School & Group Programs
All of our new and re-envisioned classes incorporate dozens of cross curriculum connections with learning outcomes from science, language, mathematics, arts, culture, social studies and career development. Plus, many of our programs include hands-on activities such as potting plants and art projects using natural materials. Many styles of learning are encouraged through story, music, verbal presentations and team work.
We offer on-site school programs at the Conservatory, Pavilion, Zoo and new Qualico Family Centre. Many of our programs include teacher packages full of pre and post visit activities to enhance your visit.
Information for Scouts & Girl Guides: Bringing Lessons to Life
Join us for interactive programs and work toward achieving your Awards and Badges at Assiniboine Park and Zoo! Our programs can be tailored for Scouts and Guides at all levels. Download the appropriate PDF file below to find out which programs work best for you and then contact us to get started.
Field Trip Funding Program
Thanks to generous support from the Graham C. Lount Family Foundation, Assiniboine Park is able to offer guided field trips at no cost to a limited number of eligible schools. We are also able to assist with transportation costs. For more information on the program criteria and application process, please download the application form below.
Current Programs
Browse our school and group programs by age group below or download our 2012 School & Group Programming Guide.
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Animals A to Z
Nursery and Kindergarten – 60 minutes
Discover the animals of the Assiniboine Park Zoo as you work your way through the alphabet. Or choose the 90-minute option that includes a fun 30 minute tour.
I Spy a Butterfly – Butterfly Basics (Seasonal)
Pre-K to Grade 3 – 90 minutes
Children will learn about the fascinating world of one of Manitoba's most beloved insects - the Monarch Butterfly. Learn to identify them, delve into their life cycle and habitat, and find out how to help conserve them in your own back yard.
Learning from Leaves
Kindergarten to Grade 3 – 90 minutes
Living plants engage all the senses as students compare the extreme climates of the desert and the rain forest as well as the effects these extremes have on plant growth and appearance. Discover how plants have adapted through the diversity of leaf forms, functions and a myriad of botanical peculiarities. An interactive, fun and fast-paced program including hands on activities, crafts, and an exploratory tour of the palm house jungle.
Please refer to our Programming Guide for learning outcomes.
Pre-registration is required. Click here to find out how.
Awesome Adaptations
Grade 1 to 12 - 90 minutes
Four themes of this exciting program will be available exploring the amazing adaptations of plants and animals.
- Awesome Plant Adaptations for Grades 9 to 12
- Awesome Invertebrate Adaptations for Grades 9 to 12
- Awesome Vertebrate Adaptations for Grades 9 to 12
- Awesome Animal Adaptations - Option A: Grades 1 to 4, Option B: Grades 5 to 8
Bats (2012 is the Year of the Bat!)
Grades 2 to 6 – 60 minutes
Bats all over North America are struggling to survive a devastating fungus called White-nosed Syndrome. Even Manitoba’s bats are in danger of extinction. Learn all about these fascinating and misunderstood creatures of the night. This program is also perfect for Scouts and Guides.
Bears - The Grizzly Details
Grades 2 to 6 – 90 minutes
You'll learn all of the bear necessities, with an emphasis on black, brown and polar bears. This program includes a tour of the International Polar Bear Conservation Centre's interpretive gallery.
Biodiversity of Birds
Grades 4 to 7 – 90 minutes
Discover the amazing diversity of avian form and function, identify physical and behavioural adaptations and understand how they help birds to survive in a specific habitat. Compare and contrast bird species around the world, and a few at our Zoo.
Birth and Growth in Animals
Grades 2 to 3 – 90 minutes
Learn about the life cycles of insects, birds, amphibians, spiders, fish and so many more animals at the zoo. It’s egg-citing science!
Chocolate - A Love Story
Grades 3 to 5 – 90 minutes
Dip into a mixture of educational stories, activities, history, trade and culture, centred on the wonderful Aztec discovery - chocolate!
