About education in zoo
Riga ZOO offers a variety of educational lessons and excursions, all of which take up 1-2 hours. Authentic animal parts are used in the lessons and excursions as an interactive learning tool. Live animals are used in all lessons.
Excursions consist of two options: How We Are Different and Animals in Latvia’s Nature and Culture. How We Are Different is our most basic and popular excursion with a guided tour of the zoo. Animals in Latvia’s Nature and Culture is part of the national Skolas Soma programme, for which the cost of a guide is free for educational institutions.
Lessons consist of two parts: activities in the zoo classroom and a short tour. Riga ZOO offers the lessons listed in the table below.
Preschool | Grades 1-3 | Grades 4-6 | Grades 7-9 | Grades 9-12 | |
What are different animal bodies like? | X | X | – | – | – |
What do animals do at different times of the year? | X | X | – | – | – |
How do wild animals differ from domesticated animals? | X | X | – | – | – |
What do different animals eat? | X | X | – | – | – |
What animals are found in Latvia’s wilderness? | X | X | – | – | – |
Stages of development | – | – | X | – | – |
Animals in different environments: Earth, air, water | – | – | X | – | – |
The roles of organisms in different ecosystems | – | – | – | X | – |
Ethics of keeping animals in captivity | – | – | – | – | X |
Disclaimer: Not all excursions and lessons are available in English. To determine whether a lesson or excursion can be offered in English, we ask that you please contact the zoo (phone: +371 22003212; email: zooskola@rigazoo.lv)