Exploratorium: Virtual Zoo Adventure: Create, Present, and Animate Your Animal World!

Welcome to the Virtual Zoo Adventure, where students become animal experts and environment creators! In this exciting class, students will research animals and their habitats, learning important research skills tailored to their grade level. They will then use this information to write an informative report and create a digital presentation. Next, students will tap into their artistic abilities to design and scale a realistic environment for their animal. Using stop-motion animation, they will bring their creature to life, adding movement and personality to their presentation. At the end of the class, all the animals will come together to launch a Virtual Zoo—a collaborative digital project to educate others about the animal kingdom. Students will be graded on their written report, the quality of their environment model, and their final presentation. 

Key Highlights: 

• Research Skills: Learn how to gather and organize animal facts to write an informative and engaging report. 

• Artistic Creation: Design and build a 3D environment that matches the animal's habitat, showcasing artistic and creative skills. 

• Stop-Motion Animation: Use stop-motion techniques to animate the animal, bringing it to life for the final presentation. 

• Collaboration: Work together with classmates to create a unified Virtual Zoo, learning teamwork and presentation skills. 

• Rubric-Based Evaluation: Students will be graded on their research, models, and presentation, ensuring a comprehensive learning experience. 

This class is the perfect blend of science, art, and technology, offering a fun and educational way for students to explore the animal kingdom while honing their creative and academic skills! 

Florida Standards 

Science Standards: 

• SC.3.L.14.1 – Identify the characteristics of living things and their basic needs. 

• SC.3.L.17.1 – Describe the structure and function of various animal body parts that help them survive in their environment (e.g., adaptations to climate, food sources). 

• SC.3.L.17.2 – Recognize that animals and plants have life cycles that include birth, growth, reproduction, and death. 

• SC.3.L.17.4 – Recognize that different environments support different kinds of organisms and how these organisms adapt to their environment. 

• SC.3.N.1.1 – Define a problem based on observations and gather information to solve the problem (researching animals and habitats). 

• SC.3.P.8.1 – Identify simple machines and describe how they make work easier, which could relate to the creation of models or using technology. 

Language Arts Standards: 

• LAFS.3.W.1.2 – Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly (writing a report on an animal). 

• LAFS.3.W.3.8 – Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources to answer a question (researching animal facts and habitat details). 

• LAFS.3.SL.1.2 – Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail (collaborating in the Virtual Zoo project and presenting findings). 

• LAFS.3.SL.2.4 – Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace (presenting final digital project and stop-motion animations). 

Art & Creative Expression Standards: 

• TH.3.S.3.1 – Use creative movement, voice, and expression to represent ideas and concepts, which can relate to the artistic process and creating stop-motion animation. 

• VA.3.C.1.1 – Create and present art that communicates ideas or tells a story, including the design of animal habitats. 

• VA.3.S.3.2 – Demonstrate the use of materials, tools, and techniques to create art, which in this case involves creating 3D models and stop-motion animation for the animal's environment. 

Technology Standards: 

• K-12.CS.1 – Use digital tools to create, communicate, and collaborate (e.g., creating digital presentations, stop-motion animation). 

• K-12.IT.1.1 – Explore digital tools and resources to solve problems and make decisions (e.g., using animation software, researching animals online). 

• K-12.TL.1.1 – Use appropriate technology tools to create a project or presentation (e.g., building the virtual zoo and animating the animals). 

Collaboration and Teamwork Standards: 

• LAFS.3.SL.1.1 – Engage effectively in collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade-level topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly (working together to create the virtual zoo).