"Stinging Truth bout Jellyfish"

1. Begin the lesson by posing a general question to the class: "What are some factors that control an animal's population growth?"
   • Students are likely to suggest water, food, predators, temperature, disease, predation, and even natural disasters.
   • The teacher may want to discuss these limiting factors and how humans can impact them.
2. Next, tell the class: "Describe a jellyfish in your own words."
   • At least some students in the class should be able to describe a jellyfish. Students may mention that they sting, float, and are slimy. They also may mention that they are predators with no brain and can reproduce quickly.
   • This video titled "The Bering Sea Submarine Adventure" (1:31) is brief and shows jellyfish in the Bering Sea. This will give the students a visual as they read the article.
3. Next, ask students: "What limiting factor do you believe is most important to jellyfish?"
   • Students might speculate as to which limiting factor impacts jellyfish the most. Food certainly should be one of the most important factors, as well as an environment that is optimum to their survival.
4. End the discussion by informing students that jellyfish in the Bering Sea are going through cycles of blooms or increases and decreases in growth and that the article they are going to read addresses the causes of those blooms. 

1. Provide each student with a copy of the article "Scientists Discover Stinging Truths about Jellyfish Blooms in the Bering Sea."
   • For class discussions that will follow, it might be helpful to have students number each paragraph within each section. They can also number the sections. (Section 1: "May 29, 2008," Section 2: "The Rise and Fall of Jellyfish," Section 3: "A Squishy Scourge," Section 4: "Do More Blooms Loom," Section 5: "Desperately Seeking Polyps," Section 6: "The Long Tentacles of Environmental Change," Section 7: "Study Implications.")
2. Provide each student with a note-taking guide.
3. Before students begin reading, direct them to pay attention to the text features of the article to help them learn and locate information:
   • Title: Scientists Discover Stinging Truths About Jellyfish Blooms in the Bering Sea.
   • Subtitle: Sizes and locations of massive jellyfish blooms controlled by interactions between many factors, not just by sea temperature.
   • Headings: May 29, 2008, The Rise and Fall of Jellyfish, A Squishy Scourge, Do More Blooms Loom?, Desperately Seeking Polyps, The Long Tentacles of Environmental Change, Study Implications
   • Captions: Located under each photograph
4. Have students fill out the note-taking guide as they read the text. This can be done individually, in pairs, or in small groups. The teacher should monitor students as they work and provide support and guidance as needed.
   • Note: Based on the needs and skills of the students, teachers can decrease the number of academic or domain-specific vocabulary students will define on the note-taking guide.
   • For academic vocabulary, students will likely be able to use a variety of vocabulary strategies to define the meaning of the words. For domain-specific (in other words, subject-specific) vocabulary, students will typically need to draw on prior knowledge and use a dictionary to define the words.
5. If students struggle with determining the meaning of the selected academic vocabulary, teachers might use the note-taking guide answer key for vocabulary hints.

1. Gallery Walk: on chart paper, small groups of students can write and draw what they learned. After the completed works are attached to the classroom walls, others students will affix "sticky notes" to the posters to extend the ideas, add questions, or offer praise.
2. Students can answer this prompt in writing or by discussing it:
   • What takeaways from the lesson will be important to know three years from now? Why?
3. Students can research the role of jellyfish in their ecosystems using this site from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History titled "Just Jelly: Ecological Role of Gelatinous Zooplankton."

1. Teachers can check students' understanding by collecting students' answers to the text-dependent questions, checking their work, providing written feedback, and maybe grading the assignment. Or, teachers can have students share their responses and the teacher can provide verbal corrective feedback, allowing students to make corrections to their work during the discussion.
2. Teachers can use this sample answer key to help them assess students' answers.

Common errors/misconceptions to anticipate and how to respond: Please see the text-dependent questions sample answer key.

1. Students will individually respond to the writing prompt. They should be directed to respond with a multi-paragraph response, with a clear introduction, body section, and conclusion. They should refer back to the text as they construct their response.
2. Provide students with a copy of the rubric and go over it with them so they will know how their written response will be assessed.
3. Go over the writing prompt with students and make sure they understand what the prompt is asking them to address. Encourage students to underline key parts of the prompt as the teacher goes over it so they will remember to answer all the required parts:
   • Write an essay that explains to fishermen of the Bering Sea why they are encountering more jellyfish on a daily basis. Use evidence and data from the article to support your explanation.
4. Teachers will use the rubric to assess students' written responses.

SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION

Contributed by: Jennifer Storer

Name of Author/Source: Jennifer Heflick

District/Organization of Contributor(s): Brevard

Access Privileges: Public

License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial

• • Teachers may use the population estimation activity designed by the Alaska Fisheries education center.
  • An interesting extension of this lesson would be to evaluate the most current data/information on the populations of various animals in the Bering Sea. This link leads to a website titled "Ocean Data Explorer" that collects data on various fish and other marine organisms.
  • Ask students to research trawling. They should research the benefits vs. the consequences as well as sustainable ways to fish.