What is ZOOMS?

Through the Minnesota Zoo’s ZOOMS Program, students and teachers discover just what it takes to engineer a modern zoo.  Developed with funding from 3M, ZOOMS provides both teachers and students the opportunity to apply important science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts to real world situations using the Minnesota Zoo as a context. Through topics such as Engineering FOR Animals (exhibit design), Engineering FROM Animals (biomimicry), and Engineering BY Animals (animals as engineers), teachers and students are challenged to consider and tackle the complexities in both the natural world and constructed environments. The ZOOMS program supports teachers with integrating standards-based ZOOMS resources, design challenges, and field trips into their curriculum to better equip students with the STEM skills to engineer and problem solve just like zookeepers, exhibit designers and conservationists.

The training includes most meals, transportation to/from the hotel to the Minnesota Zoo each day, tons of resources that you can utilize at your institution, and behind the scenes experiences at the Zoo.  This is a great professional development opportunity for those of you looking to either expand or initiate STEM-focused educational programming for formal/school audiences and informal/public audiences.

Workshop Objectives:

• Define integrated STEM education and describe how zoos and aquariums can provide authentic STEM learning experiences.
• Give examples of activities and areas of study for each of the three prongs of the ZOOMS program: engineering by animals, engineering from animals, and engineering for animals.
• Gain tools and resources to implement the ZOOMS program, specifically the ZOOMS Design Challenge—an authentic, zoo-based, long term, integrated STEM project at your own institution.