Our Day at Brookfield Zoo:
An Interdisciplinary Field Trip
Melissa Tomany
Kari Pedziwiatr
University of St. Francis
Spring 2012
Classroom Management and Discipline
Professor Evans
Information taken from: https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/shell/?shttplink=../pgpages/pagegen.280.aspx
Calculations:

Transportation:
120 students + 12 chaperones = 132 total
# of benches per school bus = 24; # of passengers per bench = 2
# of passengers per bus = 48 (132/48=2.75)
# of buses needed = 3
Creekside Elementary to Brookfield Zoo = 25.3 miles
Cost per hour = $36.48; Total number of hours = 6
Cost per mile = $0.96
Parking per bus = $12.00; parking for 3 buses = $36.00 (3 x $12)
Hourly cost of one bus = ($36.48 x 6 hours) = $218.88
Mileage cost of one bus = ($0.96 x 25.3) = $24.29
Total cost of one bus = ($218.88 + $24.29) = $243.17
Total cost of 3 buses = ($243.17 x 3) = $729.51
Total cost of buses & parking = $729.51 + $36.00 = $765.51
Total cost per student = ($765.51/120 students) = $6.38
Brookfield Zoo Field
Trip Cost:

Total cost for buses = $729.51

Brookfield Zoo Admission (including teachers +
chaperones) = Free
(Illinois students on a field trip are free every day.
With your school reservation, all adult supervisors
are also free.)
Total cost per student = $6.38
(round up to $7.00 per student)
Letter to Principal
Dear Kevin Slattery,
The 4 th grade team has been studying animal species and conservation in social studies and
science during this quarter. Students have started to become more familiar with different
types of animal species along with conservation topics as well.
We as a team would like to take our students to Brookfield Zoo to put our studies into
practice. There are several programs offered at Brookfield Zoo that will allow students to see
live animals along with a program discussing the importance of conservation at the zoo.
For this field trip, students will be allowed hands on experiences at several different parts of
the zoo that will help to continue understanding of the content being taught in class.
Students will also be allowed to pick the types of animals that they see at the zoo which in
turn allows students more independence in making their own decisions based upon their own
interests.
Once we have arrived at the zoo. Each chaperone will have their own individual itinerary
which will include where their group will visit for the day, a copy of the park rules and
Creekside school rules, along with a map of the zoo.
We would like to take this field trip on Wednesday, April 25 th , 2012. Since admission into the
park is free of charge, it will only cost $7.00 for transportation to and from the park. Thank
you for taking the time to consider this field as an option for the 4 th grade students to take.
Sincerely,
The Fourth Grade team
Group 1: Monkeys
Miss Liss
Chaperone One
Chaperone Two
Piper
Ashlyn
Brooke
Bryce
Hudson
Asher
Sienna
Hadley
Summer
Justin
Josiah
Jake
Katherine
Kate
Alexa
Ryder
Brandon
Jason
Paige
Violet
Abby
Bryson
Jace
Jeremiah
Sadie
Penelope
Juliana
Nathaniel
Micah
Hayden
Brookfield Zoo requires a minimum of one chaperon to every ten
students. Due to the ties to the curriculum, each of the 120 students
will be with a teacher, even if it was not there teacher. Therefore the
students will be groups of thirty with one teacher and two additional
chaperons.
Group 2: Bears
Miss Pedziwiatr
Chaperone Three
Chaperone Four
Eva
Jocelyn
Jordyn
Xavier
Adrian
Miles
Maria
Jasmine
Alexandra
Bentley
Sebastian
Carson
Nevaeh
Mackenzie
Bailey
Riley
Adam
Aaron
Morgan
Caroline
Julia
Sean
Brody
Julian
Kendall
Nora
Reagan
Nolan
Blake
Cole
Each group will visit tropic world to tie into their science curriculum on
primates and Adventures with Agua to tie into their lessons on conservation in
social studies. The choice of group will be determined by the survey students
took during class. Being that it would be very difficult for students to see every
exhibit at the zoo, it is important that students are grouped so that each
student may see as much of what they want to see at the zoo as they can.
Group 3: Lions
Teacher Three
Chaperone Five
Chaperone Six
Stella
Aria
Harper
Jordan
Parker
Colton
Kennedy
Liliana
Lauren
Ian
Dominic
Tristan
Gianna
Victoria
Molly
Alex
Charlie
Cooper
Annabelle
Brianna
Taylor
Thomas
Colin
Chase
Kayla
Scarlett
Sydney
Hunter
Austin
Oliver
Group 4: Giraffes
Teacher Four
Chaperone Seven
Chaperone Eight
Lucy
Evelyn
Alyssa
Jonathan
David
Isaac
Maya
Savannah
Audrey
Levi
Zachary
Max
Allison
Isabelle
Makayla
Isaiah
Grayson
Joseph
Keira
Alexis
Samantha
John
Anthony
Eli
Leah
Ellie
Lillian
Christopher
Samuel
Henry
The names of the students are not real. They are taken from the list
of the 100 most popular baby names for 2011. Any resemblance to a
class of students is merely coincidental.
(http://www.babycenter.com/top-baby-names-2011)
Itinerary for Field Trip:
Arrange groups
9:00am
Board Bus
9:15am
Attendance
9:20am
Arrive at Brookfield Zoo
9:55am
Get into animal groups
10:00am
Enter Zoo
10:00-10:05am
Explore the Zoo in Animal
groups (See animal group for
Zoo Itinerary)
10:05am-2:00pm
Board Bus
2:10pm
Attendance
2:15pm
Arrive back at Creekside
3:00pm
Return to classrooms
3:05pm
Grand discussion
3:10pm-3:40pm
Place
Time
Animals You’ll See
Photo
Opportunity
