Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Tune In: A turtle's life

15 minutes

Find Out: Thoughts and ideas

30 minutes

Take Action: Sharing a message

5 minutes

Reflection

Learning intentions:

Students will...

engage in the theme of ocean conservation by investigating marine turtles.

Success criteria:

Students can...

identify what a marine turtle is and where it lives
be able to retell what happens in the life of a marine turtle from the poem
suggest ways to help the marine turtle.

Tune In: A turtle’s life

Preparation

Before beginning this lesson, print the Story Maps (or create your own on butcher's paper). You will also need a copy of each of the three Story Maps. If working as a class, you will need one copy; if students work in groups, you will need one copy of each of the three Story Maps for each group.

Step 1

Begin this lesson by engaging students in a whole class discussion by asking:

What do you know about marine turtles?

Write students' responses on the board as they are shared.

Through your discussion, share the following information with students:

Most female marine turtles go back to the same beach where they were born/hatched to dig a nest and lay their eggs.
They are fussy eaters: some are herbivores (only eating plants); others are omnivores (eating plants and animals); others are carnivores (meat eaters), eating things like jellyfish and crabs.
They take long journeys (migrations) from feeding to breeding areas and back again.
They breathe air.
Marine turtles are reptiles with a large shell that live in the sea.

Now ask students to share what they know about the following question:

What do you think happens in a marine turtle's life?

Again. write students' responses on the board as they are shared.

Step 2

Explain that you are now going to watch a clip about the life of marine turtles and then talk about what you have seen in this clip. Explain to students that you will watch it once through uninterrupted, and then watch it again a second time, pausing at points and discussing what is happening at these points. NOTE: A transcript of this clip is available here: A Turtles Life - Transcript.

A turtle's life (https://vimeo.com/1056609745/7e4fc7c04f)

Find Out: Thoughts and ideas

Step 1

Invite students to reflect upon their thoughts and ideas about this clip using the following questions:

Invite students to reflect upon their thoughts and ideas about this clip using the following questions:

What did you see in this clip? What happened?
What does it make you think about?
What was interesting or surprising to you?
Why do you think the information in this clip is important?
What does this clip make you wonder about? What questions do you have about what you saw in this clip?
How does the information in this clip compare with what you thought a turtle's life would be like? What bits were the same and what bits were different?

What did you see in this clip? What happened?
What does it make you think about?
What was interesting or surprising to you?
Why do you think the information in this clip is important?
What does this clip make you wonder about? What questions do you have about what you saw in this clip?
How does the information in this clip compare with what you thought a turtle's life would be like? What bits were the same and what bits were different?

Step 2

Watch the clip a second time. This time stop the clip to capture the different stages of the turtle’s life (see suggested timings below). As a class talk through the different life stages of the turtle as a:

1:04 - Baby turtle/hatchling: coming out of the egg, going across the sand to the sea, looking for the sea, jumping into the sea for the first time.
2:13 - Young turtle: swimming in the ocean, finding plastics and netting, eating plastic waste by accident.
3:24 - Adult turtle: coming to shore to lay eggs, finding plastics, turning away from the beach.

Take Action: Sharing a message

Step 1

Students will now use a story map to further investigate the life cycle of marine turtles. A story map is a strategy that uses a graphic organiser (e.g. Story Maps worksheet) to help students learn the elements of a story. In this case a story map can be used to retell the turtles' story.

Access the Story Maps worksheet, which has an individual story map page for each life stage of the turtles. Begin by facilitating a discussion about each of the turtle's life stages to ensure all students understand the stages in a turtles life.

Consider using the following questions to guide the discussion:

What happened to the turtle when it was a young hatchling?
As an young turtle what changes had happened to the sea?
How was the turtle feeling when it was a adult turtle?

Using the students suggestions, write a statement to consolidate these ideas on each of the story map sheets. Use these story maps as a shared class example.

Step 2

Now provide the students with a copy of a Story Maps worksheet.

Depending on age and ability, students can work independently, in pairs, small groups, or as a class.

Allow time for the students to write their ideas on the story maps. Invite the students to add their own drawings to bring the story maps to life.

Once complete, invite students to form a sharing circle and encourage the students to share their story maps with each circle.

Step 3

Finally, invite the students to share their interpretations using these guiding questions:

How did the turtle feel in each of these stages (as a hatchling, young turtle or adult?)
What happened in the end?
What did the turtle ask us to do?
What do you think you could do to help marine turtles?

When focusing on this final question, suggest to students some of the following actions:

Keep plastic waste out of our ocean by making sure rubbish goes in the bin and doesn't end up in our environment. Most of the waste in the ocean started out as waste on the land. Waste on land gets blown into creeks and rivers which then flow into the sea. Keeping the environment clean wherever you are (even in the desert!) is an excellent way of keeping the oceans clean.
Don't throw your old fishing gear into the ocean. Turtles and other animals can get tangled in old fishing gear, including ropes, lines and nets. Make sure any fishing gear you don't want anymore is put in the bin.

Reflection

Step 1

Remind students of the end of the clip where the turtle was walking into the sea, and we hear her asking for our help. Explain to students that they will now be thinking of ways that they can help marine turtles.

Students are asked to think creatively and use their imaginations to create their own message to help the marine turtle. They can create a story, poem, drawing, painting, or perform a dance or play.

Depending on age and ability, students can work independently, in pairs, small groups, or as a class.

The piece created by students must:

Include information on why marine turtles need our help
Ways we can help them
How this issue makes students feel and why it is important to them

Step 2

Invite students to share their creations with the class.

Extension

Consider sharing student work with the school community. For example, you could:

Publish student work in the school newsletter or blog
Create a gallery walk of student work
Invite other classes in for a presentation of student work.

Assessment

Teachers can use the following items as part of their formative assessment:

Participated in developing communication skills by taking part in turn and talk discussions.
Sharing ideas about marine turtles.
Sequencing events in a story/poem.
Creating a message for an audience.
Watched a video clip for understanding.

For summative assessment, visit the Drawing Conclusions lesson: Blue: Ocean Guardians Caring For Our Oceans – F to 2.

Take it further

Invite students to apply their learning in a real world context by participating in this lesson: Ocean Guardians Being Turtle-Friendly - Social Action - Year F, 1 & 2.

The Turtles Are Talking

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Summary

Learning intentions:

Students will...

Success criteria:

Students can...

Lesson guides and printables

Lesson Details

Skills

Curriculum Mapping

Resources Required

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Additional Info

Related Professional Learning

In this lesson