Earth Day Sea Turtles Unit: SmithLifeScience

Day 1

Topic Sea Turtle Basic Facts

Objective/ I can ...
Answer basic facts about sea turtles.

State Goals
12.A.1a Identify and describe the component parts of living things and their major functions.
12.A.1b Categorize living organisms using a variety of observable features.

Classwork
You will have to register to access the sea turtle pdf files

Pass out Handout 1 Sea Turtle Facts page 20

Use:
Sea Turtle Slide Show

-or-
Basic Facts and Surprising Facts

Assessment
10 points for each correct answer; 110 points is an A+

Resources

Science Symposium on Sea Turtles New Lesson plans

What is Happening to Sea Turtles? 59 pages

Sea Turtle Poster

Day 2

Topic Demonstration

Objective/ I can ...
answer guiding questions about sea turtles.

State Goals
12.A.1a Identify and describe the component parts of living things and their major functions.
12.A.1b Categorize living organisms using a variety of observable features.

Classwork

Read Handout 2 page 21
Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nests Counted on Florida Beaches 1989-2006 page 21

Answer Guiding Questions page 22 together

Demonstrate how you expect students to make their presentations.
Use Group Instructions page 23
Making Charts Instructions page 18

Assessment
No grading

Resources

Day 3-5

Topic Student Preparation

Objective/ I can ...
Read data.
Answer guiding questions.
Make charts.
Rehearse a presentation.

State Goals
12.A.1a Identify and describe the component parts of living things and their major functions.
12.A.1b Categorize living organisms using a variety of observable features.

Classwork

Hand out a folder for each group containing:
Handout 3: Group Instruction page 23
Handout 4: Group Self-Evaluation page 24
Handout 5: Grade Sheet page 25

Discuss self-evaluation and grade-sheet handouts with students.

Assign Presentations

Collect grade sheets after groups have filled in their "class" and "presentation number."

Read Data page of Presentations

Answer Guiding Questions
Data #1-6
Main Point #7
Critical Thinking #8
Online #9 (optional)
Research questions can be extra credit. (optional)

Assessment

Resources
Handout 3: Group Instruction page 23
Handout 4: Group Self-Evaluation page 24
Handout 5: Grade Sheet page 25

Day 4

Topic Presentations

Objective/ I can ...
Read data.
Answer guiding questions.
Make charts.
Rehearse a presentation.

State Goals
11.A.2c Construct charts and visualizations to display data.
11.A.2e Report and display the results of individual and group investigations.
12.A.1a Identify and describe the component parts of living things and their major functions.
12.A.1b Categorize living organisms using a variety of observable features.

Classwork

Complete charts.
Rehearse presentations.
Answer guiding questions 8 and 9; do research.

Evaluation of charts using Handout 5.

Assessment

Resources

Day 5

Topic Presentations

Objective / I can...
Rehearse presentations.

State Goals
11.A.2e Report and display the results of individual and group investigations.
12.A.1a Identify and describe the component parts of living things and their major functions.
12.A.1b Categorize living organisms using a variety of observable features.

Classwork

Rehearse a presentation.

Assessment
None

Resources

Day 6-7

Topic Oral Presentations of Sea Turtle Topics

Objective/ I can ...
Explain data on a chart.
Evaluate presentations.

Classwork

Groups will present their data.

Teacher Prompts to help move presentations along or elicit more information.
What is the main point of your chart?
What is displayed on the x axis?
What does the y axis measure?
What do the lines or bars represent?
What has changed?
How has it changed?
Is their a trend?
What was your "Critical Thinking" question?
What was your answer?

Assessment
Use grade sheets to guide grading and record points

Resources
Handout 6 "Presentations Check List" page 26

Day 8

Topic Closing Activity: Plenary Session

Objective/ I can ...
Participate in a class discussion about what is happening to sea turtles.

Classwork

Class Discussion
Each group states:
Title of Presentation
Main Points

Opinion Questions
What is happening to sea turtles?
In the future, What do you think will happen to sea turtles?
What are some ways scientists are helping to conserve sea turtles and their habitats?

Handout 7: Saving Sea Turtle Habitat at Playa Grande page 27

Assessment
Collect check lists (Handout 6) and group evaluations (Handout 4).
Grade group cooperation (Handout 5).
Add points and write comments.

Resources

Day 9

Topic Sea Turtle Art Project

Objectives/ I can ...
Create a 3-D model of a sea turtle.

State Goals
12.A.1a Identify and describe the component parts of living things and their major functions.
12.A.1b Categorize living organisms using a variety of observable features.

Classwork-Homework

Sea Turtle Top Shell
Use a coffee filter as shell.
Draw a turtle pattern in pencil on a manila folder.
Cut out turtle.
Draw plastron on bottom of turtle.
Draw scales on feet and head.
Draw scale pattern on coffee filter.
Color scales with marker.
Outline pencil scales lines with black marker.
Wad a small piece of newspaper to give shell height.
Glue shell to cardboard.

