“In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have.”
~ Lee Iacocca, American Industrialist
WIDECAST is passionate about public outreach! WIDECAST Country Coordinators are closely involved with formal and non-formal educators in their countries, and we have developed several science-based resources to help teachers bring sea turtles into the classroom (or Science Club, or summer camp). Check this page often for new materials, several of which are currently in peer-review and will be posted in the coming months.
Other useful resources, including species identification leaflets, a Photo Gallery, and a comprehensive Resource Library can be found elsewhere on our site. Please let us know what you need, and we will be very happy to assist you in locating it!
In partnership with the British High Commission, WIDECAST recently donated a Teacher Resource Package including a sea turtle textbook, two comprehensive curriculum guides, and a bilingual slide show on Endangered Caribbean Sea Turtles to every secondary school and teacher’s college in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines. Through the generosity of private donors, the same was done for the Cayman Islands and the Republic of Trinidad %26 Tobago. To sponsor the distribution of Teacher Resource Packages in your country, please contact the Executive Director at keckert@widecast.org. To learn more about teacher resources already available at the local level, contact your WIDECAST Country Coordinator.
Are you teaching very young children? Two of the best coloring books we’ve seen are “Turtle Talks” (en Español) and the bilingual “Sea Turtles” (posted with permission). Puppet shows and arts and crafts are also wonderful ways to reach younger age groups, and check out Project WET’s activity books (sea turtles, whales, coral reefs, fishing), too!
Moving beyond sea turtles, some countries have wonderful curriculum materials designed to bring environmental issues alive in the classroom. Check out Conservation in Classrooms by the Guyana Marine Turtle Conservation Society, the Schools’ Environment Programme, “a dynamic island-wide programme designed to increase the level of environmental awareness in Jamaican schools”, and Treasures in the Sea, an educator’s guide to teaching marine biodiversity in The Bahamas (posted with permission).
Online Literacy: Internet Resources
Ocean conservation, climate change, and environmental sustainability are among the most important issues of our time and the Internet can be a wonderful resource for educators and other professionals. We are often asked where to find accurate and reliable information online. One of the most comprehensive portals is through the BRIDGE feature of the National Marine Educators Association.
Other sites designed primarily for educators include:
ARKive Education
Center for Environmental and Conservation Education Online
Centers for Ocean Sciences and Education Excellence
Euro-Turtle: Education Home Page
Marine Stewardship Council: Fish and Kids
National Geographic: Our Environment and Oceans for Life
Ocean Literacy
Project WET: Worldwide Water Education
Smithsonian Institution: Education
UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme: Kids
To help students better understand their ecological impact on the Earth, including such 21st century concepts as a “carbon footprint”, these sites are worth exploring:
Center for Sustainable Economy: My Ecological Footprint
Ecologic: Creating a Sustainable Future
Global Footprint Network
National Academy of Sciences: Global Warming Facts %26 Our Future
Zero Footprint: Kids Calculator
To incorporate current events and environmental news into your lesson plans, visit:
Duke University: The Green Grok
Earth Portal
GRIST: Environmental News and Commentary
Planet Ark: Environmental News Service
Yale University: Environment 360
Finally, these US state and federal sites provide user-friendly access to sea turtle technical publications, legislation, and outreach assets:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission: Marine Turtle Program
NOAA Fisheries: Office of Protected Resources