Education at Reptilia
Curriculum-connected, hands-on learning with live reptiles, amphibians and arachnids. From Early Years classroom visits to post-secondary field courses, our custom-written, school-board-approved programs turn science standards into unforgettable, up-close experiences.
Learning that meets the curriculum — and the animal
Reptilia has developed custom-written curriculums carefully designed to align with and support the standards set by provincial education departments. Every lesson is reviewed and approved by the school boards we work with, so what happens in your classroom complements what students are already learning at school.
Curriculum-Connected
Multidisciplinary lessons built around the Ontario Science & Technology curriculum, with cross-curricular ties to geography, environmental studies and social studies.
Hands-On Experiences
Guided demonstration, observation and discussion that let students apply classroom knowledge to real, living examples.
Live Animals
Every session is delivered with real reptiles, amphibians and arachnids from Reptilia’s collection — not photos or video.
Inquiry & Critical Thinking
Lessons reinforce scientific inquiry and problem-solving so sessions enhance outcomes, not just fill an afternoon.
Programs by grade level, Early Years – Grade 8
Every lesson below ties directly to Ontario Life Systems curriculum expectations. Tap a grade to explore the full lesson breakdown, key vocabulary covered in class, and download the corresponding lesson worksheet.
You Can Learn
How Do We Know It’s Alive?
Students learn the characteristics of living things — movement, reproduction, energy, growth and death — and the variation across species.
Diversity… We Are All Different, Yet the Same
Reptiles look, eat and behave differently, but in many ways are just like us. Explores diversity and shared characteristics.
Colors and Textures
Snakes are scaly, not slimy — and every animal feels different. A tactile exploration of reptile diversity.
Using the Senses to Learn About Senses
Students use sight, smell, touch and hearing to learn how the five senses help animals — and people — survive.
You Can Learn
The Characteristics of Living Things
How do we know it’s alive? Students explore movement, reproduction, energy, growth and the many ways animals move through their environment.
Exploring the Needs of Living Things
The basic necessities of life — energy, water, shelter/space and air — and how environmental change affects animal survival.
You Can Learn
Ultimate Survivors: Adapting to a Changing Environment
How vertebrates respond and adapt to seasonal change, and which characteristics help them thrive.
Life Goes On… and On: Animal Life Cycles
Birth, growth, reproduction and parental care — the many different life cycles found across vertebrates.
Vertebrate Variety
Comparing the physical, behavioral and life-cycle characteristics of the five vertebrate classes.
The World Around Us: Living and Surviving
Combines the above lessons — how vertebrates use senses and adaptations to find food, avoid predators and meet their needs.
You Can Learn
Plant & Animal Interactions
Introduces interconnectedness — how plants and animals are linked, and the similarities between the two kinds of organisms.
You Can Learn
Ultimate Survivors: Adapting to a Changing Environment
How different vertebrates respond and adapt to seasonal and environmental change.
Life Goes On… and On: Animal Life Cycles
Birth, growth, reproduction and parental care across the vertebrate classes.
Vertebrate Variety
Physical, behavioral and life-cycle comparisons across reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals and fish.
The World Around Us: Living and Surviving
How vertebrates use senses and adaptations to survive, find food and avoid predators.
You Can Learn
Organ Organization and Integration
A tour of organ systems across terrestrial vertebrates, highlighting how structure and function vary — and how systems work together to sustain life.
You Can Learn
Classic Classification: Organizing the Living World
Introduces the Linnaean classification system, biodiversity, and the characteristics of animals in the five vertebrate classes.
You Can Learn
Ecological Essentials: The Delicate Balance
Introduces ecology and ecological interactions — the predictable natural laws that govern every ecosystem.
Humans and Ecosystems: How Do We Fit In?
Students apply their knowledge of ecosystems to the role human activity plays in ecological processes.
What to know before you book
The details behind the field trip above — what’s included, how pricing works, and how to plan your day.
Full-Day ProgramTour + Lesson + Admission
What’s Included
Pricing
Planning Your Day
Post-Secondary RateWhat’s IncludedEvery Field Trip Includes
4 Included Features
Guided Zoo Tour — A 30-minute guided tour of the zoo led by a Reptilia Cast Member.
Curriculum-Based Lesson — A 60-minute lesson matched to your grade level.
All-Day Admission — Self-guided exploration after your lesson.
Shows & Demonstrations — Access to daily shows, feedings and demos happening that day.
PricingPricing Breakdown
4 Details
K–12 Groups — $13.00 + tax per additional student, minimum 20 students.
Post-Secondary Groups — $10.25 + tax per additional student (starting at $11/student).
Free Chaperones — 1 teacher or professor admitted free for every 5 students.
Taxes & Mileage — All prices subject to applicable taxes and mileage fees where relevant.
Planning Your DayPlanning Your Visit
4 Tips
Three Locations — Field trips run at all three Reptilia locations: Vaughan, Whitby and London.
Curriculum Advisors — Our bookings team helps match lessons to your grade.
Bus Drop-Off — Buses can drop off directly at each facility’s entrance.
Bagged Lunches — Welcome — ask your booking coordinator about seating space.
Post-Secondary RatePost-Secondary Field Trip
4 Details
Per-Student Rate — $10.25 + tax per additional student, starting at $11/student.
Free Professors — 1 professor free for every 5 students.
Same Great Program — Includes the same 30-minute tour, 60-minute lesson and all-day admission.
Minimum Group Size — Minimum 20 students per booking.
