May 7th, 2012
Turtles
Welcome song
Letter of the Day: T for turtle. Do we have any of our nature school friends who have a name that starts with T? Thor, Tighe...
Turtle facts:
-Turtles are reptiles.
-Turtles have been on earth for more than 200 million years.
-Turtles live on every continent except Antarctica.
-There are a lot of different kinds of turtles (270 different types).
-Turtles live on the land and in the water. Turtles that live on land are called tortoises.
-Depending on where they live, turtles can be sorted into two groups - sea turtles or fresh water turtles.
-Turtles can also be sorted according to what they eat. Different turtles eat different things. Some turtles eat just plants, some turtles eat just meat, and some turtles eat plants and meat.
-Turtles lay eggs. Their eggs are soft.
-A turtle's shell is made of 60 different little bones.
-Turtles have an excellent sense of smell and very good eyesight.
-Turtles hibernate in the winter.
Observation time: Take a walk with the kids to the pond where the turtles hang out. Hopefully they are out sunbathing. Give the kids some time to observe the turtles and answer the following questions:
How do turtles move? What do they like to eat? What kind of habitat or home do they live in? Do they make any noise? What do you think its shell feels like?
Pretend Play:
Did you know that sea turtles spend their whole life in the ocean except for when they lay their eggs. The mother turtle returns to the same exact place that she was born (like salmon), digs a big hole in the sand, and lays her eggs in the sandy nest. Let’s all dig our own sandy nest just like a sea turtle! When we are done digging out our nest, we can find some rocks or shells and pretend they are our eggs and lay them in our sandy nest!
Rhyme:
A Little Turtle: Submitted by Lisa
There was a little turtle (put hands together in a fist)
He lived in a box (make a box with both hands)
He swam in a puddle (make swimming motions)
He climbed on the rocks (use your fingers to climb up your arm)
He snapped at a mosquito (clap hands)
He snapped at a flea (chomp with your mouth)
He snapped at a minnow (clap hands)
He snapped at me (Do Home Alone Face)
He caught the mosquito (grab with your hand)
He caught the flea (grab with your hand)
He caught the minnow (grab with your hand)
But he didn't catch me (jump in excitement)
Craft: Turtle sand art
This craft must be done on the beach where fine sand is available. Have various printouts of outlines of turtles and other sea life (starfish, shells, etc.). Give them each a printout and some elmer’s glue. Let the kids outline the picture however they’d like with elmer’s glue. Encourage them to take a handful or two of sand and sprinkle it over their paper. Then dust off the extra sand and they will see their beautiful sand art revealed.
