Build Your Wild Self

The resource for today is called Build Your Wild Self.

What is Build Your Wild Self?

Build Your Wild Self is a self-building program sponsored by the New York Zoos and Aquariums as well as the Wildlife Conservation Society. The main focus is how your animal adaptations fit in with the surrounding habitat.

Is it free?

Build Your Wild Self is a totally free program. There is no signing up required to use. In order to save your creation, though, you would need to print it out or screenshot and save it to your desktop. I am mentioning this because since you don't have to log in, the program has no way of "saving" your creations.

What will Build Your Wild Self bring to your classroom?

This product can prove to be beneficial in all different grades throughout the education system. From using it in the Kindergarten classroom to discuss habitats to using it in 4th grade classrooms to communicate understanding of habitats to a college student working on learning how a Web 2.0 tool works. This tool brings an easier way to go over habitats and adaptations as well as the characteristics of animals, all by the click of a mouse.

How do I use Build Your Wild Self?

Below, I will show you the steps of using Build Your Wild Self.

This is the first screen you see when you are attempting to build your wild self. It has ALL the directions you need.

Step 1: Begin building your wild self. Choose your body, hair, eyes, mouth, clothes, head gear, ears, face, arms, bottoms, backsides, tails, and backgrounds. The background can either match your person's characteristics or it can differ, it's up to you!

When you highlight each part of the animal, it tells you what it is. For example, the first arm over to the right side is SPIDER CRAB CLAWS. This can be useful for figuring out the adaptation portion of the assignment if you so choose.

Here's my final product! On the right side, it tells about the different things your body parts do for you. For example, the Fennes fox ears help you hear better. This is good to know when discussing the different adaptations.

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How can I use Build Your Wild Self in my classroom?

Below is a list of ways that this tool can be utilized in the classroom:

-Use for inquiry projects
-Use for inferencing questions
-Write a story using the character
-Write poetry using your character
-Create a play based on your creature
-Use when studying animals in science
-Use for card templates to send to parents
-Create research projects based on your character
-Relate this activity to Where The Wild Things Are
-Use for research projects about animals and their adaptations
-Extend by building your wild self out of products from your home
-Write a paragraph about your character and what he/she does daily
-Use a new character each day to inquire about adaptations students see
-Create a fun writing prompt with a beginning that's mandatory to start with
-Create your character to reflect your personality, add to a passport for classroom work

Honestly, the possibilities are ENDLESS.

How would YOU use Build Your Wild Self in your classroom? Answer in the comments on this post!