Lesson

Secrets of the Softshell: Saving India’s Rarest Turtle

Join Conservation Nation grantee and researcher Ayushi Jain on a mission to save one of the world’s rarest turtles — and discover how scientists, communities, and data work together to pull a species back from the edge of extinction. In this LIVE! lesson, students dive into real conservation data from India’s Chandragiri River, explore how local ecological knowledge (LEK) unlocks what science alone can’t find, and see how one researcher is working with fishers, farmers, and engineers to protect the critically endangered Cantor’s giant softshell turtle before it disappears forever.

Time Required ONE 45-MINUTE PRE-LESSON PREPARATION SESSION AND ONE 50-55 MINUTE CLASS PERIOD

All required materials for this lesson can be found below.

Pre-Read Article
Vocabulary List
Video Transcript
Lesson Slides

Student Games

Click the appropriate quiz link below and click on the blue “Host Live” button to start your student quiz.

Download Games

Educator Signup

Be the first to hear about new lesson resources, trainings, and opportunities with Conservation Nation Education Programs! We will randomly draw one name quarterly to win your choice of binoculars or a set of nature books!