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Around the World in Amazing Turtles

Action Challenge

15+ minutes / Inside 

Travel the globe through turtle tales, uncovering the myths and traditions that have shaped cultures and what they can teach us about why we should protect turtles.  

Learning outcome: Pupils will explore global turtle myths through a blended geography, storytelling and culturally immersive approach, challenging them to think deeper about how different cultures communicate and convey information.

 

Instructions

  • Introduce the class to the turtle myths and the country or culture they are from. 
     
  • As you do so, ask pupils what they know about that country and challenge them to place a sticker correctly on a map (a physical maps is included in the free Happy By Nature packs, but you can use any world map or globe in your classroom).  
     
  • Divide the class into groups with one of the stories to deep dive on each. Ask them to create a short summary with all the key details on their turtle speech bubble.  
     
  • These will be used to create a ‘world of turtles’ exhibition by sticking the speech bubbles around the room – you can allocate different areas of the classroom to different country’s ‘zones’!  
     
  • Encourage pupils to walk around the exhibition and explore the different stories, representing their journey ‘around the world’ in different cultures and turtle myths.  

Adaptations

  • Provide prompts or simplified versions of the myths for younger people pupils or those that need additional support. You can also use larger maps, stickers or even displaying a map on the screen to improve accessibility – or accommodate large class sizes. 
     
  • If pupils have the confidence and time, as part of the ‘world of turtles’ exhibition they could create a play and act out their myth to bring it to life for visitors to their ‘zone’.  

Extensions

  • Create a digital or illustrated version of the ‘world of turtles’ so pupils can share it with other classes, and their family and friends. They could focus on specific geography or RE elements from what they’ve learnt. 
     
  • Pupils can go further by choosing their favourite turtle and researching more about it - creating a poster to display around school or hosting a ‘pitch your favourite turtle’ section in assembly to raise awareness of turtles around the world. 

Turtle-y awesome

Creative Challenge

15+ minutes / Inside 

Discover what turtle art can tell us about traditions and cultures around the world: Let the turtles lead the way!    

Learning outcome: This hands-on activity blends art and creativity to help pupils deepen their understanding of storytelling in different cultures. They will take inspiration from turtle art around the world to learn about what nature means to different people, places, traditions and beliefs. 

HBN FAQ Slice

Instructions

  • Show pupils the examples of turtle art from different cultures (including Hindu, Native American, and Ancient Egyptian).  
     
  • Ask them to share ideas on how they are different and why – what techniques, materials or approaches make them all so different? Challenge pupils to reflect on what this might tell us about the creators’ beliefs or traditions, and how the turtle was viewed. 
     
  • Tell them to pick one style to use as the basis for their own artwork – from hieroglyphics to indigenous dot art – and create their own turtle image. The challenge is to think about what the turtle means to them and how their art can reveal this. 
     
  • As a class, discuss what they learned from trying the different techniques, and any similarities they noticed across cultures.  

Adaptations

  • You can use different materials to make this more or less challenging (what about paint, collage, string, cardboard or digital artwork?). For younger pupils, you may provide templates or stencils, while older pupils could have free choice of formats.  
     
  • If pupils are struggling to draw the whole turtle, ask them to focus in on the patterns of the turtle shells and explore these patterns in more detail. 

Extensions

  • This lesson is an opportunity to cover different cultures, traditions and diversity – if you have time, you can extend the lesson to discuss these topics in more depth.  
     
  • Create a gallery walk where pupils can display and discuss their turtle art alongside their classmates’ creations – you could even put on a turtle art exhibition in your school. 
     
  • Learn about the work of Karalaini, a marine turtle officer in Fiji who works with local people to understand and protect turtles. 

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