Image of many jellyfish swimming underwater
Shane Gross/NaturePL.com
Nonfiction,

Are Jellyfish Taking Over?

These boneless bags of goo are causing problems.

By Tod Olson with Katie Mach
From the March/April 2024 Issue

Learning Objective: Children will examine cause and effect through a nonfiction text about jellyfish.

Lexile: 540L
Featured Skill: Main Idea, Key Details,
Vocabulary: invertebrates, pollution, tentacles, chefs
Topic: Science,
Common Core Standards
  • RF.1.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words RI.1.3 Describe the connection between two ideas or pieces of information in a text RI.1.4 Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meanings of words RI.1.5 Know and use various text features to locate information RI.1.6 Distinguish between information from words and information from images RI.1.7 Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with peers and adults
TEKS Standards
  • Science
    1) Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student conducts classroom and outdoor investigations following home and school safety procedures and uses environmentally appropriate and responsible practices. The student is expected to: (B) identify and learn how to use natural resources and materials, including conservation and reuse or recycling of paper, plastic, and metals. (9) Organisms and environments. The student knows that the living environment is composed of relationships between organisms and the life cycles that occur. The student is expected to: (A) sort and classify living and nonliving things based upon whether they have basic needs and produce offspring; (C) gather evidence of interdependence among living organisms such as energy transfer through food chains or animals using plants for shelter. (10) Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to: (A) investigate how the external characteristics of an animal are related to where it lives, how it moves, and what it eats.

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Deadly sea creatures are taking over the oceans. They scare swimmers. They stop ships. 

What are these monsters? A gang of sharks? An army of orcas? Nope. These creepy creatures are jellyfish.

Jellies Everywhere

Jellyfish are sometimes called jellies. They have lived on Earth for millions of years. They were around before the dinosaurs! So what are jellyfish?

They are not really fish. They’re invertebrates (in-VEHR-tuh-brayts). That means they have no backbone. In fact, they don’t have any bones! They don’t have a brain, teeth, or blood either. Many jellyfish don’t even swim. They just float through the water.

But right now, millions and millions of jellyfish rule the oceans. 

PAUSE AND THINK: What surprising facts did you just learn about jellyfish?

Shutterstock.com

These rabbitfish snack on a jellyfish.

Good for Jellies

Why are there so many jellies right now? Scientists think there are a few reasons. One is that people catch a lot of fish. Fish such as tuna and swordfish eat jellyfish. As humans catch more of these fish, fewer of them are left to eat the jellies. 

Water pollution plays a part too. Pollution from people can hurt sea animals. But most jellyfish do well in dirty waters.

Even global warming may be good for jellyfish. Oceans are getting warmer, but jellyfish don’t seem to mind. In fact, some jellies have more babies in warmer water. And jellyfish already have a lot of babies. They can lay up to 45,000 eggs at a time!

PAUSE AND THINK: Why are there so many jellies now?

 Shutterstock.com

Some jellyfish love warm water.

A Powerful Sting

Jason Jones Travel Photography/Getty Images

Look out! Jellyfish can sting you at the beach.

People are worried that there are too many jellies. Why? Well, jellyfish may look like bags of goo, but they can cause problems. 

First, jellyfish can ruin a day at the beach. Some jellies have tentacles covered with stingers. If a stinger touches a swimmer—ouch! 

Jellyfish sting about 150 million people around the world each year. These stings can really hurt, and they can leave painful red marks on your skin. 

PAUSE AND THINK: Can jellyfish hurt people at the beach? How?

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kaila V. Peters/DoD/Gado/Alamy Stock Photo

This Navy ship was stopped by jellies.

More Jelly Problems

Savannah Morning News-USA TODAY NETWORK/Imagn Content Agency

A net full of jellies!

Big groups of jellyfish can cause bigger problems. One jellyfish may not be able to do much, but hundreds of them are a powerful force.

One day, they stopped a United States Navy ship! This ship was big and powerful. It was meant to fight battles, but it was no match for the jellyfish.

Hundreds of jellies got into the pumps that help the ship work. The ship shut down, and everyone had to get off.

And here’s one more problem caused by swarms of jellyfish. They can be a headache for fishermen. Instead of nets full of fish, fishers are pulling up nets filled with jellies! 

PAUSE AND THINK: What did jellies do to the big Navy ship?

Jellyfish for Dinner

Shutterstock.com

So how can we stop the jellyfish? Here’s something people can do: Eat a tasty jellyfish snack!

Chefs around the world are turning jellyfish into tasty meals. They have made jellyfish salad, jellyfish chips, and even jellyfish ice cream.

Jellyfish are good for you too! A bunch of jellyfish chips is healthier than potato chips. 

Someday soon, jellies might be on the menu at a restaurant near you. Would you order jellyfish for dinner? 

A Jellyfish Snack

Would you eat these jellyfish foods?

Jordan Lye/Getty Images

Would you eat a cold jellyfish salad?

Shutterstock.com

Would you eat pizza with melted jellies?

Courtesy of Kristoff Styrbaek

Would you eat crunchy jellyfish chips?

Vince Talotta/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Would you eat sweet jellyfish ice cream?

video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (3)
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Slideshows (1)
Activities (3) Download All Quizzes and Activities
Skills Activities
Answer Key (1)

More About the Article

English Language Arts Focus

Comprehension of a nonfiction text through speaking and listening

Science Focus

Jellyfish/ocean life

Vocabulary

invertebrates, pollution, tentacles, chefs

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

Implementation

  • Whole Group: Plan to read the article twice. The first read will focus on the key details of the text. The second read will prompt students to look at cause and effect.
  • Technology Time: After reading the story in literacy with a teacher, students can listen to the Video Read-Aloud of the article and follow along in their magazines.

Pairings and Text Connections

  • In this issue: “Background Builder: Blobs of the Sea!”
  • From the Storyworks archive: “Big Read-Aloud: The Great Octopus Escape” (May/June 2023)
  • Suggested book: Bloom by Julia Seal

Before-Reading Resources

  • Vocabulary Slideshow: (7 minutes) invertebrates, pollution, tentacles, chefs

Suggested Reading Focus

Cause and effect (20 minutes)
  • As you read the article aloud, model stopping and asking the Pause and Think questions to check comprehension and facilitate discussion. In addition to taking student responses for each question, you can ask students to give one- or two- sentence summaries of the section you just read.
  • Prompt students to think about and discuss cause and effect. What has caused the number of jellyfish in the ocean to increase? How is the increase affecting boats, people, and other sea creatures? You can have students share their ideas in think-pair- share format or as part of a group discussion.

After-Reading Skills Practice

  • Skills: Cause and effect; key details  (15 minutes)

Extension Activity

Skills: Writing (15 minutes)

  • Have students review the end of the article and the different types of jellyfish cuisine. Ask them to imagine they ate at a restaurant that serves jellyfish. They can write a review of the jellyfish dish they tried.

Text-to-Speech