they record the plant and animal species present in ponds, meadows and field margins.
In the farming industry, artificial selection has been utilised as a strategy for producing plants and animals with desirable characteristics for hundreds of years. Genetic modification allows improvement of crop plants but the environmental and economical implications must also be considered.
Students will be able to consider the use of genetics in the farming industry by considering the plant and animal species farmed at Noah's Ark and discussing the implications of both artificial selection and genetic modification.
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