Saint Louis Zoo Explorer Guide — Middle & High School

Turn a trip to the zoo into a real field study!

The Quill and Canyon Saint Louis Zoo Explorer Guide is designed specifically for middle and high school students who are ready to go beyond simply looking at animals. This 23-page field guide turns a visit to the Saint Louis Zoo into an opportunity to explore zoo history, animal behavior, conservation science, animal welfare, and critical thinking.

Students will investigate how the Saint Louis Zoo began with the 1904 World's Fair, explore its six major zones, observe animals like scientists, and learn how modern zoos contribute to conservation. Along the way, they'll encounter real questions with no easy answers—including the debate over whether zoos should exist.

What Students Will Do

📚 Explore the History

• Discover how the zoo grew from the famous 1904 World's Fair Flight Cage.
• Explore the development of the Saint Louis Zoo.
• Examine the complicated history surrounding the 1904 World's Fair.

🦁 Explore the Zoo

• Learn about the zoo's six zones.
• Complete an observation-based scavenger hunt.
• Identify species, habitats, conservation information, and examples of animal enrichment.

🔬 Think Like a Scientist
Middle and high school students will practice real scientific observation by:

• Creating an animal behavior ethogram
• Observing a feeding or keeper demonstration
• Interviewing a zoo professional
• Identifying different types of enrichment
• Investigating animal adaptations
• Designing a better animal habitat
• Applying math to a conservation scenario

🌎 Study Conservation
Students are introduced to concepts including in situ and ex situ conservation, Species Survival Plans, One Health, animal welfare, and species reintroduction. Real conservation case studies feature the Ozark hellbender and American burying beetle.

⚖️ Build a Critical-Thinking Argument
Students examine the strongest arguments for and against zoos, evaluate evidence, and then take a position of their own. Rather than being given an answer, students are challenged to think critically, consider opposing evidence, and defend their conclusions.

What's Included

• 23-page middle & high school field guide
• Zoo history and background
• Six-zone exploration guide
• Scavenger hunt
• Animal behavior study
• Feeding & demonstration observation
• Zoo professional interview activity
• Animal enrichment investigation
• Adaptation investigation
• Habitat design challenge
• Conservation math activity
• Explorer vocabulary
• Check-your-understanding questions
• Answer key
• Certificate of Completion
• Additional free resources for continued exploration

Recommended for: Middle school and high school students who enjoy science, animals, nature, conservation, and hands-on learning.

Make your next visit to the Saint Louis Zoo more than a day at the zoo—make it a field study.

This is an independent educational field guide and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by the Saint Louis Zoo.

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Effective Date: August 13, 2026

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