Of Elbows and Eels

After reading 'Of Elbows and Eels' by Rupert Alchin the Avengers used the information in the text to compare an electric eel and an electric ray.

Electricity is all around us. Electricity powers the lights, Chromebooks, projector and speakers in our classroom. But that’s not all electricity can be found in our bodies too. Electrical nerve impulses carry messages to and from the brain. However we are not the only creatures who have electricity coursing through our bodies there is also the electric eel and the electric ray.

Discharge Electricity - Moksha and Brianna

Both the electric eel and ray can discharge electricity . An electric eel can discharge 600 volts of electricity out of it's tail and an electric ray can discharge 220 volts.     

Generate Electricity - Brianna

The electric eel generates electricity in its Mains, Hunters and Sachs organs found in the lower part of its body. The electric ray however generates its electricity in its electric organs found in the front part of its body. The electrics rays electric organs take up approximately one sixth of its body weight.

Shock People - Harrison and Jack

People can be shocked by both fish. Electric eels can zap an adult so badly that it can only takes a few zaps to kill them. Electric rays were used to cure and heal headaches by zapping the patient's head in Ancient Greece and Rome.

Found - Nikhil

The electric eels live in muddy slow moving waterways in South America. Whereas the electric rays live on the seabed.

Conclusion

Overall we would prefer to avoid the electric eel over the electric ray because the eel produces more electricity and its shocks can actually kill you. However in the future scientists may experiment and try to find a way of harnessing the electrical output of the eel to power household items. We may even end up having pet electric eels to power our devices.

We believe our comparison is extended abstract as we have made several comparisons and we have looked at the information in a new way to make a prediction about the future