Beads Box that contains labelled bags of the extra beads from prior weeks Clear tape for affixing the bead to the first square in the matrix

Transcription

1 BEAD 9: Animals Evolve in the Ocean MATERIALS (STANDARD) FOR EACH CLASS: Copies of the 1-page list of 28 events (for each child to use during class) The Storyboard Box MATERIALS FOR THIS SESSION: MATERIALS FOR NEWCOMERS: The 1-page list of 28 events (to take home) Beads Box that contains labelled bags of the extra beads from prior weeks Clear tape for affixing the bead to the first square in the matrix Beads in a Sock chosen to represent early sea animals (they can all be the same). The same scarves used for Pluto and Icy Comet in the Bead 5 Lesson. An older student or adult volunteer to create a costume and play the role of Jellyfish. Copies of all scripts (Teacher, Jellyfish, Icy Comet, Pluto, and the 10 Q&A). Basket or hat to hold the folded pieces of paper with each of the 10 questions. At least one picture of a jellyfish and one picture of a comet. Blank Storyboard with the 28-event Matrix already glued on (write their name on it) Beads Box containing beads for all the events discussed thus far. ETHICAL OR WORLDVIEW LEARNINGS: There is such a thing as a rite of passage for moving from one life stage to another. For Earth life to evolve and flourish, sometimes sacrifices are made, and we can be grateful today for those ancestors. PREPARATION NOTES: Recruit an older student or an adult volunteer who loves to be dramatic and who can create a simple Jellyfish costume of an umbrella with streamers (crepe?) hanging off the edges and a stick or cane to walk with in an elderly way. Do this several weeks in advance and give them their script and the 10 Q&A early to study, so they can memorize as much as possible. Work out in advance with them exactly when they will barge into the classroom without knocking, so it will be a surprise. Have a chair set up for them in the front of the class. Have the other scripts and the 2 scarves handy. Cut apart the scripts for the 10 questions and put them folded into a hat or basket, hidden but easy to quickly access before the class begins. Have extra copies of the Jellyfish script and 10 Q&A in case actor forgets. My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 1

2 REVIEW OF PRIOR WEEK (PARTICIPATORY; CIRCLE RECOMMENDED): Who was here last week? Who wants to help us remember what we talked about and did last week?! Encourage discussion (origin of life; the Nitrogen Game; bacteria playing important roles in keeping atoms cycling through the Circle of Life.) Does anyone remember the CHON Chant? (recite and clap it)! Chon... chon... we love chon!! A-toms Earth life de-pends on. Did anyone do any extra research to tell the rest of us about? NEWCOMER AND ABSENTEE CATCH-UP TIME 1. If you have ANY NEWCOMERS, everyone begin by sitting in circle. Then ask for volunteers ( Which Earthling will volunteer... ) to bring these things to circle center: Storyboard Box, extra storyboards, Beads Box, clear tape, marker pen. 2. Ask another volunteer to pass out a copy of the 28-events list to everyone in the circle. 3. Introduce the Newcomer children. 4. Assign the least-participatory children each of these tasks, in sequence: Give [NEWCOMER NAME] a blank Storyboard. Help [NEWCOMER NAME] select a bead for the event(s) they missed. Show [NEWCOMER NAME] an example of a Storyboard with bead(s) taped on, so they can see where to tape their new bead(s) on. Give [NEWCOMER NAME] a marker pen so that they can write their name on the Storyboard. Note: Because there are so many beads to catch up on, encourage the newcomer to do beads selection and taping to board while they half-listen to what is going on in class. Then next session they can fully participate. Absentee kids will probably want to catch up by coming to class early and selecting a bead from the prior week and taping it on even before class begins. My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 2

3 STORYTELLING (PARTICIPATORY; CIRCLE RECOMMENDED): TEACHER: [Ask the kids what event we are learning about this week.] Answer: Animals such as sponges and jellyfish (and, later, clams and fish) evolve in the oceans. TEACHER: [Ask the kids what they know about this event. JELLYFISH should come through the door as a surprise after a few minutes of discussion.] TEACHER: [The scripts on the following pages are to be separated. Lesson plan for how class will continue after Jellyfish leaves the room follows the last of the scripts.] My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 3

