Infusion of Literacy Into the Science Curriculum

Infusion of Literacy into the Science Curriculum

Book Information

Title / The Voyage of Turtle Rex
Author / Kurt Cyrus
Publisher / Harcourt Children’s Books
Copyright Year / 2011
ISBN# / ISBN-10: 054742924X
ISBN-13: 978-0-547-42924-3
Summary / The story follows life cycle of an ancient sea turtle, archelon, from a hatchling on a beach, surrounded by dinosaur life, swimming to safety in seaweed, growing into a full-size adult, then finally returning to her beach of origin to lay eggs in a new turtle nest.
Availability / Arlington Library (Aurora Hills, Central, Cherrydale, Columia Pike, Glencarlyn, Shirlington, Westover); APS Library system: Ashlawn, Carline Springs, Drew, Glebe, Key, Oakridge, Amazon.com (for purchase).

How can the book content be infused into the science curriculum?

Grade Level / K-5
Strands / Scientific Investigation, Reasoning and Logic; Life Processes, Living Systems, Earth Patterns, Cycle and Change
Kindergarten / Scientific Investigation, Reasoning and Logic
K.1; K.2- Five senses, descriptions and sequencing
Life Processes
K.6 & K.7 – Basic life needs, processes of plants and animals
Grade 1 / Life Processes
1.4 & 1.5 – Plants & Animals-needs, parts, characteristics
Grade 2 / Life Processes
2.4- Stages in animal life
Grade 3 / Life Processes
3.4- Animal adaptations
Living Systems
3.5 & 3.6 – Food chains/environments
Grade 4 / Living Systems
4.5- Ecosystems
Grade 5 / Living Systems
5.5- Characteristics for organism’s survival

Sample Activities

Kindergarten &
Grade 1 / After reading the book aloud, students sequence a table with a row for each stage of a sea turtle’s life cycle:
· Egg hatches in nest under sand on beach
· Turtle hatching goes into the ocean and swims to “seaweed hotel”
· Turtle grows into an adult, swimming throughout the ocean
· Adult turtle returns to original beach to mingle, breed and lay eggs in a nest on the beach, then returns to the sea
Next to the stage, student’s draw a sketch of what the sea turtle needs to survive at that stage.
Grade 3 / After reading the book, students create their own food chain for archelon. They can research what archelon ate at:
http://www.kidsdinos.com/dinosaurs-for-children.php?dinosaur=Archelon
The Voyage of Turtle Rex gives the predator information for archelon (mosasaur). The food chain diagram could be charted as a graphic organizer on paper or with Kidspiration. Alternatively, students could create an actual chain using paper loops on which they write each animal in the food chain.