Tropic World
10:10-10:30am
Baboons, Gorillas, Lions,
Monkeys, Otter, Hippos
Yes
Adventures w/ Aqua
10:30-10:40am
--
Yes
The Swamp
10:40-11:00am
Heron, Otter, Alligator,
Turtles
Reptiles/birds or
feathers and scales
11:10-11:25
Monitor, Partridge, Kingfisher,
Mynah or Roadrunner, Quail,
Frog, Condor
Bathroom Break
11:25-11:40am
--
The Living Coast
11:40-12:00pm
Penguins
Lunch
12:00-12:30
--
Regenstein Woods
12:30-12:45
Gray Wolf
Great Bear Wilderness
12:45-1:00pm
Bison, Bald Eagle, Grizzly
Bear, Wolf, Polar Bear
Pachyderm House
1:00pm-1:15pm
Tapir, Hippo, Rhino
Hoofed Animals
1:15-1:40pm
Addax, Camel, Zebra,
Horse
Bathroom Break
1:45-2:00pm
--
Exit Brookfield Zoo
2:00-2:10pm
--
Monkeys:
C re e k sid e E l e men tar y
Fi e l d Tr i p Pe r mi ssion Fo r m
March 19 th , 2012
Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),
On Wednesday, April 25 th , 2012, the fourth grade team will be taking a field trip to
Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, IL. Students in the 4 th grade have been learned about
different types of animals in science and social studies. Students are also learning about
conservation in social studies. At Brookfield Zoo, they provide hands on activities to do
with the students depending on the interest the students have about certain animals.
Brookfield Zoo also provides a program that talks about conservation and how to conserve
while at Brookfield Zoo.
Students will be able to choose from a list of animals to see depending on their interest.
There will be four separate groups of animals to choose from so it is guaranteed that your
child with see at least one animal that they want to during the trip. For more
information about Brookfield Zoo, please visit their website at:
http://www.czs.org/czs/Brookfield/Zoo -Home.aspx
Admission into the park is free and students will be required to bring a sack lunch for the
day. Students will depart from Creekside at 9:15am and return at 3:05pm. The only
required cost for the field trip is $7.00 which will help pay for transportation to the Zoo.
Please fill out the following forms and return with your child along with the $7.00 in an
envelope clearly marked with the name of the student on the front. Please return the two
forms and money no later than Monday, April 4 th . If you would like to be a chaperone for
this field trip, please contact Ms. Pedziwiatr at teacher1@creekside.edu or Melissa
Tomany at teacher2@creekside.edu.
Have a great day! 
The Fourth Grade Team
PLAINFIELD COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT #202
TRIP CONSENT FORM
I hereby give permission and consent for my son/daughter, ________________________
to participate in the ___________________________________________(activity)
on ____________, sponsored by Plainfield Community Consolidated School District #202
and to be transported by: ( ) School Bus
( ) Van
( ) Private Vehicle
1. CONDUCT: I understand that my student must comply with the provisions of the
Student Handbook and other rules of conduct established by the School District
while participating in the above -mentioned activity. I have discussed this
requirement with my student.
2. EMERGENCY MEDICAL AID: I hereby give permission for the School District to
secure whatever emergency treatment that my child needs in connection with the
activity.
( ) Yes
( ) No
If I am away from home during the time of the activity, I can be reached at:
_____________________________
(address)
Permission Slip (part 1)
____________________________
(telephone)
Other health information about my child, of importance to the activity:
Signed: ____________________________________ ______________________
Parent or Guardian Signature
Date
__________________________________________ ______________________
Parent or Guardian Signature
Date
Adopted: December 16, 1996
*Please send to school with your child or fax to the school office.
Permission Slip (part 2)
Standards connected to content:
STATE GOAL 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes.
A. Use correct grammar, spell ing, punctuation, capitalization and structure.
3.A.2 Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate
use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization and
punctuation.
B. Compose well-organized and coherent writing for specific pur poses and
audiences.
3.B.2a Generate and organize ideas using a variety of planning strategies (e.g.,
mapping, outlining, drafting).
3.B.2b Establish central idea, organization, elaboration and unity in relation to
purpose and audience.
3.B.2c Expand ideas by using modifiers, subordination and standard para graph
organization.
3.B.2d Edit documents for clarity, subjectivity, pronoun -antecedent agreement,
adverb and adjective agreement and verb tense; proofread for spelling,
capitalization and punctuation; and ensure that documents are formatted in
final form for submission and/or publication.
C. Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.
3.C.2a Write for a variety of purposes and for specified audiences in a variety
of forms including narrative (e.g., fiction, autobiography), expository (e.g.,
reports, essays) and persuasive writings (e.g., editorials, advertisements).
3.C.2b Produce and format compositions for specified audiences using
available technology.
Content Connection:

