Turtle Territory! Pre-site Activities

Turtle Territory! - Pre-site Activities/Teacher Led

Grade Level: 3
Content Area: Science
Time to Complete: 30 minutes
Title of Lesson: Turtle Territory!

South Carolina State Standards Addressed:

I.A.4.a.	Use drawings, tables, graphs, written and oral language to describe objects and explain ideas and actions.
II.C.2.b.	Research and describe how habitats are managed and species are monitored in South Carolina
II.C.2.e.	Investigate, communicate, and debate that natural events, natural resources and human influences can affect the survival/extinction of a species.

Lesson Description:

The following activity was designed for teachers to familiarize the students with loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings and with some of the terms we will be using during the field trip.

Material/Equipment/Resources:

Rules of Conduct and Park Etiquette

Complete pre-site activities

Sea Turtles Hatching Book (park will provide)

Teacher Preparation:

Review Rules of Conduct and Park Etiquette with students

Read background information

Complete pre-site activities

Background Information:

For information on the loggerhead sea turtles, please reference the Caribbean Conservation Corps' website.

Resources:

Books	Florida Sea Turtle & Coastal Habitat Education Program Caribbean Conservation Corporation Gainsville, Florida 32609
	Sea Turtles Lorraine A. Jay NorthWord Press, Minnetonka, Minnesota
Websites	Caribbean Conservation Corporation
	Seaturtle.org - comprehensive internet resource for sea turtle research and conservation
	Turtle Trax
	South Carolina Department of Natural Resources - Marine Resources - sea turtle tracking program

Procedures:

1.	Discuss with the class what their life would be like if they lived in the ocean. Have them compare and contrast life on land with life in the water.
2.	Read the book, Sea Turtles Hatching. (Park will provide book to school. Please return the book when you come for your field trip.)
3.	Print out the sea turtle pictures on the following website and have the students color them. http://www.turtles.org/colour.htm Each picture also contains some good information on the different turtles found in our waters.
4.	Be sure students are familiar with the following vocabulary:
	carapace: the upper shell of a turtle
	extinction: a dying out, as a species
	hatchling: a term used for a baby turtle
	plastron: the lower shell of a turtle
	scutes: hard scales that cover the carapace. The number and arrangement of these scutes can be used to determine the species.