CU 6.06Parts of a Turtle

1. 1

   Show a photograph of a turtle with its head and legs out, then one with them pulled in. Ask: 'Where did the head go?'

2. 2

   Say: 'The shell is part of the turtle's body. It grows with the turtle, and the turtle can never leave it.'

3. 3

   Bring the turtle puzzle. Lift out and name the top shell, the head, the legs, and the tail.

4. 4

   Show a photograph of the underside and name the bottom shell.

5. 5

   Point to the plates on the shell and the claws on the feet.

6. 6

   Give a three-period lesson on three parts at a time.

7. 7

   Invite the child to work the puzzle, then match the three-part cards and check with the control cards.

What catches the child’s eye

• The head and legs disappearing into the shell in the photographs
• The pattern of plates across the top shell

Extensions, easiest to hardest

1. Learn the words carapace (top shell), plastron (bottom shell), and scute (shell plate)
2. Compare a sea turtle's flippers with a desert tortoise's thick, clawed legs
3. Count the plates on the shell in a photograph
4. Trace, color, and label a turtle booklet