Show the children pictures of different types of turtles during circle time and ask them to show you how they are different and the same. Show them examples of well-known turtle species, such as the box turtle and the sea turtle. Teach the children to sing interactive songs about turtles that show how turtles act. For example, you could sing "I'm a Little Turtle," to the tune of "I'm a Little Teapot." The song could go, "I'm a little turtle, green and slow, here is my shell (children pat their back) and here are my toes (wiggle both fingers and toes). When it's time to go, I take my time (children yawn and stretch arms). I take the slow lane every time (move to the right very slowly)."
Read age-appropriate books to the students about turtles during story time. Books to consider include, "Emma's Turtle," by Eve Bunting, about a pet turtle who attempts to see the world; "Sea Turtle Journey -- The Story of a Loggerhead Turtle," by Lorraine A. Jay, which tells the life cycle story of sea turtles; and "Box Turtle at Silver Pond Lane," by Susan Korman, which follows a day in the life of a box turtle. You could also read them the classic Aesop fable, "The Tortoise and the Hare."
Help the children work on creative art projects related to turtles. One idea is to use bottle caps to create tiny turtles. Give each student a plastic bottle cap from empty juice containers. Instruct them to paint the bottle cap green for the shell. Use black paint and a thin paintbrush to create the lines on the shell. Give each child a half of a craft stick and two cotton swabs to paint green as well. Glue the craft stick to the rim of the bottle cap. Glue two googly eyes on the end of the craft stick to complete the head. Cut the green cotton swabs in half and glue two on either side of the head to create the legs. Finally take a small strip of green tissue paper and twist it into a tail to glue on the bottle cap opposite the head. To make bigger turtles, you can have the students use paper plates for the shell and construction paper to create the head, legs and tails.
Some of the children may have pet turtles at home. Ask their parents if they can bring them in for show and tell one day during the unit. You could also have a reptile zoo representative bring in some turtles to show the class, or you go to the zoo on a field trip. Focus on the reptile area, and in particular the turtles. See if you can arrange a behind the scenes tour for the class to see the zookeepers taking care of the turtles.