4 Script for TEACHER JELLYFISH: Enter classroom without knocking at a time pre-arranged with teacher. Walk to your chair in the front of the room, hunched over, with your cane, umbrella overhead. Look at nobody until you sit in your chair. TEACHER: Silently watch Jellyfish enter. When Jellyfish is seated, extemporaneously deliver your first line before you pick up the script, so it looks real, rather than like a play. Hmmm. This is an interesting turn of events. Let s find out who this is. Let s all ask in unision, Who Are You? Who are you? JELLYFISH: Pause as you look directly at each child. Then tap your cane and say: Humans call me The Lion s Mane Jellyfish. I am the biggest jellyfish in the entire world, maybe even the Universe! TEACHER: Wow!!! How big do you get? JELLYFISH: The umbrella part of me, which scientists call the bell, is shaped like a dome. My bell is 7 feet across. So imagine a human sleeping in a bed. In a dream I float over the sleeping person and hover there, like a canopy or a parachute over the entire bed. TEACHER: That s awesome! So why are you visiting us? JELLYFISH: All the creatures in the ocean heard through the ecological grapevine that half a moon ago you celebrated the first rain and thus the birth of Earth s oceans. We were all proud of that. We knew you d probably first want to talk about bacteria, so we waited our turn. That s why I m here today. TEACHER: [say to class] Our distinguished guest seems inclined to respond to questions, so help me out. [Explain the basket, choosing a slip of paper, asking Q.] TEACHER: [Offer only as many opportunities to pick a question from the basket as there is time for, or as you have kids in the class. The questions can be read in any order; ask the kids to read the number on it first, so Jellyfish can find the response. After each answer, lead the class in saying in unison,] Thank you Giant Jellyfish! My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 4

5 When the question/answer session has ended.... TEACHER: Thank you, Giant Jellyfish, for answering our questions. I have one more question for you. We have been learning the story of the Universe, the Milky Way Galaxy, this Solar System, Earth, and how Life on Earth evolved. Do you jellyfish tell the same story that we tell? JELLYFISH: Partly. Everything up to the creation of the Moon is exactly the same. But a really important event happened after the creation of the Moon, yet before the first Rain fell and the Oceans formed. You land creatures usually forget about this event. TEACHER: Oh, Giant Jellyfish! Please tell us that story. JELLYFISH: Well, I will need some assistance if you want me to tell the story. I need 2 volunteers. TEACHER: [Assist in the choice of 2 good readers; then hand them their scripts and drape the Pluto and Icy Comet scarves over their shoulders.] JELLYFISH: The Story begins in the outer reaches of this Solar System. ICY COMET: Ho there, Dwarf Planet Pluto! PLUTO: Ho there, Icy Comet! It s so good to see you again, my friend! TEACHER: [Your script here is missing the entire play, so you can just watch it and enjoy. But first look immediately below at how the play ends. When you hear these lines, pick up your script again, as your job will be to encourage applause.] ICY COMET: Yeah, I guess. But you know: I ve never seen a jellyfish. I kind of wonder whether the story really is true. PLUTO: I have an idea! I ll turn down my gravity again, so you can get close without risking capture. We ll be a team again, huh? ICY COMET: I was hoping you would say that! Look over there! [point somewhere] Can you see that Blue Marble of a planet now? My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 5

6 PLUTO: I sure can! So let s go! JELLYFISH: The end. TEACHER: [encourage applause] JELLYFISH: [Pick up your umbrella and cane and hunchingly head toward the door.] TEACHER: Where are you going, Jellyfish? JELLYFISH: I have been on dry land for too long. It is time for me to head back to the ocean. Goodbye! [Continue walking out, and do not look back.] TEACHER: [Encourage kids to call out Goodbye, Jellyfish! ] My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 6

