Zoos as teaching aids for the comparative psychology course

This paper describes a course in comparative psychology, an important feature of which is the inclusion of a series of observational exercises at our local zoological park. These exercises are designed to teach the general principles of evolution as they pertain to life in general and behavior in particular. Another significant feature of the course is the requirement that students conduct an observational research project at the zoo. These projects provide experience with field research techniques and allow students to interact with unusual and rare animals.