Turtle Talk

Today started a new week and thus a new theme: Amphibians and Reptiles. Our nature classroom currently has two animals, a greek tortoise and a bearded dragon. We will be getting more as we finish renovating our new Hudson River themed environmental center right next door.

We spent a short time after snack talking about common NY turtles and our turtle, Mateo, who was given a rare opportunity to spend some time outside his tank. Each child was given a chance to hold the turtle (after proper handling directions). I was very impressed with my kindergarten and first graders who were quick to explain to me the difference between a turtle and tortoise (water vs land dwelling). After a week of animal in winter activities, the kids were also very inquisitive about where turtles go in winter ( in mud or dig burrows). We spent time discussing other interesting facts about turtles

• They are reptiles, although commonly thought to be amphibians
• The shell is called a carapace
• Babies hatch from eggs
• Water dwelling turtles have webbed feet

Observations as we fed Mateo:

• A turtle/tortoise can reach their neck out far when reaching for food
• Turtles do not have teeth, instead they have a beak to help break up food

Live animals can either be a big hit or really boring to kids, it all depends on the animals behavior and the kids'moods that day. Today turned out not to be quite a homerun, however some other show and tell pieces such as a turtle skeleton, carapace of two tortoises, and a jaw bone of a snapping turtle really helped keep them engaged.

In my experience with EE, visuals and physical things kids can experience and hold is always more effective than making them sit and listen to a teacher talk.