Elementary & High School Visits
Prefer to keep your class at school? Reptilia’s Cast Members bring live animals and full lessons directly to your classroom or gymnasium — book from 1 to 5 back-to-back lessons in a single day.
Elementary School Visit
60-minute, curriculum-based lessons delivered right in your classroom.
High School Visit
60-minute lessons designed for senior biology and life sciences classes.
Post-Secondary Programs
From teacher candidates to veterinary technicians, Reptilia works with professors to build content that complements your program’s goals. Every session is led by qualified educational instructors and features live animals. Choose from campus visits or bring your class to us.
Post-Secondary Field Trip
- $10.25 + tax per additional student
- 1 professor free for every 5 students
- 30-minute guided zoo tour
- 60-minute curriculum-based lesson + all-day admission
Post-Secondary Campus Visit
- Up to a 120-minute lesson
- Live animals brought to your lecture hall or lab
- Delivered by a qualified instructor
- Content customized with your course coordinator
Research Collaboration
- Access to a collection of 500+ animals
- Rare and hard-to-source specimens available
- Guided identification and field courses
- Venomous species handling demonstrations
Fear of reptiles and snakes is common, even among animal lovers. Exposure through Reptilia’s programs helps students overcome it before it becomes a workplace issue — especially as reptiles and amphibians become more common in private homes as pets.
Programs at Reptilia: A hands-on demonstration and full zoo tour, including exposure to how animals are handled and housed in a professional zoo setting, plus venomous species handling demonstrations.
Programs at Your School: Our staff bring a variety of live animals to your campus and deliver the same program provided at our facility.
Many teacher candidates entering elementary classrooms don’t have a science background. Reptilia’s workshops build confidence with the Life Systems Strand through three components: teaching basic concepts, hands-on investigation and exploration, and demonstrating links to the outside world.
After attending, teachers leave with support materials ready to use in the classroom, a stronger grasp of Life Systems topics, and an easier path to meeting curriculum requirements.
Available at Reptilia or at your school — bring your group to our facility for a hands-on tour, or have our Cast Members deliver the workshop on campus.
Students preparing to work with wildlife in the field get hands-on, in-class experience and guided field courses covering natural history, ecology, behavior and identification — including safe handling of venomous species.
Ontario Species Lesson: Focused on identification and natural history of native Ontario reptiles and amphibians, using live animals, video and slides in a multimedia presentation.
Zoology students rarely get to work with live animals. Reptilia offers customizable live demonstrations and field courses covering reptile and amphibian physiology, classification, evolution and ecology, built around your course coordinator’s goals.
Herpetology Identification Lab: Learn to identify reptile families from live specimens representing more than 15 families, alongside video and slide support — either in your lab or as a zoo tour at Reptilia.
As reptile and amphibian pets grow more popular, vet techs and veterinarians need at least a working knowledge of their identification and care. Most programs only devote 2–4 hours to this material — Reptilia’s sessions cover it thoroughly, pairing theory with live, practical application.
Programs at Reptilia: A hands-on demonstration and zoo tour showing how animals are handled and housed professionally, with venomous species demonstrations included.
Programs at Your School: Our staff bring a variety of animals to deliver the same program on your campus.
Virtual Educations
Virtual Educations
Can’t make it to Reptilia? Our Cast Members bring live reptiles, amphibians and arachnids straight to your classroom over live video — the same curriculum-connected lesson, with no travel and no minimum group size.
- 45-minute live video lesson with a Reptilia Cast Member
- 2–3 live animals shown up close on camera, matched to your grade level
- Runs over Zoom, Teams or Google Meet — no special equipment needed
- Live Q&A and a take-home worksheet included
Available to schools anywhere — no location restrictions. Contact our booking line to check dates.
Support for teachers, not just students
Reptilia is supported to a great extent by the schools and teachers we work with. Our professional learning offerings share our expertise directly with educators, so science confidence doesn’t end when the class visit does.
1Teacher Workshops
Hands-on sessions covering the Life Systems Strand, designed for teachers without a science background.
3Classroom Resources
Support materials teachers can put to use immediately, from lesson prompts to vocabulary lists.
2Curriculum Support
Content structured around official guidelines, expectations and learning objectives — reviewed by school boards.
4Professional Learning
Workshops that build lasting knowledge to draw from, easing the path to meeting curriculum requirements.
Reptilia Conservation Classroom
A nine-month, curriculum-connected learning program that gives students a living ecosystem to investigate, real conservation problems to solve, and meaningful connections to Reptilia animals – without placing a vertebrate animal in the classroom.
- Living Ecosystem Investigation Lab
- Teacher Program Guide 7 Worksheets
- Reptilia Conservation Ambassador Poster
- End the school year with a FREE field trip to Reptilia!
This experience is currently available with some restrictions — contact our booking line with any questions.
Research & Collaboration
Reptilia maintains a collection of over 500 animals, including rare specimens not found elsewhere in Canada. We’re happy to discuss research possibilities with professors and graduate students — from field-identification data collection to husbandry and handling studies.
Locations & Booking
Our bookings team and curriculum advisors are ready to help you choose the right program. Reach out to the location nearest you, or send us your details below.
Vaughan
2501 Rutherford Road, Vaughan, ON L4K 2N6
Whitby
1400 Victoria St East, Whitby, ON L1N 0M2
London
785 Wonderland Rd S, London, ON N6K 3C2
Bring your class face-to-face with the animal kingdom
Whether it’s a field trip, a classroom visit, a teacher workshop or a full school year with a leopard gecko — our booking team and curriculum advisors are ready to help you plan it.
