In Room 13, we recently completed a study of reptiles. A visit from the traveling zoo allowed the children to see live lizards and snakes up close. We followed up by reading a variety of fiction and non-fiction books that helped us to better understand these creatures.  We learned that reptiles are cold-blooded and have scales, and that most reptiles lay eggs.  Our focus then narrowed to turtles.  Many children were able to make personal connections to the topic, sharing experiences of seeing turtles at the zoo or aquarium. 

 

Through read-alouds and the discussions that followed, we learned to identify the external parts of the turtle, including the carapace and plastron. Young children love to learn new and interesting words, and the Primary years are the ones during which they most enthusiastically and easily absorb even scientific vocabulary.  As a follow-up to this lesson, the class worked together to paint and label a drawing of a large box turtle. We decided to use green, yellow and brown paint, as this would allow our turtle to camouflage in the woods.  Some of the students were surprised to learn that mother turtles lay their eggs in a hole and then leave, making the babies vulnerable to predators. This led to a discussion about parenting behaviors in animals (including humans) and the many differences that exist between species.

 

Once the children had developed a base of knowledge, we briefly discussed why many turtle species are endangered. We talked about how humans impact turtle populations and habitat, which provided an opportunity for the children to see the interconnectedness of our world. An overarching goal of our cultural education is to foster each child's understanding of and respect for all living things.  Our study of turtles brought together science, literacy, art and imagination, and invited the students into a deeper understanding of our place in the web of life.