Association of Zoos and Aquariums

Houston Zoological Gardens Wins 2002 Education Significant Achievement Award

FORT WORTH, TX 13 September 2002 -- The American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) today honored the Houston Zoological Gardens, with a Significant Achievement Award for the “Project U.S.A. – Urban: Scientists in Action.” Zoo officials accepted the award at the AZA's 78th Annual Conference, meeting here this week.

Project U.S.A. – Urban: Scientists in Action
©Houston Zoological Gardens

The Houston Zoo's Project U.S.A. – Urban Scientists in Action is a school-based conservation education outreach program that brings life and environmental science to life for urban minority children in grades 3, 4, and 5. The program is a collaborative endeavor and partners the Zoo with the Houston Independent School District's East Administrative Office, Texas Southern University, Austin High School Magnet Program for the Teaching Profession, and several elementary schools on the city's east side. The program centers on the development, implementation, and subsequent dissemination of a series of ecosystem-themed science instructional units that complement the Zoo's new John P. McGovern Children's Zoo exhibitry.

Each year, the employees in the Zoo's Education Section work with the project coordinator and the preservice teachers enrolled in the university's field-based teacher education program to develop the curriculum units. Six teachers are then invited to pilot the units in their classrooms. Two high school teaching interns are assigned to each of the six teachers to help them with the implementation process. All three teacher groups are provided with resource materials and professional development activities designed to help them teach science and to integrate in particular, environmental education more effectively in the urban school.

The elementary student participants and their non-participating counterparts attend a Zoomobile assembly on their campus and visit the Zoo grounds. The participating pilot classes are also taken on another field study to visit an ecosystem site that is related to the unit's theme. The students in these classes are the recipients of the lessons in the curriculum unit that is designed to be taught over a period of six weeks.

The lessons are organized into strands which focus on: Week (1) basic concepts in ecology; Week (2) the plants found in the specified ecosystem; Week (3) the animals in the ecosystem; Week (4) the impact of humans on the ecosystem, its history, and career opportunities; Week (5) the conservation and preservation of the ecosystem; and Week (6) a review of the entire unit.

Project U.S.A. allows the Houston Zoo to play a more purposeful and meaningful role in elementary science education reform, to cultivate a collaborative network with other community institutions and providers of resources, and to have a significant impact on children's science learning at a very critical time. The program serves a student population that is often underrepresented in our other audiences and according to evaluation data collected, appears to be effective in changing their attitudes toward the study of science, environmental issues, and the possible future pursuit of science careers.

The American Zoo and Aquarium Association was founded in 1924 and currently represents 208 accredited zoos and aquariums in North America. AZA's mission is to support membership excellence in conservation, education, science and recreation.

Note: For more information contact Pamela M. Norwood, Ed.D. Grant Project Coordinator (713) 284-8330 or (713) 284-1340.