Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
02/23/2026
Sea turtles nest early as waters warm, but egg output falls
As the waters in the Atlantic warm, loggerhead turtles that nest in Cape Verde off of West Africa have been arriving earlier than usual. While researchers thought the change seemed promising, a larger issue emerged. They found that turtles were producing fewer eggs and mating less frequently. Researchers linked declining turtle fertility to a drop in their sea plant food. “We have to protect foraging grounds far away from nesting grounds,” one researcher said.
■Class discussion: How is our changing climate forcing animal species to alter the way they feed, migrate, and breed? How many animal species have disappeared in the last century? Is the rate of extinction speeding up or slowing down? Are human beings threatened as other species disappear?? How many other species have humans driven to extinction during our relatively short tenure on Earth? Is extinction and the emergence of new species just part of a natural cycle?
