As the life cycle of the sea turtle is discussed in the series, "Life Under the Sea", point out the dangers this enormous creature faces as it travels in the ocean. Use a simple hands-on activity that will explain how the sea turtle tries to escape from being entangled or trapped in a fishing net. Hand out a rubber band to each child. Demonstrate how difficult it is to remove the rubber band without using the other hand, when it is looped around the thumb and 4th finger.
Read the book, Into the Sea by Brenda Z. Guiberson and Alix Berenzy. The story explains the life cycle of the sea turtle, as the female lays the eggs on the sandy beach, the hatching of the eggs, its survival in the sea, the escape from being trapped in a fishing net, then back to the same beach to lay eggs as an adult sea turtle.
When reading to the children, model positive reading habits, by always saying the title of the story, the author and the illustrator. Good habits will encourage the love for literature, while developing phonemic awareness, picture cues, thinking aloud, predicting and retelling stories.
