South Walton Turtle Watch Sea Turtle Curriculum

Webbing Lesson

This activity, also know as semantic mapping, can be used as a group discussion or as part of a creative writing activity. It is a brainstorming session that allows the students to share their knowledge of a subject, reinforces the information they already have, and helps build vocabulary. It can be modified for any age group of type of class.

Procedure:

Write the words “sea turtle” on the board. Draw a circle around the words. Ask the students to think of things that are in some way “connected” to sea turtles. Write each new idea in another circle connected by a spoke to the sea turtle circle. Some of the circles may be connect to each other as well. The teacher may want to pose prompting questions such as:

· What do sea turtles eat?
· What animals eat sea turtles?
· Are any of those animals related to each other in some way?
· Where do sea turtles live?
· What do sea turtles look like?
· Do sea turtles have any enemies?
· How do sea turtles reproduce?

This lesson could be followed by a creative writing activity built on the ideas generated.

Source: Sea Turtle Restoration Project

South Walton Turtle Watch

Florida Sea Turtle Grants Program

Van R. Butler Elementary School