Project: Informative Writing

The day before the field trip students will be given a
choice of three animals by the teacher. These
animals will be ones that they will see at the zoo.
Each student will fill out a KWL chart on one of the
three animals. Students who finish early will fill out
the second and third charts as time allows.

The day after the field trip students will finish their
KWL chart. Students who filled out more than one
chart may choose which animal to complete. They
will then write an informative one page essay about
the animal they chose. These documents will be
proof read and edited by the student and teacher
and published in a class book for future fourth grade
classes. Each student and teacher will receive a
copy of the book.
STATE GOAL 10: Collect, organize and analyze data using
statistical methods; predict results; and interpret
uncertainty using concepts of probability.
A. Organize, describe and make predictions from existing
data.
10.A.2a Organize and display data using pictures, tallies,
tables, charts, bar graphs, line graphs, line plots and stem and-leaf graphs.
B. Formulate questions, design data collection methods,
gather and analyze data and communicate findings.
10.B.2b Collect, organize and display data using tables, charts,
bar graphs, line graphs, circle graphs, line plots and stem and-leaf graphs.
10.B.2d Interpret results or make relevant decisions based on
the data gathered.
C. Determine, describe and apply the probabilities of
events.
10.C.2a Calculate the probability of a simple event.
10.C.2b Compare the likelihood of events in terms of certain,
more likely, less likely or impossible.
10.C.2c Determine the probability of an event involving “and”,
“or” or “not”.
Content Connection:

The day before the field trip students w ill find out w hat their animal group
is. Each class w ill do tw o math project one using probability and one
using charting.

Activity One: Probability
Students will figure the probability of ending up in each group. (1 in 4)
Students will figure out the probability of ending up in Monkeys or
Giraffes.
Students will figure out the probability of ending up in Monkeys or
Giraffes or Bears.
Students will figure out the probability of ending up in Monkeys or
Bears or Giraffes or Lions.
Students will figure out the probability of ending up in Monkeys and
Lions.
Students will discuss which events are more or less likely.
Activity Two: Charting
Students in each class will find out which group they are in, Monkeys,
Lions, Bears, or Giraffes.
Each class will chart their groups on the board using post it notes.
The students will then compare and contrast the information on the
chart as a whole class.
Each student will then write one paragraph comparing information on
the chart. They will use the words equal, more than, and less than in
their paragraph.

STATE GOAL 12: Understand the fundamental
concepts, principles and interconnections of the
life, physical and earth/space sciences.
A. Know and apply concepts that explain how living
things function, adapt and change.
12.A.2a Describe simple life cycles of plants and animals
and the similarities and differences in their offspring.
12.A.1b Categorize living organisms using a variety of
observable features (e.g., size, color, shape,
backbone).
B. Know and apply concepts that describe how living
things interact with each other and with their
environment.
12.B.2b Identify physical features of plants and animals
that help them live in different environments (e.g.,
specialized teeth for eating certain foods, thorns for
protection, insulation for cold temperature).
Content Connection:

In Science students will be discussing primates.
Students will learn what makes a primate a primate.

