In-House Field Trip: Diamondback Terrapins

How would you hold a turtle? Like a chicken nugget! Educators from the Maryland Environmental Service with support from the Port of Baltimore taught this tip and much more at last month’s Terrapin Program In-House Field Trip. 

You may have seen Testudo, the University of Maryland College Park’s mascot, but have you ever seen a terrapin up close? This week The Legacy School students got up close with a real live terrapin!

Educators from the Maryland Environmental Service taught students all about the Diamondback Terrapin, the official reptile of the State of Maryland. Upper School, Lower School, and Primary students learned about the lifecycle of the Diamondback Terrapin through interactive, educational, and age-appropriate activities. 

With guidance from the educators, Upper and Lower School students worked in groups to find terrapin “eggs” in containers of sand. Once they discovered the eggs, students took turns measuring how deep the terrapin “eggs” were buried, before using calipers to measure the length of the eggs and weighing the eggs using an electronic scale. These budding scientists took turns recording observations and measurements on data sheets. As a final activity, the students were presented with 5 Diamondback Terrapins to hold, identify, and categorize through markings and notches on the terrapins’ shells. 

Primary School students learned how animals adapt to their environment. One student demonstrated the Diamondback Terrapin’s physical features by donning shell, flippers with claws, tail, goggles to represent glands, beak, and shell markings. Students were taught how the terrapin swims, digs, and eats to survive. At the conclusion of the Primary session, students watched as the educators showed them each of the 5 Diamondback Terrapins. 

Ask your student to tell you about the Diamondback Terrapins! For more photos, follow The Legacy School on Facebook and Instagram.