AUDIENCE ↬ students
CONTENT ↬ animal adaptations (& creative story telling)
GRADE LEVELS ↬ KDG (w/support) - gr 6ish
Do you study animal adaptations? Are you looking to sprinkle in an imaginative character your students can literally construct? Want to provide a way for your students to create fantastical people-animal hybrids? Build Your Wild Self might just be the answer!
I was introduced to this website by a 4th grade science teacher. She was studying animal adaptations and had come "Build Your Wild Self" by the New York Zoos and Aquarium. The homepage certainly is cute - but when you dive in and explore this site, you can't help but have fun!
The site itself is fun, yes, but after your students build their wild self, incorporate writing by having them explain what effect each adaptation would have (both positive and unpleasant). I can see some pretty spectacular writing pieces sprouting from this.
P.s. I'm sure your students will want to "keep" their wild self - and they can! If they are old enough and have the ability, they can email it, or snap a screenshot.
Thanks to Chris Clementi, check out the SwitchZoo website. You start with a base animal, then change the head, legs, and tail. I checked it out tonight & it's super fun! Another great creative writing activity!
I was introduced to this website by a 4th grade science teacher. She was studying animal adaptations and had come "Build Your Wild Self" by the New York Zoos and Aquarium. The homepage certainly is cute - but when you dive in and explore this site, you can't help but have fun!
The site itself is fun, yes, but after your students build their wild self, incorporate writing by having them explain what effect each adaptation would have (both positive and unpleasant). I can see some pretty spectacular writing pieces sprouting from this.
P.s. I'm sure your students will want to "keep" their wild self - and they can! If they are old enough and have the ability, they can email it, or snap a screenshot.
Thanks to Chris Clementi, check out the SwitchZoo website. You start with a base animal, then change the head, legs, and tail. I checked it out tonight & it's super fun! Another great creative writing activity!
This is great Sarah. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome! I hope students create some wild "selves" and enjoy good writing about them!
DeleteDid the Bronx Zoo remove this? I went into it when you originally sent it out. I was going to have my students work with it today, and I can't get it to work. Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteI was disappointed, too! I have no idea where it went. I went to use it the other day and found the same thing you did. I really hope they are just undergoing a little update. Fingers crossed!
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