What I Know About Sea Turtles

Before we begin, write down everything you know about sea turtles in the box below.

RESOURCES

Books
A Turtle Hatchling Grows Up, by Pam Zollman
I Am a Sea Turtle, by Darlene R. Stille
The Life of a Sea Turtle, by Clare Hibbert
Carolina's Story: Sea Turtles Get Sick Too! by Donna Rathmell
Into the Sea, by Brenda Z. Guiberson

See Sea Turtle Videos

Visit Sea Turtle Websites

public domain photo - no copyright

A Turtle Hatchling Grows Up, by Pam Zollman
Key Words: egg, egg tooth, hatch, hatchling, shell, tortoise, turtle

1. What is a baby turtle called?
2. Describe the shell of a turtle that lives in water.
3. Where do sea turtles lay their eggs?
4. Hatchlings have a special tooth that helps them to hatch out of their eggs. What is this tooth called?
5. What do sea turtle hatchlings eat?
6. Study the diagram at this link. Close your eyes and try to describe the steps -- practice with a friend. When you are ready, ask Mrs. Chauncey to record you as you share the steps. Fill out your own diagram pictures!

I Am a Sea Turtle, by Darlene R. Stille
Sea Turtle Diagram (print copy)
Sea Turtle Images

Key Words:
cold-blooded, endangered, hatch, pollution, predator, reptile

	1. How many species of sea turtles are there? Name three kinds.
	2. What is the name of the biggest sea turtle? How big can its shell be?
	3. How do scientists think that baby sea turtles find the sea?
	4. Why do turtles "cry" when they climb onto the land?

The Life of a Sea Turtle, by Clare Hibbert

Key Words:
algae, camouflage, climate, clutch, current, embryo, fertilize, gland, hatch
hatchling, high tide line, lagoon, life cycle, mammal, mate, migration
reef, reptile, predator, prey, scale, shellfish, skeleton, temperature

Loggerhead Turtles	1. To what family of animals do turtles belong? 2. The different stages of a turtle's life make up its ____.
A Turtle's Life	You are already experts on a turtle's life cycle -- your drawings are wonderful!
In the Sandpit	3. How many eggs are usually found in a nest? 4. When the turtle is still growing inside the egg, it is called an ___. (Don't be tricked -- the answer is NOT hatchling.)
Hatching Out	5. What challenge do the hatchlings face after they come out of their eggs?
Race to Safety	6. How do hatchlings find their way to the ocean? 7. What might confuse them?
Home On the Waves	8. What is camouflage? 9. How does camouflage help the turtle?
The Lost Years	10. Where do young turtle stay while they are growing? 11. What is the difference between loggerheads that live the Pacific and Indian Oceans and those that live in the Atlantic Ocean?
See Food, Eat Food	12. About how long can a young turtle hold its breath? 13. What foods does the turtle eat?
Hard As Nails	14. What is the strongest part of the turtle's shell?
Teenage Turtles	15. About how long do turtles stay in he open ocean? 16. Why do turtles lie to return to coastal waters?
Meeting and Mating	17. About how old is a turtle before it mates and has babies? 18. The turtle travels back to the beach where it was born when it is ready to mate. This long-distance traveling is called ___________.
Back to the Beach	19. How does the heavy sea turtle pull herself up onto the beach?
Nifty Nesting	20. Laying eggs is a lot of work. How many years will the sea turtle wait before laying eggs again?

Carolina's Story: Sea Turtles Get Sick Too! by Donna Rathmell
Make Your Own Sea Turtle From Carolina's Story

1. What was wrong with Carolina?
2. What did the doctor and his helpers do to help Carolina feel better?

Into the Sea, by Brenda Z. Guiberson
Key Words:

Part1	1. Where does the sea turtle spend the first several months of her life? 2. What does she eat?
Part2	1. How big is a sea turtle after a year in the sea? 2. What does she do for two months?
Part3	1. After several years, the turtle is one of the biggest creatures in the sea, but the ___________ is stil a danger to her. 2. What does the sea turtle do when she gets tired of swimming? 3. Why are fishing boats a threat to sea turtles? 4. The sea turtle has been swimming many miles to get to a special place. What is this place?
Part4	5. Pretend you are a sea turtle who is ready to lay its eggs. Tell the story of laying your eggs as if you are the turtle speaking. Start with the words... "First I....", "Then I...." etc.

SEA TURTLE VIDEOS

Video Clip
from www.seaturtle.org
Museum of Natural History, London, England
Turtle Hospital
BTC Project Nesting Research
Turtle Release Music Video

SEA TURTLE WEBSITES

Alabama Sea Turtles

Caribbean Conservation Corp.

Georgia Dept of Natural Resources

Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehab

National Geographic - Kids

PBS Kids - Turtles