Creature Categories
Grades 1 to 3 – 90 minutes
Which animals lay eggs, which don't? Which animals have limbs and lungs and which get along just fine without them? How does variation in an animal's covering (fur, feathers, skin or scales) help it live in different environments? Discover the differences and similarities among animal groups in this popular program.
Dirt, Dirtier, Dirtiest
Grade 3 to 4 – 90 minutes
A single teaspoon of soil is teeming with life; containing more than a billion microorganisms, blanketing the earth, and helping to sustain plant and animal life. This program delves into the nitty-gritty of dirt, its environmental significance, and the conservation and preservation of one of the earth‟s most precious commodities - our soil.
Endangered Species
Grades 2 to Senior 4 – 90 minutes
Explore what human pressures (e.g. poaching, habitat destruction, pollution, the pet trade) have put so many plants and animals in danger of extinction, through critical thinking and dramatic exercise. Find out about conservation efforts taking place to save these species and the easy things you can do to help.
I Spy a Butterfly – Butterfly Basics (Seasonal)
Pre-K to Grade 3 – 90 minutes
Children will learn about the fascinating world of one of Manitoba's most beloved insects - the Monarch Butterfly. Learn to identify them, delve into their life cycle and habitat, and find out how to help conserve them in your own back yard.
Learning from Leaves
Kindergarten to Grade 3 – 90 minutes
Living plants engage all the senses as students compare the extreme climates of the desert and the rain forest as well as the effects these extremes have on plant growth and appearance. Discover how plants have adapted through the diversity of leaf forms, functions and a myriad of botanical peculiarities. An interactive, fun and fast-paced program including hands on activities, crafts, and an exploratory tour of the palm house jungle.
Monarch Magic (Seasonal)
Grade 4 and up – 90 minutes
Flutter by the Zoo to learn about the myriad of unique and beautiful North American butterflies. Using Monarchs as our focus, explore their amazing adaptations and learn about recent conservation efforts to aid their survival.
North American Animal Stories (Recipient of a Spirit of the Earth Award in 2009)
Grades 1 to 6 – 90 minutes
First Nations and Aboriginal people use storytelling not only as means of entertainment but also as a way of passing important information from one generation to another. Through traditional storytelling, our educators will introduce people to our indigenous animals and their importance to Aboriginal beliefs, values, and stories. Each class will receive a specially designed Teacher’s Package that includes a 3’x4’ poster, etching plates, and an animal stories booklet.
Plantzilla
Grades 3 to 4 – 90 minutes
Carnivorous plants are the vampires of the natural world, seducing and capturing unsuspecting insects for nutrients. Students will listen to the classic story "Plantzilla" and explore the Conservatory‟s carnivorous plant collection.
Purrfect Predators - All about Big Cats
Grades 3 to 7 – 90 minutes
Learn about the distinctive qualities of the world's big cats like tigers, leopards and lions with a comparison to smaller cats like the lynx and bobcat. Find out why two-thirds of the world's cats are endangered and visit the endangered species at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.
Rain Forests
Grades 2 to 7 – 90 minutes
Tropical rain forests are an important link to life on earth. Rain forests provide valuable resources such as medicine, plant and animal habitat, oxygen and materials that supply a variety of household products. The rain forest’s location, geography and climate provide a home and essential support system to an immense variety of animals, plants, and indigenous peoples. Learn what you can do each day to help slow their loss.
Super Manimals!
Grades 3 to 6 – 90 minutes
Put on your cape and mask and join us at the Pavilion Gallery Museum to learn about animals with super powers. Create your super hero and draw your own comical animal booklet.
Winter Survivors - Winter Warriors (Available September 2012)
Grade 2 to 6 – 60 minutes or 90 minutes
Many animals are well adapted to survive our Manitoba winter. Learn why some species choose to migrate while others hibernate and some thrive in extreme conditions. Combine this program with a winter walking tour for a real adventure.
Please refer to our Programming Guide for learning outcomes.
Pre-registration is required. Click here to find out how.
Awesome Adaptations
Grade 1 to 12 - 90 minutes
Four themes of this exciting program will be available exploring the amazing adaptations of plants and animals.
