The boys wrote out the following report based on the internet sites we looked up above.  As they wrote, I typed it out on the monitor, here is what we found exciting. The biggest thing we were all excited about was learning of the Strobilation part of the life cycle. Very cool.

Moon Jellies
(Aurelia Aurita)

New Facts:

• Up to Four Feet Wide

• Dry up on the beach, and Sink into the Sand

• Translucent

• Drift with the currents.

• They feed on Crustaceans, tunicate larvae, protozoans diatoms, fish eggs and other similarly small organisms.

• Sting Small Organisms

• Temperatures similar to the Pacific Northwest

• 95 % Water

• Tentacles gather food – Sting.

• Four Oral Arms – Sting – Non Toxic on Moon Jellies.

• Jelly’s Life:

• 

• Full Grown Medusas – Wiki Mythical Comparisons and Discussed.

• Polyps – Clone, exactly the same.

• From just one polyp, many adult medusas may arise. Through strobilation, the polyp divides itself into dozens of flat segments. These segments peel off from the stack and float away as young adult jellies called ephyrae.

• How many eggs do they lay? Unanswered. One site said one at a time. It was just a Yahoo answer without scientific vocabulary. Untrusted.

Homeschooling, Unschooling, Oceans, Middle School, Third Grade, Sixth Grade, Lincoln City Delight Directed, Using the Internet for Research.