7 Script for JELLYFISH JELLYFISH: Enter classroom without knocking at a time pre-arranged with teacher. Walk to your chair in the front of the room, hunched over, with your cane, umbrella overhead. Look at nobody until you sit in your chair. TEACHER: Silently watch Jellyfish enter. When Jellyfish is seated, extemporaneously deliver your first line before you pick up the script, so it looks real, rather than like a play. Hmmm. This is an interesting turn of events. Let s find out who this is. Let s all ask in unision, Who Are You? Who are you? JELLYFISH: Pause as you look directly at each child. Then tap your cane and say: Humans call me The Lion s Mane Jellyfish. I am the biggest jellyfish in the entire world, maybe even the Universe! TEACHER: Wow!!! How big do you get? JELLYFISH: The umbrella part of me, which scientists call the bell, is shaped like a dome. My bell is 7 feet across. So imagine a human sleeping in a bed. In a dream I float over the sleeping person and hover there, like a canopy or a parachute over the entire bed. TEACHER: That s awesome! So why are you visiting us? JELLYFISH: All the creatures in the ocean heard through the ecological grapevine that half a moon ago you celebrated the first rain and thus the birth of Earth s oceans. We were all proud of that. We knew you d probably first want to talk about bacteria, so we waited our turn. That s why I m here today. TEACHER: [say to class] Our distinguished guest seems inclined to respond to questions, so help me out. [Explain the basket, choosing a slip of paper, asking Q.] JELLYFISH: [Kids will pick a question to ask in random order, so try to find your answer on the next page, either by number or by key word.] My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 7

8 10 QUESTIONS 1: Is it true that you don t have a BRAIN? ANSWER: Is it true that Scarecrow didn t have a brain? Scarecrow helped Dorothy survive her encounter with the Wicked Witch of the West! So I figure I don t need a brain either. 2: Why is a jellyfish REPRESENTING all the sea creatures? Why wasn t a fish or a clam or a shrimp or a sea urchin chosen to come to our class? ANSWER: My jellyfish ancestors evolved millions of years before any of the other sea creatures did. I am the ocean elder. That is why they chose me to be their representative in your special class. 3: If you are the BIGGEST jellyfish in the world, how long are your tentacles? ANSWER: My tentacles a just a bit longer than the length of a Blue Whale! 4: What else makes you SPECIAL? ANSWER: [When you say contract our muscles, partly collapse and open your umbrella several times over your head.] Jellyfish were the first creatures on Planet Earth to evolve muscles. We have muscles inside our umbrella-like bell. When we contract our muscles all at the same time, that forces the water out suddenly, which then pushes us upward, or downward, depending on which direction our bell is facing. So we were the first creatures to invent jet propulsion. Squids then reinvented, but very much later. 5: Since you came in walking with a CANE, I would guess that you are a very OLD jellyfish. How old can jellyfish get? ANSWER: Oh my species can get very old! Some of us live for more than 300 cycles of day and night! I myself have experienced the full moon a dozen times in my long life! I am a very old and wise jellyfish! My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 8

9 6: WHICH OCEAN do you live in? ANSWER: I live only in the coldest waters of the North Atlantic ocean and the North Pacific Ocean. I love cold water! Don t you? 7: What do you EAT? ANSWER: Just about anything that gets tangled in my stinging tentacles. Usually that means lots and lots of tiny plankton. But sometimes I also catch little fish. They are really tasty! Yum! 8: Are you AFRAID of anything? ANSWER: Boat propellors. Boat propellors cause terrible injuries if we float too close to the surface! And my cousins who live in the tropics not only have to worry about boats but also sea turtles. Some kinds of sea turtles consider jellyfish to be the tastiest food of all! 9: Isn t the PORTUGUESE MAN O WAR that floats on the ocean surface bigger than you? ANSWER: They don t count! Each of them is actually a colony of hundreds of small jellyfish, even though it looks like one gigantic blob of whipped cream floating on a bowlful of blueberry jello. Ugh! 10: Why are you called jellyfish, if you are NOT A REAL FISH? ANSWER: Oh, that s a sore point with us! You humans named us that. But we evolved long before the first fish. We were here first. So we think you humans should rename fish, jellybones. Jellybones! What do you think?... Sea Stars which you call Starfish have happily signed our petition requesting this change. My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 9

