The Human Body by Tinybop is a simplified guide of what we’re made of and how we work.
The first time you open the app, you’re asked to create a quick profile. You can choose between two options — a child profile or a parent profile. The parent profile gives you the option to add the urogenital system, if you decide it’s appropriate. The basic child profile however, gives you access to everything else including the skeletal, muscular, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems. What we did notice, is that by default, there are no labels on the diagrams so it’s not entirely clear what everything is. This can be turned on in the settings by tapping the ‘cog’ icon in the upper left. You can always turn them back off again if you’re using it as a study guide.
Another handy feature is the ability to press and hold anywhere on the screen to make an audio note, making it perfect for quick reminders or key points. It could also be used by the teacher to record more information about certain areas, so pupils can watch the animations then listen to the notes. If you have a child and parent account setup, you can use the voice notes to great effect. Every note left by the child can be listened to by the parent, which can then be replied to. The next time the child opens the app, they’ll see they have a notification and they can listen to the response. This would work equally well in a classroom setting, as each pupil could create their own profile.
Without a doubt, the best part of The Human Body app is the animations. There’s clearly been a lot of thought and time gone into making them. Things like feeding the body and watching as it makes it’s way through the digestive system is strangely enjoyable! Or tapping on the mosquito as it flies down to bite you — sending signals back to your brain to alert you.
Although there’s no real written or spoken information in the app, you can download the accompanying handbook (for free) from the Tinybop website. It contains fun facts and questions that really help get the most out of the app.
Using in the Classroom
- Introduction to the human body
- Assess pupils’ knowledge using the built-in audio recorder.