Butterfly Museum, Discovery World & Animal Attic!

The purpose of our trip was to learn about ecosystems, habitats and the way animals adapt to their environment. We started our day in The Butterfly Museum, then explored Animal Attic and spent the afternoon having some free time in Tuhura. 

In the Butterfly House we discussed ecosystems and spent time looking specifically at the rainforest ecosystem.  As we entered the Butterfly House we were overwhelmed with the humidity. There were butterflies everywhere! Some students were lucky enough to have numerous butterflies landing on them and staying with them as they discovered the other creatures hiding in the butterfly house. We were all very thankful that the tarantulas were trapped behind glass windows. We learnt about photosynthesis and the role it plays in the food chain, as well as looking at different things like an insect and an egg through the microscope. 

The students were all split into groups and assigned a different task to complete, based on the animals and plants within the tropical rainforest. 

For the second half of our day we moved into the animal attic where we did a range of activities that focused on classifying various creatures and identifying adaptations that aid survival. The students gathered lots of information on different animals to help them with their own 'Zoo Animal' inquiry. This was an amazing experience and a great way to get enthused about our 'Adaptation' unit.

We finished our day with some time in Discovery World. They had a wide range of new educational and science based activities, as well as a large slide which kept us all entertained. A favourite activity for the students was the new light box - a small room filled with amazing lights at different heights and levels. 

Overall, we had a fantastic day at the Otago Museum. We left with so much new information and knowledge that we can apply to our theme work this term. A big thanks to the parents who came and helped out - it's always appreciated!