Talking with Authors: Julie Berwald, Spineless: The Science of Jellyfish and the Art of Growing a Backbone
23:17
Grades: 9 - 12

Video Description: Jellyfish are generally not the most loved creature in the ocean. Beachgoers fear them for their painful sting, nuclear reactor operators hate them for clogging their pipes and fisherman loathe them for decimating fisheries. But, Berwald argues there’s also a lot to like about these invertebrates. Not to mention, she believes their recent activity could tell us more about our changing oceans and global warming. Berwald enlightens us on the world of jellyfish, explains her interesting journey to write this book (which included travels around the world and making/eating jellyfish) and what the future may hold.

Type of Video: Interview*
Unique Video ID: Literature-28**

Quick Ideas for Using the Video:

  • Use the video in conjunction with students writing fiction stories or non-fiction essays on an aspect of nature (animal, plant, etc.) that fascinates them. What insights do they gain from the authors that could help students as they write and evaluate their work?
  • Use the video as inspiration/example for an activity that has your students interview each other on writing they have done. Use the video to show interview styles, types of questions, and how a finished interview video could be edited together.

 

*Interviews feature extended conversation exploring fascinating topics with fascinating people in the area of study.

**The unique Video ID can be used to quickly locate a single video in the ET collection. This search function is designed to let teachers assign students to watch a specific video and have only that video appear as a search result. Just click on Search and choose “By Video ID.” Then type in the Video ID as it appears above. Be sure to include the dash.

Loading