Who Eats the Largest Jellyfish in the World - and Enjoys It?
Stephen R. Swinburne

​One look at this bad boy and your students will be racing to read.  And be prepared for a collective "yuck" or "cool" as students envision a turtle slurping down an enormous jellyfish like a bowl of spaghetti!  Students will be begging for more from Swinburne when they finish this Minute, so be prepared to explore his other books!

English/Language Arts
Explore main idea through close reading

• At first glance, this Minute appears to be about jellyfish - the Lion's Mane jellyfish, to be exact.  But closer reading of both the title AND the Minute reveals that this story is really about the giant leatherback sea turtle.  This is a great Minute to use to practice the discerning skill of figuring out what something is really all about!

​Social Studies
Explore Map Skills

• The Minute takes us all over the globe.  So get the globe out and explore the oceans of the world.  Have students trace the path from the Arctic Circle to Antarctica.  What land masses are they passing?

​STEM
Explore Animal behavior

• Lots of choices here!  Lion’s mane jellyfish, leatherback sea turtles, dinosaurs!

Explore adaptations and evolution

• Use this Minute to have kids explore behaviors that have helped some species survive when others have gone extinct.  

Explore the food chain

• What eats what and why?  Turtles eating jellyfish sounds preposterous.  What other extreme examples can your students find? 

Explore anatomy

• Author Swinburne mentions the turtle’s mouth but doesn’t show us a picture.  Have students go online and find one - you’ll get oohs and aahs to launch a conversation about the magical biological relationships between anatomy and diet.

© Karen Sterling, 2017 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission