My students need pellets, kits, and guide books to dissect owl pellets during their exploration of food webs, which will help them to better understand the interdependence of living things.
There ends up being fur everywhere! But the unique experience of dissecting an owl pellet and reconstructing one of the skeletons it contains, leaves a lasting impression with my students, as well as broadening their understanding of food webs.
My students are wonderful!
They attend an urban school in a part of town that has a long history of being home to recent immigrants. One hundred years ago they came from Southern and Eastern Europe. Today we have students from Africa, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Over 80% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch. Their homes range from lower middle class houses to apartments above store fronts.
My Project
My request includes 20 owl pellets for my students to dissect in order to identify and reconstruct the skeletons of the prey the owl has eaten, as well as to count the number of skulls in the pellet to determine the amount of food eaten. Also included in the request are a set of guide charts and 5 copies each of three grade-appropriate books about owls. I plan to use the books to give my students added practice in reading expository texts by using them in small groups before the dissection to give background information on owls and their food chains, and having the students use them individually after the dissection to garner information for writing a research paper about owls.
I've had my class dissect owl pellets most years over the last 20.
I've even gone to my own children's classes to do the activity. It stimulates thought and learning so effectively that, quite honestly, if I don't get funded through Donors Choose I will likely purchase some owl pellets myself, as well as a lesser number of the books. Your donation will allow fewer students to have to share each owl pellet and each book. Thank you for reading and hopefully considering funding this project.
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