Zula Patrol

Click here the visit the Zula Patrol website.

Move over George Jetson!  Meet the 21^st Century's Zula Patrol.  This innovative space team takes K-2 children through 26-episode science and astronomy curriculum based on the National Science Education Standards.  In addition to the science curriculum, this series meets NAEYC standards and promotes affective character-building goals, non-violent conflict resolution and diversity.

The Zula Patrol goals are:

• To "engagingly" extend the learning areas of science, astronomy and pro-social behavior into the classroom, home, community and educational institution; and;
• To provide teachers, parents, and educational coordinators with materials that illustrate how to us "Zula" as a teaching tool (using the PBS/Ready To Learn "View, Read, Do Learning Triangle): and
• To support promotion and awareness of "Zula" the educational community.

Zula preschool and K-2 "Launch Pad for Learning" activities provide a valuable resource. Each activity includes the following key elements:

• NAEYC or National Science Education Standards.
• Modeling of the PBS/Ready to Learn's "View, Read, Do Learning Triangle"
• Recommended Readings, First Book Titles and Language Arts Extensions
• Promotion of Inquiry, Exploration and Discovery
• Developmentally Appropriate Subjects and Content
• Evaluated by Preschool and Elementary Teachers and Students

Activities can be launched by themselves -- or to best support the different science and astronomy themes, they may be introduced with suggested books or by watching related Zula Patrol shows on UNC-TV. 

Workshops are offered for either parents or teachers and promote development of inquiry based learning skills in children. 

*Children are encouraged to ask questions about activities/themes

*Children are encouraged to observe and note details, changes, similarities/differences, etc.

*Children are encouraged to explore, investigate and experiment

*Children are encourage to use a variety of means to express ideas and they learned:  drawing, talking with the teacher, dictating, writing, using body movements or dramatic play, journals, reports, etc.

*Children are encouraged to come up with explanations for different phenomena

The Ready To Learn Read-View-Do Learning Triangle model is followed.

Read: The Solar System by Carmen Bredeson

View: Zula Patrol Episode 1  "Earth's Neighborhood!"

Do: Create solar system puzzle with construction paper.  Discuss how earth "fits" into its neighborhood.