TEC

Resources
Sea Turtle Information: SmithLifeScience
Facts, Teacher Resources, and Web Sites

Assignments Labs Art Activity Lesson Plan Tests Maps Resources
Web Sites Field Trips Computer Book Games Extra Credit PPT

ART PROJECTS

Paper Sea Turtle

CARAPACE

Comparing Sea Turtle Size Using Carapace

COLORING PAGES

Green Sea Turtle National Geographic

Turtle Eggs and Walnut Turtles Make eggs from balloons and paper mache. Create a scence of hatching baby turtles.

CONSERVATION

Sea Turtle Sanctuary

Sea Turtle Conservation 12 pages of sea turtle information

EXTRA CREDIT

Coordinate Graphing: What Endangered Animal

Sea Turtle Origami 3 pages, 58 steps to create a sea turtle.

Plotting the Migration of Sea Turtles Use the following sets of position points, provided by researchers, to create your own map of a turtle's movements.

Sea Turtles Dig the Dark The Mayor of a historical coastal city is managing the construction of a long-awaited bridge connecting his town to another bustling city just across two wide rivers. The bridge architects have an idea for this outstanding bridge to light up the sky at night so the bridge could be known as a “Cathedral of Light”! Will these lights really disturb the ancient species of loggerhead sea turtles that return to the nearby beaches to nest? Print this Sea Turtles Dig the Dark Worksheet and answer the questions.

Sea Turtle Maze

GAMES

Race for the Sea A sea turtle survival game

HISTORY

Archelon

Turtle Prehistory

INFORMATION

All Species fact Sheet

Gulf of Mexico Sea Turtle Poster

Sea Turtle Poster

Biology of Sea Turtles Construction and design of turtle skeletons.

Turtle Biology Sea turtles are ancient creatures. They have traveled our planet for more than 200 million years, tracing a highly successful evolutionary path, living in a variety of environments from dry land to the open sea.

Turtle Traxs A page devoted to sea turtles.

Video Clips of Sea Turtles

NEWS

Sea Turtle News

Sea Turtle News Archives

PAPER

Sea Turtle Lined Paper
Green Sea Turtle Loggerhead Leatherback Kemp's Ridley Hawksbill Sea Turtle Hatchlings Sea Turtle Nesting

PRESENTATION LINKS for Earth Day Sea Turtle Symposium

#1 Leatherback Trust Online #9

#2 Leatherback Turtle Virtually Extinxt in Malaysia Online #9

#3 In Search of Nesting Sea Turtles Online #9

#4 Sea Turtle Hatchlings Online #9 includes short video

#5 Deep-Setting Techniques for Reducing Longline Bycatch of Sea Turtles Online #9

#6 Mechanisms for Ghost Net Accumulation in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands page 6 for Online #9

#7 Turtle Island Park Online #9

#8 Tracking a Giant Leatherback Turtles' Meanderings May Lead to New Straegies for Its Species' Survival Online #9

#9 Internal Anatomy of a Turtle Online #9

#10 New Life: Baby Chicks Online #9

#11 Light Sources Contributing to Reported Disorientation Events in Florida, 2006 Online #9

#12 General Behavior Patterns of Sea Turtles Online #9

#13 Geomagnetic Map Used in Sea Turtle Navigation Online #9

#14 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife; Sea Turtle Conservation Requirements Online #9

#15 Crab, Racoon Play tag Team Against Turtle Online #9

#16 Conservation and Research Online #9 Question 1

#16 Adopt a Sea Turtle Online #9 Question 2

PROJECTS

Sea Turtle Life Cycles Migration Projects: Includes turtle satellite data and plotting maps

Sea Turtle Migration-Tracking & Costal Habitat Educational Guide This is a 41 page guide about sea turtles from the Carribean Conservation Corps: Sea Turtle Survival League. I use the sea turtle paper below for projects.

Sea Turtle Projects I have 16 projects that kids can work individually, with a partner, or in a group.

SAND

Beach Sand Asses sand samples by size, type, and rounding.

THREATS and PROBLEMS

Longline Fishing Fact Sheet

Threats to the Turtles The mortality rate of the sea turtles is very high. In the case of the leatherback, it is estimated that under optimum conditions, 60% of fertile eggs laid will produce baby turtles, but only 1 to 3% will eventually become adults and reproduce.

Turtle Threats While in the ocean, adult green turtles have to avoid large predators such as sharks and killer whales. And even when they survive these predators and arrive after a long migration at the Turtle Islands to breed and nest, these adult turtles face still more threats. They may be caught by trawlers or long-lines, or destroyed by dynamite, before they even reach the beaches to lay eggs.