Sea Turtle Lesson Plans | National Marine Sanctuaries

Utilize these interactive lesson plans and activities with students to learn and gain a better understanding of sea turtles, their impacts, and the role sanctuaries have in protecting these species.

Sea turtle sunbathing on sand in Hawaii with its eye closed with black rocks in the background.

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary VR Lesson

Students will explore the ecology of one of three different species in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. They will also explore conservation measures in place for their species protection. Students will produce a tri-fold brochure meant to teach visitors of the sanctuary about the ecology of their assigned species and its importance to Native Hawaiian culture.

Black and white outline of different types of sea turtles, waves, and a scuba diver.

Sea Turtles Coloring Page

Students can utilize this coloring page that features green, hawksbill, Kemp’s ridley, leatherback, loggerhead, and olive ridley sea turtles that are all found in U.S. waters. These six turtle species are protected by the Endangered Species Act.

Black and white outline of two ships with large sails on the water with clouds above and islands in the background and three sea turtles and five fish swimming underwater.

Sea Turtles, No Nā Honu Kai: A Coloring Book in English and Hawaiian

Sea turtles figure prominently in native Hawaiian life. You can learn more about Hawaiian sea turtles by reading this book and coloring the pictures. This coloring book is also available in Japanese and Samoan language.

From top to bottom: A male surfer in boardshorts on a surfboard looking into the water below, several fish, a shark, octopus, turtle, coral, and urchins below the surface.

Why is Hawaii’s ocean important? A Keiki (kids) Activity Book

This interactive book offers students the opportunity to learn about the importance of the marine ecosystem in Hawaii, including key species like sea turtles and whales, through coloring, word searches, games, hands-on activities, and more.

From left to right: A gray shark tail, green sea turtle, six butterfly fish, yellow flower, mother and baby humpback whale, and a man blowing a conch shell.

A Journey Through Papahānaumokuākea

Students can travel through the islands and atolls of Papahānaumokuākea with this activity book.

School & Field Activities in Hawai`i

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary promotes hands-on, experience- based marine education. Classes include a variety of activities, lectures, creative hands-on activities and in-the-field experiences. Each visit will feature a whale activity and one or two other topics. Teachers may request topics other than those listed in their grade levels.

Nine black and white squares of animal outlines, left to right row 1-3: Seal, whale, turtle, tang fish, dolphin, octopus, shark, urchin, triggerfish.

Sea Creatures in Hawai`i

A matching game to learn about the species that make up the biodiverse ecosystem of Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, including sea turtles.

Black and white drawing of a coral reef scene with fish, a shark, a turtle, dolphins, and birds.

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coloring Page

A coloring page of a biodiverse coral reef ecosystem with sea turtles, fish, and more in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Two large sea turtles laying on a sandy beach in Hawaii with two seagulls on each shell.

Sea Turtle Exploration Document

Utilize curated resources from NOAA and other groups to discover more about the Green Sea Turtle species.

A sea turtle being released with a tracker on its shell by a person in a yellow shirt and black overalls.

Lesson: Tracking Marine Animals—Species Research, Migration Mapping, and Ecosystem Dioramas

A lesson plan for students to be able to describe the habitat and behaviors of a particular marine animal species, understand that marine animals migrate in search of food and appropriate breeding grounds throughout the year and that scientists are interested in tracking the movements of marine animals to study the effects of environmental changes on their behavior, and plot the locations of animals on a map based on satellite tracking data.

A turtle resting in Hawaiian tide pools with seafoam in the background.

Species on the Edge

The focus of this lesson plan is on endangered sea turtle species. Students should be able to describe the factors negatively affecting populations of sea turtles and will identify and discuss action that can be undertaken to reduce or eliminate threats to sea turtles through the lesson.