When I was a kid in Elementary School I remember heading down to the cafeteria every once in a while for an “exciting” assembly. It was usually about “Saying No to Drugs” or some song and dance number by guys in costumes. But the one assembly that always stuck out in my mind was when Slim Goodbody came to town! Anybody else remember him?
Slim would come dressed in a full painted bodysuit that depicted various parts of the human body (muscles, organs, veins, nerves, etc.). He’d sing and dance around, while teaching us all about eating healthy, exercising, and how the body works. I don’t remember any lessons he actually taught, I just remember thinking he seemed like Richard Simmons’ distant cousin.
I don’t know if Slim’s still visiting schools, but I just discovered an educational app that puts the entire body’s inner workings on your iPhone, iTouch, or iPad. Created by deagostiniusa, How My Body Works in 3D is a decent textbook disguised as a highly interactive and entertaining app.
The app itself is free and is then broken down into eight different lessons based on systems: Sensory, Locomotion, Nervous, Circulatory, Respiratory, Digestive, Urinary and Lymphatic, and Reproductive System and Cells. The first lesson (Sensory System) is a free download as well, to really show you a solid example of how useful the app can be.
Additional systems can be downloaded in-app individually for $1.99 each, or you can download them all in bulk at a nice discount.
You can navigate around each system through some basic icons, or even use the fun slider that takes you beneath the surface of a human model. And yes, you can choose between a male and female drawing to start with, spinning each model around and zooming in and out anywhere you want.
Each level includes a number of key articles that summarize the main points of each system, and there’s an entertaining cartoon for each system as well, which does a great job of describing what’s happening by turning your body parts into specific characters.
Younger kids will definitely enjoy the cartoons (Just be warned, the voices all have a British accent to them, so don’t be surprised) and should get a good learning foundation going as they watch and read about each of the bodies crucial systems.
Older kids can certainly get something out of it too. My wife (an 8th Grade Earth Science teacher) said it could even work as a good overview for kids taking the New York State Regents exam in Middle School. I imagine if your older kids are having some serious trouble with science or need a good refresher, this app could certainly help.
Available for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, How My Body Works 3D is just a great way for kids and their parents to explore the various systems and organs of the human body in a fun, interactive, and tech-friendly way.
Download from the iTunes Store
This post was sponsored by the fine folks over at How My Body Works in 3D. While I was compensated for this post, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own and in no way were influenced by the company providing the product.
Dude! That guy always creeped me out … as a kid and now. *Shudder*
I was shocked to hear that he later went out to have a successful career as a comedian and star of the sitcom “Full House.”