Careful observation is important to zoologists, and binoculars help them to watch animals from a distance. Getting too close to animals can upset them and alter their behavior. You can purchase binoculars made just for children. These binoculars are usually smaller in scale than adult binoculars and have protective features so they don't break if children drop them.
Cameras offer kids a quick way to record details about the animals they're studying. Using photos taken from cameras, kids can compare different species of animals and show each other what they discovered. A camera with video recording capabilities is even more valuable than a regular camera because it can record animals' behaviors. Make sure the camera has a case that can be worn around the neck to keep it safe.
Microscopes allow kids to see a whole world of animals they would never be able to see with their own eyes. Explain to the kids that before Anton van Leewehoek invented the modern microscope, people didn't realize that there are millions of tiny animals living all around us. Introduce them to protozoa, paramecium, sporozoa, and a host of other microscopic animals. Buy child-specific microscopes for durability and smaller scale, and avoid microscopes sold in toy stores as they tend to be unreliable.
As kids make all these wonderful discoveries with their microscopes, cameras, and binoculars, they need a way to record and synthesize the information they're gathering. Make sure each child has a lab notebook for recording information, sorting species, and making connections. Explain to your students that zoologists need accurate records of all they've discovered so they can pass their information on to other researchers and so they can duplicate experiments and observations in the future.
Another way for zoologists to record information is to make clay models of the species they study. Polymer clay is fun and easy for kids to use, it comes in a wide variety of colors, and it hardens to make a lasting record. Because polymer clay comes in many colors, kids can make their clay models in true-to-life colors, or they can use different colors to differentiate different animal body parts. Some kids learn very well when they participate in hands-on activities, and sculpting their discoveries will help them remember what they've learned.