Leatherback turtles are an endangered species of sea turtle found throughout the world's oceans. Leatherbacks nest on the beaches of warm areas, including the Americas. Las Baulas National Park in northwestern Costa Rica is a particularly important leatherback nesting beach. Each winter, researchers and volunteers travel to Las Baulas to study the turtles and work to save them from extinction.

In this lesson, students will learn about leatherback turtles and the threats they are facing, and they'll see pictures of volunteers studying the turtles and their eggs on the beach. The students will consider how Crittercam can add to these studies, and they'll conclude by creating signs that might be posted on the beach to inform visitors of leatherback research and conservation and appropriate ways to behave on beaches where leatherbacks nest.

Geography, life sciences

Standard 8: "The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth's surface"
Standard 18: "How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future"

Two hours

• Computer with Internet access

Students will

• read about and view pictures of dangers to sea turtles, and discuss what they see;
• look at pictures of a volunteer study of leatherbacks, and list the reasons why this type of study might help save the leatherback;
• read about Crittercam, and list the reasons why this technology might help save the leatherback; and
• create signs to post on Costa Rican beaches informing visitors of leatherback conservation and research.

Have students look at this picture of a leatherback turtle. Do they notice its leathery back? Tell them that they'll see more pictures of these turtles later in the lesson.

Point out these facts about the leatherback as students look at the picture. (Feel free to print the facts so students can read them, too.)

• Leatherbacks get their name from their thin, rubbery shell that looks like leather.
• These turtles are highly endangered and may go extinct in the next few decades; scientists are trying hard to learn about them and figure out ways to protect them.
• Leatherbacks are found throughout the world.
• They weigh between 450 and 1,300 pounds (200 and 590 kilograms).
• Females lay their eggs on the beach; the baby turtles hatch after about 65 days and then walk to the ocean.
• It is estimated that only about one in 1,000 hatchlings survives to become an adult turtle.
• Females lay eggs about every three years, and they return to nest on the same beach where they hatched.
• Males and females migrate hundreds of miles each year.
• Leatherbacks eat almost nothing but jellyfish!

Have students look at this map and explain that the blue and black dots are some of the places where leatherbacks are known to nest. Ask students to name the continents where leatherbacks nest.

Have students go to Turtles in Trouble. Ask them to read this page and to click on the four pictures at the bottom to learn about some of the dangers that sea turtles face. Point out that this page discusses species other than the leatherback but that leatherbacks are among the most endangered sea turtles of all.

Ask students to list the dangers that are discussed on these Web pages. Can they think of other things that might be dangerous for migrating, nesting, or hatching turtles? Discuss all these dangers, asking students to explain why these problems are so harmful to the turtles.

Help students locate Costa Rica on a world map in the classroom or at National Geographic's Xpeditions Atlas. Explain that the Pacific side of Costa Rica is a major nesting area for leatherback turtles.

Next, have students go to Earthwatch's Costa Rican Sea Turtles Expedition page. Explain that this page describes a vacation that people can take to help study leatherbacks in Costa Rica.

Have students click on the photo gallery on the right side of the screen. As students look at the photographs, explain that volunteers spend their nights doing the following things: looking for turtles on the beach, measuring the turtles, counting how many eggs they lay, collecting eggs to take to a hatchery (where they'll be kept safe until they hatch), and recording the location and position of the nests.

Ask students why they think each of these volunteer activities is helpful. For example, why is it important to tag a turtle or to collect its eggs? List students' ideas on the board under the heading "Why It's Important to Study Leatherbacks."

Ask students to go to Crittercam Chronicles, read the introductory page, and then click on "Sea Turtles." Ask them how they think Crittercam might help continue studies of leatherbacks. What information can Crittercam provide that can't be provided by the studies on the beach? Why is this information valuable for leatherback conservation? Add students' ideas to the list on the board.

Discuss the ways that studying leatherbacks might help protect the turtles. How might the knowledge gained from measuring and tagging them and "following" them with Crittercam assist scientists, government officials, and the general public in helping the turtles? Why should everyone learn about leatherbacks?

Ask students to pretend they've been hired by the Costa Rican government to make signs telling visitors to Las Baulas National Park about the leatherback turtles. The signs should inform visitors about why the turtles are endangered, why volunteers are on the beach studying the turtles, and how studying the turtles (including Crittercam) might help them. Students should also list some "dos and don'ts" for park visitors.

Have students work in groups to create board games featuring the life of a leatherback turtle. Games can be played with dice and include various stops with such directions as "Get caught in a fishing net—lose two turns" or "A resolution is passed to prevent poaching in Costa Rica—jump ahead four spaces." Students should be creative but should present realistic scenarios and allow for both good and bad things to happen to the turtles (just like in real life).

This material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0229817.

Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

About the Leatherback
Earthwatch: Costa Rican Sea Turtles Expeditions
Leatherback Sea Turtle Information
National Geographic: Crittercam Chronicles
National Geographic: Turtles in Trouble