10 TEACHER: Thank you, Giant Jellyfish, for answering our questions. I have one more question for you. We have been learning the story of the Universe, the Milky Way Galaxy, this Solar System, Earth, and how Life on Earth evolved. Do you jellyfish tell the same story that we tell? JELLYFISH: Partly. Everything up to the creation of the Moon is exactly the same. But a really important event happened after the creation of the Moon, yet before the first Rain fell and the Oceans formed. You land creatures usually forget about this event. TEACHER: Oh, Giant Jellyfish! Please tell us that story. JELLYFISH: Well, I will need some assistance if you want me to tell the story. I need 2 volunteers. TEACHER: [Assist in the choice of 2 good readers.] JELLYFISH: The Story begins in the outer reaches of this Solar System. ICY COMET: Ho there, Dwarf Planet Pluto! PLUTO: Ho there, Icy Comet! It s so good to see you again, my friend! ICY COMET: Hey, I want you to be the first to know that I am now a grown-up Icy Comet. PLUTO: A grown-up Icy Comet! How did that happen? ICY COMET: It was kind of scary. All of the Icy Comets of my generation were told to rendezvous at a spot not far from here and we weren t told why. So we were all just hanging out, and then suddenly the oldest and wisest Icy Comets come zooming out of nowhere and surround us. PLUTO: That sounds exciting! ICY COMET: So then the biggest and iciest old comet I have ever seen whizzes into the center of our cluster. I mean there were ice crystals flying off its tail every which way. So we all back off a little and just stare. PLUTO: Yeah, I would too. ICY COMET: That ancient Icy Comet then started telling us the story of why we are so important. My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 10

11 JELLYFISH: [Put your umbrella and cane down. Rise tall and walk toward the audience; pay no attention to the 2 actors. From now on speak directly to the audience.] Young ones! It is time for you to hear the story of the great gifts that our kind have brought into this star system. But the gifts came at a tremendous cost. PLUTO: I wonder what those costs were? JELLYFISH: Many orbits ago, vast swarms of icy comets sensed that it was their time to visit the third rocky planet from our star. They also had a strange feeling that they were never coming back. ICY COMET: That part really scared me! JELLYFISH: The journey began. When the third rocky planet came into view, the young comets were surprised to see that the planet now had a companion. It had acquired a moon. PLUTO: And a pretty big moon at that! Earth s moon is bigger than I am! JELLYFISH: But something else was different about the planet. The planet no longer had thick clouds of water vapor in its atmosphere. The humungous meteor that had carved out the moon had roiled the insides of the planet so much, and temporarily made conditions so hot, that all the molecules of water that Earth had been holding onto since the beginning just got blasted into space. PLUTO: But Earth has life now. And life absolutely requires water. So how could that be a true story? ICY COMET: Shhhh. Listen. Soon you will understand. JELLYFISH: Suddenly, one of the icy comets figured out their mission. Quickly the rumor spread through the entire swarm. One by one, each icy comet came to understand and accept its cosmic task. PLUTO: I m not sure I would want a cosmic task! ICY COMET: That s exactly how I felt when I began to put 2 and 2 together. My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 11

12 JELLYFISH: To fulfill their cosmic task, the only thing that the young comets had to do was stay on course. Earth s gravity would soon take care of the rest. The story of their courage and self-sacrifice would be remembered through all time. PLUTO: So did they do it? Did they have the courage to just plunge into Earth? JELLYFISH: That is how the third rocky planet was able to acquire a moon, yet still have a chance to evolve life. ICY COMET: Now here comes the good part, so listen. JELLYFISH: Earth owed a debt to the comet kingdom. Icy comets had sacrificed their lives in order to replenish Earth s water. How could Earth even begin to show its gratitude? PLUTO: I can t think of a way. JELLYFISH: After several billion years of pondering the problem, Earth finally thought of a way to honor the brave comets. Earth would try as hard as it could to evolve something bigger and even more magnificent than bacteria and amebas and other single-cell creatures. Earth would bring forth something truly grand something in the very image of the icy comets that had given their lives. ICY COMET: [excitedly] Earth brought forth jellyfish! JELLYFISH: Earth brought forth jellyfish! Jellyfish have a shiny dome that looks like the snowball body of a comet glistening in the sun. To mimic the comet s long icy tail, Earth made sure that jellyfish evolved long tentacles. PLUTO: Wow, Icy Comet! You must feel proud to be who you are. ICY COMET: Yeah, I guess. But you know: I ve never seen a jellyfish. I kind of wonder whether the story really is true. PLUTO: I have an idea! I ll turn down my gravity again, so you can get close without risking capture. We ll be a team again, huh? ICY COMET: I was hoping you would say that! Look over there! [point somewhere] Can you see that Blue Marble of a planet now? PLUTO: I sure can! So let s go! My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 12

