Topic-
Habitats and Freshwater Turtles
 
Goals: Aims/Outcomes-
1. Students will learn about habitats in the local area.
2. Students will gain knowledge about freshwater turtles, including different types, what they eat and where they live.
 
Objectives-
1. Students will be able to define the term habitat and use it correctly when referring to local animals.
2. Student will be able to create a realistic habitat for freshwater turtles.
 
Materials and Aids-
Fish tanks
Natural elements such as dirt, rocks, and leaves
 
Procedures/Methods-

A. Introduction-

1. Ask students if they can define the word 'habitat'. (Habitat - the natural home or environment of an animal, plant, or other organism)
2. Ask students what animals they think have habitats around the camp and what those habitats might look like. Allow for responses.
3. Let students know that you are going to focus on one particular animal today, turtles.
4. Ask the students if any of them have ever owned or known someone who had a pet turtle.
 

B. Development-

1. Tell students that turtles are a big part of the environment at camp.
2. Tell anecdotal story about going turtle hunting and the types of turtles that have been found (painters and snappers).
3. Show turtle shell which was collected from the area. Talk about how the shell helps to protect them from predators. Along with the students, create a list of predators who may want to make the turtle their prey. Add to the list if there is something missing.
4. Talk about how turtles navigate the environment (swimming around the lake, going onto land, etc).
5. Ask students what they believe turtles eat and where that can be found in their environment?
6. Should the turtles habitat be close to their food source? How can their habitat help to protect them from predators in the area?
 

Practice-

1. Students will have the opportunity to create their own habitat for turtles. The class should be broken up into five smaller groups.
2. The small groups should then brainstorm what they will need to create their turtle habitat and how they want the habitat to look.
3. Under supervision, those groups will then explore the area and gather the natural supplies that they will need.
4. They will construct their turtle habitat in the fish tanks provided - students should not add water to their fish tanks.
5. Students should come up with what they will talk about regarding their habitats when presenting them to the rest of the group.
5. This activity should last about 30 minutes.
 

Checking for understanding-

Student groups will present their habitats to the rest of the class. They will speak about why they added certain elements and how those elements would benefit the turtles in the environment.
 

This Lesson Plan is available at (www.teacherjet.com)