Sea Turtles

Summary
A lesson on the characteristics of sea turtles.

Objectives
• To introduce students to the characteristics of sea turtles.

Suggested Grades
5th Grade
6th Grade
7th Grade

Excerpt
Turtles are an ancient animal that, depending on the species, can live on land, in fresh water, or in salt water. Turtles that live in the salt water of the ocean fall into the general category of sea turtles. The fossil record shows that sea turtles have inhabited the ocean for about 200 million years, surviving even ice ages and the demise of the dinosaurs. Turtles are classified as reptiles along with snakes, lizards and crocodiles.

Reptiles are cold-blooded; another term for cold-blooded is ectothermic. Ectothermic describes any animal that maintains its body temperature by absorbing heat from the environment. Warm-blooded mammals can generate their own body heat but reptiles cannot. Besides being cold-blooded, reptiles are characterized by having scales, breathing through lungs, and having a three-chambered heart.

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