13 JELLYFISH: The end. TEACHER: [encourage applause] JELLYFISH: [Pick up your umbrella and cane and hunchingly head toward the door.] TEACHER: Where are you going, Jellyfish? JELLYFISH: I have been on dry land for too long. It is time for me to head back to the ocean. Goodbye! [Continue walking out, and do not look back.] TEACHER: [Encourage kids to call out Goodbye, Jellyfish! ] My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 13

14 Script for ICY COMET Note to Icy Comet and Pluto: Jellyfish will never look at you or interact with you. But you two will be talking as if to each other for the whole script, but also speak toward the audience so you can be heard. JELLYFISH: The Story begins in the outer reaches of this Solar System. ICY COMET: Ho there, Dwarf Planet Pluto! PLUTO: Ho there, Icy Comet! It s so good to see you again, my friend! ICY COMET: Hey, I want you to be the first to know that I am now a grown-up Icy Comet. PLUTO: A grown-up Icy Comet! How did that happen? ICY COMET: It was kind of scary. All of the Icy Comets of my generation were told to rendezvous at a spot not far from here and we weren t told why. So we were all just hanging out, and then suddenly the oldest and wisest Icy Comets come zooming out of nowhere and surround us. PLUTO: That sounds exciting! ICY COMET: So then the biggest and iciest old comet I have ever seen whizzes into the center of our cluster. I mean there were ice crystals flying off its tail every which way. So we all back off a little and just stare. PLUTO: Yeah, I would too. ICY COMET: That ancient Icy Comet then started telling us the story of why we are so important. JELLYFISH: Young ones! It is time for you to hear the story of the great gifts that our kind have brought into this star system. But the gifts came at a tremendous cost. PLUTO: I wonder what those costs were? JELLYFISH: Many orbits ago, vast swarms of icy comets sensed that it was their time to visit the third rocky planet from our star. They also had a strange feeling that they were never coming back. My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 14

15 ICY COMET: That part really scared me! JELLYFISH: The journey began. When the third rocky planet came into view, the young comets were surprised to see that the planet now had a companion. It had acquired a moon. PLUTO: And a pretty big moon at that! Earth s moon is bigger than I am! JELLYFISH: But something else was different about the planet. The planet no longer had thick clouds of water vapor in its atmosphere. The humungous meteor that had carved out the moon had roiled the insides of the planet so much, and temporarily made conditions so hot, that all the molecules of water that Earth had been holding onto since the beginning just got blasted into space. PLUTO: But Earth has life now. And life absolutely requires water. So how could that be a true story? ICY COMET: Shhhh. Listen. Soon you will understand. JELLYFISH: Suddenly, one of the icy comets figured out their mission. Quickly the rumor spread through the entire swarm. One by one, each icy comet came to understand and accept its cosmic task. PLUTO: I m not sure I would want a cosmic task! ICY COMET: That s exactly how I felt when I began to put 2 and 2 together. JELLYFISH: To fulfill their cosmic task, the only thing that the young comets had to do was stay on course. Earth s gravity would soon take care of the rest. The story of their courage and self-sacrifice would be remembered through all time. PLUTO: So did they do it? Did they have the courage to just plunge into Earth? JELLYFISH: That is how the third rocky planet was able to acquire a moon, yet still have a chance to evolve life. ICY COMET: Now here comes the good part, so listen. JELLYFISH: Earth owed a debt to the comet kingdom. Icy comets had sacrificed their lives in order to replenish Earth s water. How could Earth even begin to show its gratitude? My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 15

