As the weather starts to warm up, we will start to see lots of animals and plants outside! One of the types of animals we may see is turtles, especially if there is a stream, lake, or pond near your house!
Turtle Facts
+ Turtles have unique designs and patterns on the side of their heads – each turtle has their own design – just like our fingerprints
+ Turtles have a backbone so they are called VERTEBRATES.
+ Turtles were alive when dinosaurs were!
+ Their hard shells help to protect them from PREDATORS.
+ Turtles shells grow with them – so they do not change shells like hermit crabs do.
+ Turtles can live in many different environments including fresh water, like lakes and ponds and saltwater, like the ocean.
+ Some Turtles eat meat and some eat plants.
+ Turtles breathe air so they come to the top of the water and pop their heads out to catch a breath.
+ The oldest turtle to ever live was 118! Wow!!
Listen to “The Box Turtle” by Vanessa Roeder:
Listen to Julia read “Mossy” by Jan Brett:
Listen to “One Tiny Turtle” by Nicola Davies:
Turtle Activities
1- Turtle Crawl – Get on your hands and knees and put something like a book or a bowl on your back (this is your turtle shell!). Now try crawling across the room without the book or bowl falling off! For a more challenging crawl, set up an obstacle course to go through with your “turtle shell”.
2- Print out the Life Cycle of A Turtle pages below and see if you can match up the picture to the life cycle stage. When you’ve finished you can check your answers with the completed life cycle page.
3- Design your own turtle shell with the attached turtle printouts. What design will you choose for your turtle’s shell? Will you do a pattern? Will you do bright colors or dark colors? What shape will your shell be?
4- Print and color in the box shell that Terrance started and ended “The Box Turtle” story with!
5- Journal Entry – If you were a turtle, would you want to be a sea turtle and live in the ocean or would you want to be a red eared or yellow bellied turtle and live in a pond?
6- Make Egg Carton Turtles (find directions, templates, and example photos here): https://emmaowl.com/egg-carton-turtle-recycled-kids-craft/
This is a sign that Julia saw while driving in Natick! This sign helps let drivers know that there may be turtles crossing the road up ahead.
Some other fun videos to watch
– Scientists working to help save turtles near cities and towns:
https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/these-crazy-cute-baby-turtles-want-their-lake-back-deep-look
– Baby sea turtles heading into the ocean for the first time after hatching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w82xpBR_Z4A
– Turtles and Butterflies working together in the Rainforest: https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/butterflies-and-bees-drinking-turtle-tears-in-the-peruvian-amazon