Lesson 4- Owls- A Mighty Predator
Objective:
Lesson:
Owl Pellet activities abound. This lesson was taken from a lesson described in the Project WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide that is the companion to a Project WILD presentation. I attended Project WILD presentation on March 1, 2013. Facilitated by Dr. Patricia Stohr-Hunt at the University of Richmond, Richmond, VA. Owl pellets may be secured through Local wildlife organizations that rehab owls like Maymont Foundation in Richmond, Virginia. They may also be purchased through multiple organizations like Pellets, Inc. at www.pelletsinc. com. or Owl Brand Discovery kits. Most kits come with identification diagrams(small animal skeleton and skull guides and instructions on how to go about dissecting a pellet.
http://www.obdk.com/?gclid=CJmajdWG6rUCFQWxnQodKVAADg
- Differentiate between predator and prey,
- Continue to identify sequences of feeding relationships in a food chain and the importance of each species role.
- Demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning by making predictions and then gathering and analyzing data and making inferences based on observations (Standards 3.1- Scientific investigation, Reasoning, and Logic)
- Use of computer and Smart Board
- Order enough Owl Pellets for each student to have one
- Dissecting tools-tootpicks work fine
- Tweezers
- Rubber gloves
- Magnifying glass
- Read-A-Loud Books
Lesson:
- Read Owls by Sandra Markle through page 18.
- To introduce owl pellet exercise, ask students try to predict what one might find in the owl's pellet that we read about in the book.
- Students list their guesses in their Science Journals. Let's find out.
- Owl Pellet Activity*. List items found, description. Diagram items and label parts. Use small skeletal diagrams to determine what kinds of animals found in pellet. Classify items and count. Discuss as group and graph total items found in the class using a number graph.
- Draw the owl's food chain in Science Journal based on data collected.
- Read Vulture View by April Pulley Sayre
- Discuss how owls and vultures are similar and how they are different.
- Have students draw a Venn Diagram for owls and vultures in their Science Journals.
- Ask a student to share their Venn Diagram with the class.
- Discuss how each bird has developed to adapt to their environment. Discuss the importance of the adaptations. Help students infer the importance of all animals adapting to their environment.
- Discuss the owl and vulture # 1 similarity- in that like every creature in the food chain these birds are "programmed' to become the most efficient at surviving.
- In Science Journal answer this reflection question- How do the adaptations the owl and the vulture have developed help them "fit" into their communities?
Owl Pellet activities abound. This lesson was taken from a lesson described in the Project WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide that is the companion to a Project WILD presentation. I attended Project WILD presentation on March 1, 2013. Facilitated by Dr. Patricia Stohr-Hunt at the University of Richmond, Richmond, VA. Owl pellets may be secured through Local wildlife organizations that rehab owls like Maymont Foundation in Richmond, Virginia. They may also be purchased through multiple organizations like Pellets, Inc. at www.pelletsinc. com. or Owl Brand Discovery kits. Most kits come with identification diagrams(small animal skeleton and skull guides and instructions on how to go about dissecting a pellet.
http://www.obdk.com/?gclid=CJmajdWG6rUCFQWxnQodKVAADg