My middle school students are loving our latest project: creating a “hybrid zoo”! The idea developed when I recently came across the free app Switch Zoo (also available on the internet for those without ipads). Switch Zoo allows you to make new animals by changing the head, tail and bodies of over 100 animals. It’s a great way to target an array of speech and language goals, from vocabulary to phonological processing!
We began with a discussion of what exactly is a “hybrid” and related it to real animals such as the “cockapoo”, vegetables such as “broccoflower” and fruits such as “tangelos”.
Students used the app to create their hybrid animal; a fun feature is watching the animals “morph” as the body parts are adjusted. Individual animals were then printed and laminated.
Our next step was to write a brief description of the animal. I created several writing frameworks and worksheets that can be used depending on the student’s levels:
|Writing frame for younger students|
|Writing frame for older students|
I created another for students utilizing the EET:
|Writing frame for use with EET|
Naming their animals was a great way to target phonological processing skills. Their goal was to combine the 3 original names into one new name. This provided an opportunity to practice syllable and sound combinations. I found it useful to use post-it notes for this activity:
I also used the worksheet here:
Here’s a link to the worksheets and frameworks.
We are now in the process of creating habitats for the animals and placing them in the “Zoo”. Many of my students have taken the project several steps further: they’re comparing and contrasting their animals and creating stories about their personalities! Don’t you love when students take an idea and run with it? That’s what I love about being an SLP!