Lesson Plan Three - Leatherback Turtle

Lesson Plan Three – Leatherback Turtle

Activity 2: Protecting leatherback turtles from balloons

Curriculum Connections

Science: Grades 4-6

• Describe what adaptations leatherback turtles have that enable them to feed on jelly fish
• Describe what can be done to help protect leatherbacks
• Express concern for how human activities can impact leatherback turtles
• Recognize and categorize types of litter that can be recycled
• Propose and implement ideas for improving and preserving the environment
• Understand the needs of living things

Language Arts: Grade 4-6

• Select and use print and non-print sources appropriate to their learning need and interests
• Use research strategies to answer research questions
• Identify

Objectives:

Students will learn about what leatherback turtles eat and how they are especially adapted to their environment and diet. Students will also learn how leatherbacks can be hurt by things we may think are harmless and how we can protect leatherbacks by not polluting the ocean.

Materials:

• Plastic grocery bags
• Balloons filled with air and tied with ribbons or strings
• Pictures of jelly fish
• Rubbermaid container, aquarium or sink filled with water

Let's get started!

Part One:

Have students investigate the leatherback turtle fact sheet and other information to determine what leatherback turtles eat and how they are adapted to eat their prey. Students should find a picture of jellyfish or draw a picture. Have a discussion about what jellyfish look like.

• Has anyone seen one in real life or felt one?
• How do they swim?
• Where do they live?
• How many jellyfish does and adult leatherback eat each day?

Part Two:

Fill your balloons with air and tie two or three together with ribbon like you would for a balloon bouquet at a birthday party.

Now, pop or deflate the balloons with a pin or pencil. Put the balloons in the water container. Look at the balloons floating in the water.

• What do the deflated balloons look like?
• What do you think a leatherback turtle would think the balloons look like?
• What could happen if leatherbacks ate a balloon?

Next, take a crumpled grocery bag and place it in the water.

• What happens?
• What does the grocery bag look like?
• What could a leatherback turtle do if it saw a grocery bag floating in the water?
• What could happen if a leatherback turtle swallowed a grocery bag?

Talk about it! Adapt these questions to further your discussion.

1. How can a balloon end up in the ocean?
2. How far could helium balloons travel?
3. How do grocery bags end up in the ocean?
4. What adaptations do leatherback turtles have that could make balloons and grocery bags dangerous to them?
5. What can happen to a leatherback turtle if it eats a balloon or a grocery bag?
6. What can we do to protect leatherback turtles?
7. How can we make sure balloons don't end up in the ocean?
8. How can we keep grocery store bags out of the ocean?