16 PLUTO: I can t think of a way. JELLYFISH: After several billion years of pondering the problem, Earth finally thought of a way to honor the brave comets. Earth would try as hard as it could to evolve something bigger and even more magnificent than bacteria and amebas and other single-cell creatures. Earth would bring forth something truly grand something in the very image of the icy comets that had given their lives. ICY COMET: [excitedly] Earth brought forth jellyfish! JELLYFISH: Earth brought forth jellyfish! Jellyfish have a shiny dome that looks like the snowball body of a comet glistening in the sun. To mimic the comet s long icy tail, Earth made sure that jellyfish evolved long tentacles. PLUTO: Wow, Icy Comet! You must feel proud to be who you are. ICY COMET: Yeah, I guess. But you know: I ve never seen a jellyfish. I kind of wonder whether the story really is true. PLUTO: I have an idea! I ll turn down my gravity again, so you can get close without risking capture. We ll be a team again, huh? ICY COMET: I was hoping you would say that! Look over there! [point somewhere] Can you see that Blue Marble of a planet now? PLUTO: I sure can! So let s go! JELLYFISH: The end. My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 16

17 Script for PLUTO Note to Icy Comet and Pluto: Jellyfish will never look at you or interact with you. But you two will be talking as if to each other for the whole script, but also speak toward the audience so you can be heard. JELLYFISH: The Story begins in the outer reaches of this Solar System. ICY COMET: Ho there, Dwarf Planet Pluto! PLUTO: Ho there, Icy Comet! It s so good to see you again, my friend! ICY COMET: Hey, I want you to be the first to know that I am now a grown-up Icy Comet. PLUTO: A grown-up Icy Comet! How did that happen? ICY COMET: It was kind of scary. All of the Icy Comets of my generation were told to rendezvous at a spot not far from here and we weren t told why. So we were all just hanging out, and then suddenly the oldest and wisest Icy Comets come zooming out of nowhere and surround us. PLUTO: That sounds exciting! ICY COMET: So then the biggest and iciest old comet I have ever seen whizzes into the center of our cluster. I mean there were ice crystals flying off its tail every which way. So we all back off a little and just stare. PLUTO: Yeah, I would too. ICY COMET: That ancient Icy Comet then started telling us the story of why we are so important. JELLYFISH: Young ones! It is time for you to hear the story of the great gifts that our kind have brought into this star system. But the gifts came at a tremendous cost. PLUTO: I wonder what those costs were? JELLYFISH: Many orbits ago, vast swarms of icy comets sensed that it was their time to visit the third rocky planet from our star. They also had a strange feeling that they were never coming back. My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 17

18 ICY COMET: That part really scared me! JELLYFISH: The journey began. When the third rocky planet came into view, the young comets were surprised to see that the planet now had a companion. It had acquired a moon. PLUTO: And a pretty big moon at that! Earth s moon is bigger than I am! JELLYFISH: But something else was different about the planet. The planet no longer had thick clouds of water vapor in its atmosphere. The humungous meteor that had carved out the moon had roiled the insides of the planet so much, and temporarily made conditions so hot, that all the molecules of water that Earth had been holding onto since the beginning just got blasted into space. PLUTO: But Earth has life now. And life absolutely requires water. So how could that be a true story? ICY COMET: Shhhh. Listen. Soon you will understand. JELLYFISH: Suddenly, one of the icy comets figured out their mission. Quickly the rumor spread through the entire swarm. One by one, each icy comet came to understand and accept its cosmic task. PLUTO: I m not sure I would want a cosmic task! ICY COMET: That s exactly how I felt when I began to put 2 and 2 together. JELLYFISH: To fulfill their cosmic task, the only thing that the young comets had to do was stay on course. Earth s gravity would soon take care of the rest. The story of their courage and self-sacrifice would be remembered through all time. PLUTO: So did they do it? Did they have the courage to just plunge into Earth? JELLYFISH: That is how the third rocky planet was able to acquire a moon, yet still have a chance to evolve life. ICY COMET: Now here comes the good part, so listen. JELLYFISH: Earth owed a debt to the comet kingdom. Icy comets had sacrificed their lives in order to replenish Earth s water. How could Earth even begin to show its gratitude? My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 18

