Welcome to Science in the Language Class, an educational programme which provides free resources that link language learning to RZSS conservation projects across the world, or to the conservation breeding programmes within RZSS sites. All materials link to Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes in science, topical science, social studies, language and literacy.
View all Science in the Language Class resources
The sound files
have been created by senior students studying Spanish from Peebles High School
and also from students at Currie High School.
The armadillos, anteaters and sloths from South America form a group called Xenarthra. The word comes from ancient Greek, where xénos means strange or unusual and arthron means joint. The Xenarthra group are a strange set of animals which have extra joints in their back compared to other mammals.
RZSS supports the giant armadillo and the giant anteater projects in South America. The giant anteater and the Linne's two-toed sloth can be found at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo.
Also see the sloth bingo game for learning names of body parts -
The different habitats of South America and some animals that live there.
To work out in South America with the RZSS South American Coordinator, Dr. Arnaud Desbiez you would need many skills which include learning, investigating, problem solving, visual skills and language skills. in order to get a little insight into the work, try these 9 tasks.
Complete a series of 9 tasks to learn about and help with the conservation work. Some of the tasks are very short, some will ask you to play some of the games and activities and some ask you to draw or make things.
Level 1 question cards are the same as level 2 but have shorter answers. Further information is included in level 2.
Level 1 language cards have different questions from level 2 and mainly include numbers and colours.
Level 2 question cards are the same as level 1 but include more details and further information.
Level 2 language cards have different questions from level 1 about the habitats and threats.
A list of Spanish verbs, used in this course, with their conjugates in present tense only. Along with a short history of the words and their links to English.
*conjugates - different verb endings.
*present tense - an action that is currently going on or generally goes on.
The habitat words which are used in this course. Along with a short history of the words and their links to English.
The threat words which are used in this course. Along with a short history of the words and their links to English.
The programme compares two very different animals from two very different areas of the world. Learn more about the giant anteater from South America and the giant panda from China. The resources introduce some basic vocabulary in Spanish and are aimed at upper primary level.
Many thanks to the 2021-2022 S4 Spanish Employability
Group, Musselburgh Grammar School, East Lothian for the Spanish sound files.
Giant anteater
Body parts
Colour games
Giant anteater
It is best if you work through all the other activities before taking this quiz.
Sounds are incorporated in the various online games where appropriate.
The files below contain a complete set of the sound files.
Note: The conservation project in South America is based in the Pantanal which is mainly in Brazil, where the language is Portuguese. However all the animals within the South American linked games are found across many South American Spanish speaking countries. The Pantanal also extends into Bolivia and Paraguay. The language learning is European Spanish, as per curriculum in UK schools, and not South American Spanish.
This fun board game is designed around the giant anteater and introduces basic Spanish phrases.
This board game introduces four South American animals - giant armadillo, giant anteater, Linne's two toed sloth and the jaguar. It includes challenge cards to discover facts and threats facing these animals and uses the Spanish translations to investigate some common Spanish vocabulary. The giant anteater and Linne's two toed sloth can be seen at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo.
Produced in partnership with 
This is a sorting game which investigates the following categories: la cuidad; los animals y las plantas; la comida y la bebida; la gente; la música y las artes. We partnered with StampIT to provide this game.
This game was designed by the 2021-2022 S4 Spanish Employability Group, Musselburgh Grammar School, East Lothian, Scotland.
At the time of production all animals listed in this booklet can be seen at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo.
This game was designed by the 2023-2024 Senior Spanish students, Peebles High School.
