Jellies!

After visiting the AMAZING "Jellies" exhibit of jellyfish at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago over spring break with my children, I was inspired to have my 8th grade students create their own jelly fish out of recycled materials.  This was perfectly and spontaneously planned around earth day so I was able to incorporate the idea to re-use everyday materials to create a sculpture of an amazing sea creature. 

This is an example of a Jellyfish at the Shedd Aquarium I took with my cell phone.  They are really a beautiful and unique animal!

On the first day of this lesson, students learned about jellyfish, and their unique qualities.  We observed different types of Jellies, and discussed the variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.  I found interesting videos on National Geographic Kids and the Shedd Aquarium website. 

Students brought in their own empty 2 liter bottles for the jellyfish body.  They also used plastic bags, paper, newspaper, yarn, and fishing line to create the jellyfish tentacles.  I allowed them to be as creative as they preferred, not necessarily making a realistic jelly.  The biggest obstacle for them was learning how to paint "backwards."  We painted the inside of the bottles, so they had to start with the smallest details and end with their final coat of paint.