Invent a Critter

Introduction

After studying the regions and most of the animals that live in them, create a living animal that could survive in at least one of the regions. This critter may look any way you want it to look, travel in any manner consistent with the region you have chosen, eat anything in the region, live in what ever way suits the region, and be any size you choose. You must know the region or regions you choose very well.

Materials

• Drawing paper
• Colored pencils or markers
• Large poster board
• Print out of or self-made table
• Pencil
• Online DDL database

Process

Use the information in the Digital Desert Library and the animal database to learn as much as you can about one or more of the regions and all the animals living there. Set up a table that has the types of animals and their characteristics. The table will look something like this:

Task

Taking information from your table, invent an animal that can live in one or more of the regions. Draw a picture of the animal you create and its habitat. Put in as much detail as you can.

Describe your critter in great detail. Give as much information about it as you possible can. Write a one page encyclopedia entry for it. Give it a latin name that accurately describes it.

Presentation

Introduce your new critter to the world. Make posters, television commercials, radio ads, magazine ads, HyperStudio stacks, and other forms of media to show off your critter.

Other ideas for announcing your new critter include: making a stuffed animal that looks like your critter; writing a song or poem about your critter; creating a zoo area for your critter and making it inside a shoe box; design a computer or board game that allows players to learn about your critter. There are many, many ways to promote your newly created desert creature.

Send your creation and its description to The Digital Desert Library, and we will post it in the Student Gallery.

This activity was a collaboration between Cissy Lujan-Pincomb and Linda Pickett.