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*The OES students did research on ocean life to send to their FES E-pals to help them with their research projects. The FES students were researching different animals as seen in the book Island of the Blue Dolphins. Below are a few examples of the OES letters.

I know you’re studying sea creatures, so I looked up info about turtles. Here are some of the facts! Turtles had teeth but eventually developed a sharp beak like figure. They have good hearing, but instead of good sight they feel vibrations in the ground. Turtles live mostly in Southeastern North America and Southeastern Asia! A turtles shell has 50 bones in there shells only! Turtles also hibernate during colder climates and also can live 50-100 years old! The Leatherback turtle is the longest living species of turtles. They are the sole survivors of the Dermochelyidae family! Turtles are threatened because they are being over hunted for there eggs, oil, and hide. Some turtles are naturally aggressive but are especially when it’s mating season. A jaw of an adult snapping turtle has the power to bite of a human’s finger or toe. There weight can be from 10-150lbs. Some turtles have strange markings on them like the Painted and Pond Turtle. Some turtles such as the snapping turtle use its tongue as allure and as soon as prey touches it, it bites. The only reason it works it works is because there tongue looks like a worm! Turtle’s eggs hatch in about 5 weeks. Turtles mate about 1 every season. Those are some facts about turtles!

12900 N. 71^st Ave.

Peoria, Az. 85345 October 9, 2007

Dear Marcus,

I have been doing a report on ocean animals. I decided to do it on a blue whale. Mrs. Cooper has let us go on the computers and research our animal. On the internet I have found 13 facts. Let me tell you what I found.

Did you know that the blue whale is the largest mammal, can grow to be 30 meters, and can weigh up to 120 tons. It is larger and heavier than the largest dinosaur. The heaviest whale that has lived weighed 195 tons. They live up to 100 years.

When calves are born they are born every 2-3 years. They are nursed for 6 months.

Blue whales are also known as baleen whales. That means they have straw like teeth. It acts as a strainer for their food. They eat plankton, shrimp, and other small fish.

There are not very many left in the world. They range some where around 16,000. About 14,000 live in the southern hemisphere. About 2,000 live in the North Pacific.

That is what I found about the blue whale.

Your friend,

Brandon

Hey, I heard that you guys were starting Island of the Blue Dolphins. I’ve already read that book, but any way I also heard you guys are studying sea animals. Well I have some facts about the sea urchin.

Did you know that sea urchins can see through their feet, well if you do that is great because I didn’t a couple minutes ago. I also learned that there are approximately seven-hundred species of sea urchins. Also sea urchins eat types of organic matter such as plants and small animals. Sea urchins are in the Echinoderm family. You probably know this, but sea urchins have a spherical plated body. They have rigid, short to long movable spines. I hope you don’t know this but sea urchins have a sophisticated apparatus called Aristotle’s lantern, consisting of five jaws. Good-bye for now!

I’m glad to talk to you again. I heard that you have been studying sea creatures, so I wanted to tell you what I researched about sea turtles. Here are some interesting facts: when baby sea turtles are born, the female comes to shore to dig a hole to lay her eggs. She then covers the whole back up. They usually lay 80-200 eggs. The young hatch in five to ten weeks. Unlike land turtles, sea turtles can’t pull their heads into their shells. The Loggerhead sea turtles can be as long as seven feet, and can weigh up to nine-hundred ninety pounds. On land, they breathe through their lungs, but in water they breathe through their skin. Did you know that most turtles are carnivorous, meat eating animals? To capture their food, the sea turtle uses the gape and suck method. Most live alone, but some gather groups during the winter time. Their predators are humans and sharks. I read that sea turtles live thirty to fifty years, but I also watched Finding Nemo, and they said sea turtles can live up to one-hundred fifty years. So you may want to check out that fact for yourself. I hope these facts were interesting to you as they were to me.

Next week, we will make the collage book project to send you in Alabama. Hope you have a good week!

Hey E-pal!! I would like to tell you about the facts I have learned about starfish.

Ø They are found in the icy waters of the Arctic and in the warm tropical waters of the Antarctic waters

Ø Starfish are members of a larger group of sea invertebrates called phylum echinoderms.