Title Information:­
Shells on their Backs: Shells on their Backs outlines the similarities and differences between turtles and tortoises. It examines various types of turtles and tortoises and their features and behaviours. The book also explains why some turtles and tortoises are endangered and what is being done to help them survive.

Content vocabulary:atoll, carapace, carnivores, clutches, cold-blooded, commercial fishing, conservation, crustaceans, evaporation, foraging, gender, GPS, herbivores, hibernation, incubate, juvenile, microchip, nesting sites, omnivores, predators, replenished, reptiles, scutes

Key concepts:
Turtles and tortoises are reptiles that have many things in common, but are also different in several distinct ways Turtles and tortoises have well-developed structures and behaviours that have allowed them to survive all around the world for millions of years Today, many turtle and tortoise species are at risk of extinction

Reading Strategies: Identifying the text features authors use to identify and compare similarities and differences in information

Related resource:Lesson Plan - Shells on their Backs

Series Information:

WorldWise is a high-interest literacy program that encourages inquiry and questioning while extending knowledge in science and a range of STEM topics linked to the curriculum. This engaging program teaches reading strategies simultaneously with natural, earth and physical science concepts – reflecting the diversity of the world students live in.

Students will develop strategies and skills to read informative texts across a range of text types while they learn to become informative text writers. With an assortment of text types on offer, themes and concepts are introduced and revisited across the reading stages, building on initial concepts with increasing complexity.

WorldWise Lesson Plans support each Student Book, offering practical, systematic and easy-to-implement instructions. These visually appealing resources integrate oral language, vocabulary development, fluency and comprehension, writing and phonics.

WorldWise Investigations is a web-based tool that provides extension activities for titles in the program. It encourages exploration of content linked to curriculum outcomes in a deeper more hands-on way. Students are supported with a framework that encourages investigation and inquiry.

This series is supported by an array of teacher resources which can be obtained by visiting www.worldwise.com.au

Flying Start to Literacy is supported by an array of free teacher resources, including:

• scope and sequence documents
• phonics and phonemic overviews for each reading stage
• reading and writing across the curriculum overviews of text types, text features, curriculum links, key concepts, and content vocabulary for the books at each of the reading stages
• records of reading behaviour are provided for books at each stage
• ongoing assessment checklist forms
• getting started tips and guidance
• title-level correlations to the Australian Curriculum
• information about the research that underpins the series
• percentage of decodable words tables for Levels 1—10.

Visit www.flyingstarttoliteracy.com.au to access these free resources.