1. ENGLISH CLASS
TH
8
GRADE

2. Wednesday,
December 11, 2013
FINAL TEST

3. When
did dinosaurs walk the earth? Today we will
be reading about an endangered species – the
Leatherback Turtle – that has been around since
the time of the dinosaurs.
INTRODUCTION

4. What do we know about turtles?
What are their characteristics?

5. STUDY SKILL: PREVIEWING
To
preview, look at the title, section
heads, photographs, illustrations, and
graphic aids.
Then
use prior knowledge to make
predictions and create questions about
the text.

6. 1. Topics the feature will discuss.
2. What you already know about Sea Turtles.
3. Make a prediction about what you will learn.
4. Write down a question that you would like to have answered by your reading.

8. LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLES—WHO ARE RELATED TO
THE DINOSAURS—ARE ONE OF THE OLDEST REPTILES
ON EARTH. SADLY, THEY ARE ALSO ONE OF THE MOST
ENDANGERED.

9. Leatherbacks are huge! At 6
feet long, 4 feet wide, and
over 1,000 pounds, they are
the largest turtles in the world.
Leatherbacks have soft
"leathery" shells instead of
hard, bony ones.
SHELL AND SIZE

10. Leatherbacks are strong
swimmers. They spend most of
their time in the ocean. They
use their front flippers as
paddles and their back ones
to steer.
SWIMMING

11. FOOD
Leatherbacks eat jellyfish and other soft-bodied animals. A
floating plastic bag looks just like a jellyfish, but it will choke
a sea turtle.

12. The female leatherback comes ashore to nest. She
crawls up at night, digs a hole in the sand, and lays
80 to 100 eggs. Shortly after, she returns to the sea.

13. While the turtles are on land, scientists measure their
shells. They also count eggs, record the nest
temperatures, and attach radio transmitters to track
where the turtles go.

14. The eggs look like billiard
balls. Their shells are soft and
leathery. Scientists move nests
that are too close to the
water to safer areas or to
hatcheries.

15. The eggs hatch in about two months. Scientists can tell
if the hatchlings will be male or female by the
temperature of the nest. Colder temperatures produce
males. Warmer temperatures produce females.

16. Hatchlings wait until night to leave the nest.
Predators, like sea gulls, would eat them during
the day. Then the babies head for the water.
When they get there, they ride out to sea.

17. 1. Are turtles' shells their only defense mechanism?
2. Why do sea turtles bury their eggs in the ground or sand?
3. How do sea turtles breathe under water?
4. What is the main cause of death of leatherback turtles?
5. Why are the sea turtles called leatherbacks?
6. Why do the nesting females return to the water, leaving their eggs
on the beach?

18. 1. Are turtles' shells their only defense mechanism?
Answer:
A leatherback turtle is very large, so its size also provides
some protection. It can also change direction very quickly
in the water, so it can avoid predators that way, too.

19. 2. Why do sea turtles bury their eggs in the ground or
sand?
Answer:
Turtles must lay their eggs on land, and they are safest if
buried away from predators. The sand or earth provides
an insulated and stable environment for eggs to incubate.

20. 3. How do sea turtles breathe under water?
Answer:
The turtles come up to the surface of the water to breathe.
They take several quick breaths before they dive again.

21. 4. What is the main cause of death of leatherback
turtles?
Answer:
The main reason the species is close to extinction is
human activity, such as beachside development,
discarding of debris into the ocean, poaching of eggs, and
capture by fishing vessels.

22. 5. Why are the sea turtles called leatherbacks?
Answer:
The appearance of the turtle's shell is what gives it the
name 'leatherbacks.' The shell looks like leather. It is
actually a layer of thin, tough, rubbery skin. The
leatherback is the only turtle without a hard shell.

23. 6. Why do the nesting females return to the water,
leaving their eggs on the beach?
Answer:
Water is the natural habitat of leatherbacks. The nesting
females are not able to stay on land for long. They will
overheat. They can stay on land up to about four hours.