19 PLUTO: I can t think of a way. JELLYFISH: After several billion years of pondering the problem, Earth finally thought of a way to honor the brave comets. Earth would try as hard as it could to evolve something bigger and even more magnificent than bacteria and amebas and other single-cell creatures. Earth would bring forth something truly grand something in the very image of the icy comets that had given their lives. ICY COMET: Earth brought forth jellyfish! JELLYFISH: Earth brought forth jellyfish! Jellyfish have a shiny dome that looks like the snowball body of a comet glistening in the sun. To mimic the comet s long icy tail, Earth made sure that jellyfish evolved long tentacles. PLUTO: Wow, Icy Comet! You must feel proud to be who you are. ICY COMET: Yeah, I guess. But you know: I ve never seen a jellyfish. I kind of wonder whether the story really is true. PLUTO: I have an idea! I ll turn down my gravity again, so you can get close without risking capture. We ll be a team again, huh? ICY COMET: I was hoping you would say that! Look over there! Can you see that Blue Marble of a planet now? PLUTO: I sure can! So let s go! JELLYFISH: The end. My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 19

20 10 QUESTIONS for TEACHER to cut apart, fold, and put in hat : Is it true that you don t have a brain? : Why is a jellyfish representing all the sea creatures? Why wasn t a fish or a clam or a shrimp or a sea urchin chosen to come to our class? : If you are the biggest jellyfish in the world, how long are your tentacles? : What else makes you special? : Since you came in walking with a cane, I would guess that you are a very old jellyfish. How old can jellyfish get? My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 20

21 6: Which ocean do you live in? : What do you eat? : Are you afraid of anything? : Isn t the Portuguese Man of War that floats on the ocean surface bigger than you? : Why are you called jellyfish, if you are not a real fish? My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 21

22 AFTER JELLYFISH LEAVES THE ROOM: ACTIVITY: DISCUSSION IN CIRCLE TEACHER DIRECTIONS: 1. Ask the kids their responses to the play and to Jellyfish coming in. 2. Show the kids pictures of a real comet and of a real jellyfish. 3. Ask, Was that a true story? Encourage the kids to distinguish between the science underlying the story and having a jellyfish talking. 4. Ask for a volunteer to research the science, whether Jellyfish was telling the truth that when the impact created the Moon, Earth lost all its water and needed to have icy comets come and replenish the water. MOVEMENT ACTIVITY: JELLYBONES CHANT TEACHER DIRECTIONS: Introduce a new chant, with clapping and/or marching as you did for the CHON chant in the previous lesson:! Jel-ly fish and Star... fish! Nei-ther one is real-ly fish! May-be fish are jel-ly bones! If there is time, invite an eager pair of kids to volunteer to create a hand-clapping sequence that they do together right here and now in the circle center. (Lots of girls love to invent and learn these things!)! Likely other kids will automatically find a partner and try to invent one too. Let the spontaneity bloom. ACTIVITY: CHOOSING THE BEAD (ANIMALS EVOLVE IN THE OCEANS) TEACHER DIRECTIONS: Pass around the sock with the ANIMAL beads in it. Let the kids know if the beads are all the same. If there are a variety of beads, then instruct the kids to choose a bead by feel no peeking! My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 22

23 ACTIVITY: ADDING THE NEW BEAD TO THE STORYBOARD TEACHER DIRECTIONS: 1. Stay in circle and ask for a volunteer to go to the circle center to the Storyboard Storage Box and one-by-one pull out a Storyboard and read aloud the name. Ask for another volunteer to carry each Storyboard to its owner. 2. When all Storyboards are handed out, instruct the kids to go to a table or stay on the floor to tape their bead onto their storyboard: their choice. CRAFT ACTIVITY: DRAW THE STORY OF COMETS AND JELLYFISH TEACHER DIRECTIONS: Use any remaining class time for kids to draw the story of comets coming to Earth to bring water and of jellyfish living in the ocean. AT CLASS END: Request children to put their storyboards into the storage box. So what event will we be doing next week?.... [look at list] Did anyone volunteer today to research a question and report back next week [or later this week]? TEACHER NOTE: For Closing Song, if you have forgotten the tune, click here to listen to AUDIO.) CLOSING SONG I am a child of the Universe. You are a child of the Universe. We are all one. My Universe Story, by Connie Barlow, version 9/17/10, Lesson Plan for Bead 9! page 23