- Awesome Plant Adaptations for Grades 9 to 12
- Awesome Invertebrate Adaptations for Grades 9 to 12
- Awesome Vertebrate Adaptations for Grades 9 to 12
- Awesome Animal Adaptations - Option A: Grades 1 to 4, Option B: Grades 5 to 8
Bananas: The Real Cost of North America’s Favourite Fruit
Grade 7 to Senior 2 – 120 minute program
How much do we know about this “meal in a peel”? This program invites students to explore the history of the banana industry, including the gap between workers and land owners. Learn how this industry has influenced the economy, society, environment and politics in many Central and South American countries as we follow the path of the banana from plantation to produce aisle. Students also examine ways they can contribute to a fairer, more sustainable banana industry.
Biofuels: Critical Thinking in Environmental Issues
Grade 7 to Senior 4 – 120 minutes
Becoming an informed citizen requires the ability to critically examine an issue from multiple perspectives. What better way to practice these skills than to examine some of the real issues facing the world. With the global energy crisis mounting and increasing pressure to address climate change, alternative energy sources such as biofuels are big business. Your class will explore, review and discuss the arguments for and against new fuel types and develop a PSA for presentation supporting their opinion.
Biodiversity of Birds
Grades 4 to 7 – 90 minutes
Discover the amazing diversity of avian form and function, identify physical and behavioural adaptations and understand how they help birds to survive in a specific habitat. Compare and contrast bird species around the world, and a few at our Zoo.
CSI: The Case of the Missing Orchids
Grade 7 to Senior 2– 120 minutes
Based on a true story! In March 2000 a suspicious shipment of orchids arrived at the Winnipeg Airport from Taiwan containing over 200 species threatened with extinction. After being seized, these orchids were sent to the Assiniboine Park Conservatory. This crime scene investigation uses various forensic techniques to attempt to identify the smuggler and then explore the larger issue of species conservation and what role we can play.
Endangered Species
Grades 2 to Senior 4 – 90 minutes
Explore what human pressures (e.g. poaching, habitat destruction, pollution, the pet trade) have put so many plants and animals in danger of extinction, through critical thinking and dramatic exercise. Find out about conservation efforts taking place to save these species and the easy things you can do to help.
Monarch Magic (Seasonal)
Grades 4 and up – 90 minutes
Flutter by the Zoo to learn about the myriad of unique and beautiful North American butterflies. Using Monarchs as our focus, explore their amazing adaptations and learn about recent conservation efforts to aid their survival.
Purrfect Predators - All about Big Cats
Grades 3 to 7 – 90 minutes
Learn about the distinctive qualities of the world's big cats like tigers, leopards and lions with a comparison to smaller cats like the lynx and bobcat. Find out why two-thirds of the world's cats are endangered and visit the endangered species at the Assiniboine Park Zoo.
Rain Forests
Grades 2 to 7 – 90 minutes
Tropical rain forests are an important link to life on earth. Rain forests provide valuable resources such as medicine, plant and animal habitat, oxygen and materials that supply a variety of household products. The rain forest’s location, geography and climate provide a home and essential support system to an immense variety of animals, plants, and indigenous peoples. Learn what you can do each day to help slow their loss.
The Dirty 30’s: Conservation Lessons from the Past
Grade 7 to Senior 2 – 120 minutes
Captured through images, songs, stories and movies, the dustbowl years were a challenging time on the prairies. Using drama-based exercises this class employs historical resources meant to encourage students to explore the ecological, social and economic impacts of the 1930's. Students are then challenged to identify how this period in history has prepared us for some of the dilemmas we are now facing with our changing climate.
Zeus’ Secret Garden
Grade 8 to Senior 2 – 120 minutes
Join us while we explore the intimate connection the Ancient Greek‟s had with the natural world and the plants represented in their stories that still exist today. You will gain a greater appreciation for their culture and mythology.
Please refer to our Programming Guide for learning outcomes.
Pre-registration is required. Click here to find out how.
Adult and Senior's groups can also take part in our fun education programs. Please contact us to register.
Click here for registration information.
