Save the Sea Turtles!

This lesson introduces students to sea turtles and the human-caused dangers they face while encouraging them to create a way to help save these beautiful creatures. 

Step 1 - Inquire: Students are introduced to sea turtle conservation and student activism through the story Follow the Moon Home by acclaimed activist Philippe Cousteau and renowned author Deborah Hopkinson.

Step 2 - Investigate: Students activate background knowledge of sea turtles and reflect on the dangers they face in the oceans of the world.

Step 3 - Inspire: Students work collaboratively to design and create a solution to one of the problems sea turtles are facing today.

Positives

• This lesson allows for a collaborative hands-on learning environment for students as sea turtle conservation is introduced.

• This lesson features creative learning and engagement for all students.

• Students develop a strong connection to student-led activism through the book Follow the Moon Home by Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson.

• This lesson features a step by step guide to follow the engineering design process.

Additional Prerequisites

• Teacher needs a copy of the book Follow the Moon Home by Philippe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson.

• Students should have a basic knowledge of sea turtles and global problems like pollution and plastic in the oceans.

• Teacher can print out worksheets prior to the lesson if desired.

Differentiation

• Students can think-pair-share during the reading, making predictions or answering questions.

• Groups of students with mixed abilities can collaborate throughout this lesson.

There is an intrinsic benefit in conserving sea turtles, and this lesson lets students to understand the impact of sea turtles in our ocean. It would equip them to design a real-life project to save sea turtles from extinction. All accompanying materials in this lesson are appropriate to provide better understanding on the subject. Above all, there is a high confidence in using this lesson in the classroom.

Note On Standards:

This lesson is aligned to New Jersey standards. Review the aligned standards directly in the lesson plan document and teacher slideshow.