After the trip to the zoo students will complete a
Venn diagram comparing and contrasting human
beings to one of the primates they saw at the zoo.
Students will also compare and contrast a small
primate (i.e. monkey or tamarin), a medium size
primate (i.e. baboon, chimpanzee), and a large
primate (i.e. gorilla).

Differences and Similarities among primates will be
the second half of our grand conversation.







STATE GOAL 17: Understand world geography and
the effects of geography on society, with an
emphasis on the United States.
A. Locate, describe and explain places, regions and
features on the Earth.
17.A.2a Compare the physical characteristics of places
including soils, land forms, vegetation, wildlife, climate,
natural hazards.
B. Analyze and explain characteristics and
interactions of the Earth’s physical systems.
17.B.2b Explain how physical and living components
interact in a variety of ecosystems including desert,
prairie, flood plain, forest, tundra.
C. Understand relationships between geographic
factors and society.
17.C.2c Explain how human activity affects the
environment.
Content Connection:

During Social Studies we will be discussing
conservation and how human activity can affect a
variety of environments before the field trip. In
our unit, we will discuss water conservation,
endangered species, and how to be a
conservationist. Students will be expected to find
things relating to conservation on their trip to the
zoo. They will have a scavenger hunt list and to
complete as they tour the zoo. Each list will have
ten things.

Students must write a note of what they found be
it an animal or location on their list. There will be
a teacher in each group who will draw attention to
things students may write on their list. Each
student must fill out at least five to receive full
credit. Students who fill out eight or more will
receive a conservation leader certificate.
Students will hand in the scavenger hunts when
they arrive back to the school. Part of the grand
discussion will focus on conservation.
Reflection: Melissa
This experience has been wonderful. I found the project to be extremely fun. It allowed me to
be creative and I have never had an easier time putting my thoughts into words.
I love the Brookfield Zoo. I went often as a child and became a member in 2009. In 2010 I
found out that the zoo has many teacher resources and offers free admission to Illinois schools
for scheduled field trips. As a future teacher I could not wait until I had my own class and
could take them to the zoo. I was excited to be able to plan the trip sooner than I thought and
the only disappointment is that I do not have a class to take on the trip.
I found the zoo easy to tie to the standards and curriculum. The thing I found difficult was
focusing on what activities I wanted to do. As I narrowed down the activities I realized I was
able to refine my ideas and come up with some projects that will be both interesting and
engaging
I really enjoyed planning the individual group itineraries, though that was the most
challenging. I did not want 120 students trying to use the same bathroom at the same time so
I carefully planned so that they would have lunch and bathroom breaks in shifts at varying
locations. I especially wanted to make sure the final bathroom break was at four different
locations.
The cost calculation was fairly simple. The one thing I did not like was to typing my math. I
have always done a great deal of math in my head and I have never been good about writing
down all of the steps.
I was also excited about all of the help the zoo gave me. They directed me to a schedule
created for students who have difficulty with transitioning and even gave me extra maps to
use for our resource packet. I was shocked to find out the zoo normally does not give the full
color maps to everyone in a school group. Knowing that the one thing I would remember
would be to go ahead of time and request enough so that each teacher and chaperone could
have a full color copy.
In conclusion, this was a fun and exciting project. I would recommend the Brookfield Zoo to
any teacher and hope to take my class there in the future.
Reflection: Kari
At first I was very hesitant on choosing Brookfield Zoo as my fieldtrip choice. I do not
know very much about animals and I myself do not go to the zoo very often. After doing
my research however, I found that the zoo is a great place to take any age of students
because it offers so much to them. It is also very easy to connect content to different
programs they offer at the zoo. Another thing I thought was really cool was that the
zoo doesn’t charge an admission price to get in for students. This is extremely
beneficial for schools that do not have much of a budget to use for field trips.
In terms of doing this project, I would have to say it was much more difficult than I
thought it would be. I have planned field trips in the past for another job I have but it
was not anywhere near as difficult. It is also difficult to plan this project with another
person so I couldn’t imagine trying to plan a trip with an entire team.
Time management would definitely be one of my biggest obstacles with planning a field
trip. Looking at the requirement s from Brookfield Zoo, it would definitely take months
to make sure everything was submitted on time.
Knowing what I know now I would definitely take a trip to the zoo with my students. I
feel like they have a lot to offer. Even though I am not a big animal person, if it helped
connect to the content that was being discussed in class, I would take one for the team.
I think that this project is very good for IFE students to do since it really is not
something you think about until you become a teacher. I am glad I had the experience
of planning my own field trip before I have to do it again when I am an actual teacher.