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Monster Manual
New activity
Learn more about genetics with this very cute monster building activity, adapted for multiple age groups!
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Rating
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Participants Enjoyed the ActivityParticipants Learned from This ActivityActivity Instructions Were Clear and Easy to FollowWould Recommend
Related Programming Resources
| Hints for uses in your library | This activity can be done with a laptop, or you can print out the paper version. The paper copy is great to let kids take their creations home! |
| Related Links |
Monster Maker Worksheet
Kids Biology Intro to Genetics Video |
| Originating Source | ASU School of Life Sciences |
| Related Books [Suggest a book] |
Enjoy your cells by Mic Rolph
The Cartoon Guide to Genetics by Larry Gonick and Mark Wheelis Genetics: breaking the code of your DNA by Carla Mooney and Samuel Carbaugh Have a Nice DNA by Frances R Balkwill and Mic Rolph |
Reviews
A multitude of monsters
Kids had such a good time with this that most made multiple monsters. They really enjoyed the option to print and color them. There weren't any left lying around afterwards, which is a testament in itself. It was incredibly easy to set up as a basically passive program on a low-homework day after school. I'm not certain they internalized much of the genetics conceptual info, but I think with a little more structured set-up, that would be easy enough to reinforce through discussion, and maybe reading the background materials together. The program was very easy to run, just took a couple moments to both find the part to launch the activity (hyperlink to the monster builder didn't seem terribly obvious initially,) and for the kids to realize exactly what to do with the "genes." Overall, a great time, and a couple kids came back wanting to do it again this week.