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ISALC:
ESL 382: Computer Applications - Fall 2000
Hatchet: Student Survival Guide
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This is what I knew about turtles before reading Hatchet:
I had never thought too much about turtles and how many kinds there are. When I was a child I had a turtle but it was a different kind of turtle. It is called a tortoise, which has feet and can walk on the land. However, I don't think I had ever actually seen a photo of a different kind or different color turtle, for example, the Western Painted Turtle.
This is why turtle was important in Hatchet:
Until I read Hatchet, I never knew I could find any useful things from turtles. I learned from Brian that the turtle eggs could be eaten and the taste will be strange the first time. Brian had to eat turtle eggs because he didn't have anything else to eat. I also learned how difficult it is to try a new kind of food without any idea about it, to know if it is good for eating or is not.
After reading Hatchet and completing my Internet research, this is what I have learned about turtles:
Until I read Hatchet, I never knew I could figure out anything about turtles. When I began to research about turtles, I found so many articles. I discovered that there are many kinds of turtles, some of them walk on the land, and some of them spend nearly their whole lives in the water. Actually turtles can be pets, and I found some scientists who are so interested in turtles, so I became interested to write about the turtles and about their habitats.
I discovered most scientists count seven kinds of turtles. For example, Kemp's ridley, olive ridley, loggerhead, hawksbill, leatherback, green and flat back. Turtles have leathery skin, and lay eggs. They also have a shell, which is called a carapace and is made of bone. Therefore, the turtles are very slow on the land, but in spite of that big shell, turtles are very fast in water. Turtles can just move their legs, neck, and tail. I also learned the smallest of sea turtles is the Kemp's ridley, which weighs are about 55 kilograms. The largest of sea turtles is the leatherback, which grows to weigh 725 kilograms. In the water, turtles use their flippers to help them swim quickly to avoid predators, such as sharks.
I learned several interesting facts about turtles. For example every two to four years, they return, usually to the same area where they themselves hatched. Also, I never knew that if the temperature has been below 28C, turtle eggs will be males. On the other hand, if the temperature has been above 29.5C, the eggs will be females. These were interesting. I had already known there are many turtle predators, such as raccoons, crabs, and foxes, which all eat turtle eggs.
We should help the sea turtles. For example, we should clean up our beaches to make good places for the sea turtle to lay eggs. We also should try to put some restrictions to tell people to keep out of this area. We should take care to save animals such as turtles from extinction. You should think about it!
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Created by: krauss@lclark.edu
Updated: 10/20/00
