Ernie and his greens
August 11, 2016


Public Speaking Competition at School

D: Hello! Today I’m going to be talking about giant green sea turtles – and specifically one called Ernie [picture].

This amazing creature can live for up to 150 years – almost as old as your mum and dad!

Giant green sea turtles can be much much bigger than Ernie, who is about half as big as your car – and he is only 11!

Do you want to know why he’s called a GREEN sea turtle? Well, it’s because he eats lots of seaweed and greens – including brussel sprouts and broccoli – bleurgh! I don’t SEA (get it?) how he can eat those things. But, luckily (probably to take the taste away) he eats sea creatures like jelly fish. 

The reason why his species are greatly endangered is because they eat plastic bags like children eat fast food – because he mistakes this rubbish for jelly fish, floating on top of the water. It gets right into their guts and it takes ages to break down – as you’ll know from learning about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. 

This makes the turtles think they are full, but they’re not getting any nutrition from the bags at all, so they die. And then….REST IN PEACE turtles [rip picture].

Removing recognition
May 30, 2013

recognitionSon: I’m going to be very sad at the end of sports camp this time.

Mum: Why?

Son: Because there’s no wristbands, medals or trophy now – they don’t do that anymore.

Mum: Why don’t they do that anymore?

Son: Because the Coach has got a boss now and he says, “Don’t give out wristbands, medals or trophies at the end because it wastes too much time!”

Mum: Oh dear. And do you think they should carry on giving them out?

Son: Yes, because it’s a good thing for children.

Mum: Why is it a good thing?

Son: Because there are people who haven’t got them yet – like James – it’s not fair for him, he hasn’t got anything – no wristband, no medal, no trophy, nothing. They don’t do any of it now, and he just REALLY wants a wristband, a medal or a trophy! What I really want from there is a wristband.

Mum: Do you try harder if there’s wristbands, medals and trophies at the end?

Son: Yes, we have to work REALLY hard if we want to get one. In the olden days when I didn’t get anything I worked SO hard and I didn’t get anything so I just gave up – I just worked normally. Until eventually I found out that I still wouldn’t get anything, so I gave up from working normally. Then one day I decided to try again and that’s when I got a medal. And then the next time I tried even more and that’s when I got the trophy.

Mum: And how did you feel when they said they weren’t going to give them out any more?

Son: It shocked me so much that I felt angry to hear the news that they didn’t give out wristbands, medals or trophies anymore and to this day, I am still a little upset. I gave up being angry though, because the more you’re angry the less things you’ll get – do you know that?

Mum: That’s true. So, do you work hard when you go to sports camp now?

Son: Now it doesn’t matter if you work hard, because they don’t give out trophies or medals anymore.

Mum: But DO you?

Son: A little bit.

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