Thanks to @casterline on twitter… I have enjoyed some creativity at the site: Build Your Wild Self (http://buildyourwildself.com/)
I could see this used the in the classroom to have the students first make a reasonable representation of themselves and then expand with some clever and unique ideas.
What I especially liked about this website is that I did not randomly choose things without knowing what they really were.
IE: My mouth is Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly, I have domestic rabbit ears, Monarch butterfly wings, Baringo Giraffe hoofs, African Lion Legs (though I almost went for the Magellanic penguin), and an African Lion tail.
What interesting stories your students could begin to tell — and what new knowledge they will acquire as they investigate more about each special part. (I now know that the Baringo Giraffe’s front legs are longer than the back….thus giving him/her a sloping appearance. http://www.lpzoo.org/animals/factsheet.php?contentID=198) Pretty cool…huh?
Just some Friday night fun that could roll over into a fun lesson idea in your classroom.
ENJOY!!
I love this site and my 5th graders had a ball with it last year. I’m been trying to think of what to do with my first graders next week and I think you just gave me an idea! I think we’ll talk about animal groups. Next I’ll take your idea of making an avatar that looks like them and then have them add an insect part, mammal part etc. Thanks for the help with my lesson plans!
I’ve been looking for something to share with my elementary teachers and these ideas are perfect. I’m sure they’ll all have fun making avatars and learning about the animals.
My second graders love this site! They all made avatars to use on their blogs. We will go back to this site during the next few weeks as we explore habitats. They will each create a new avatar that would fit in their assigned habitat.